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What Happens To Trump’s Criminal and Civil Cases Now That He’s Been Reelected

Maria

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Nov 6, 2024

What Happens To Trump’s Criminal and Civil Cases Now That He’s Been Reelected

By Devan Cole, Lauren del Valle, Kara Scannell and Jeremy Herb, CNN

(CNN) — Donald Trump has been reelected to the White House as a convicted felon who is awaiting sentencing in his hush money case in New York and still working to stave off prosecution in other state and federal cases.

It’s an extraordinarily unique position for him to be in: Never before has a criminal defendant been elected to the nation’s highest office, just as an ex-president had never been criminally charged until last year.

Trump has said multiple times he plans to fire special counsel Jack Smith and end the federal cases against him for trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election and mishandling classified documents.

“It clearly paid off to aggressively push to delay these cases as long as possible,” said Jessica Levinson, a constitutional law professor at Loyola Law School.

In the meantime, a judge in New York is set to sentence the former president later this month after holding off on handing down the punishment ahead of Election Day to avoid any appearance of affecting the outcome of the presidential race – though Trump’s lawyers are expected to ask the judge to put off the sentencing now that he’s the president-elect.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Here’s what to know about the four criminal cases:

New York sentencing

Trump is scheduled to appear in a New York courtroom on November 26 to receive a sentence for his conviction earlier this year on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment made during the 2016 campaign to adult-film star Stormy Daniels, who alleged a prior affair with the president-elect. (Trump denies the affair.)

Whether that sentencing happens at all remains an open question.

Judge Juan Merchan has given himself a November 12 deadline to decide whether to wipe away the conviction because of the Supreme Court’s decision this summer granting a president some presidential immunity. If Merchan does that, the charges would be dismissed, and Trump would not be sentenced.

But if the judge decides to keep the conviction intact, the former president’s lawyers are expected to ask Merchan to delay Trump’s sentencing so they can appeal. And if that’s not granted, his attorneys are planning to appeal the immunity decision to state appellate courts and potentially all the way to the US Supreme Court to ask the courts to delay Trump’s sentencing until all appeals are exhausted, which could take months.

Should Merchan move ahead with sentencing, Trump could be ordered to serve as much as four years of prison time, but the judge is not required to sentence the president-elect to prison, and he could impose a lesser sentence, such as probation, home confinement, community service or a fine.

Any sentence, of course, will be complicated by the fact that Trump is set to take office on January 20, 2025. Trump’s lawyers are likely to shape their appeals to raise constitutional issues challenging whether a state judge can sentence a president-elect, which could tie the case up in courts for years.

Since it is a state case, Trump does not have the power to pardon himself next year after he is sworn into office.

Federal cases in DC and Florida

Trump’s election victory is poised to have the greatest impact on the two federal criminal cases brought against him by Smith in Washington, DC, and Florida.

Since the cases were brought in 2023, Trump’s main legal strategy has been to delay the trials until past the election so that, if elected, he could fire Smith, leading to the end of the two cases. In late October, the former president said he would take such a step without hesitation.

“Oh, it’s so easy. It’s so easy,” Trump said when asked by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt whether he would “pardon yourself” or “fire Jack Smith” if reelected.

“I would fire him within two seconds,” Trump said.

Dismissing Smith would allow the Department of Justice and Trump’s attorney general to move to drop the charges against him and end the court cases.

But until Inauguration Day on January 20, Smith has time to weigh his options on issues the department has never had to confront before.

One early hurdle is whether the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel considers a president-elect to be covered by the same legal protection against prosecution as a sitting president. That guidance would determine the next course of action, people briefed on the matter told CNN.

More than half a dozen people who are close to the special counsel’s office or other top Justice Department officials told CNN they believe Smith doesn’t want to close shop before being ordered to do so or being pushed out by Trump.

Under federal law, Smith must provide a confidential report on his office’s work to the attorney general before he leaves the post.

In the DC case, Smith charged Trump over his efforts to overturn his election loss in 2020. The case was stalled for months as Trump pressed federal courts to grant him presidential immunity, and in July the Supreme Court issued a historic ruling that said he had some immunity from criminal prosecution.

The federal judge overseeing the trial has been deciding how much of Trump’s conduct at the center of the case is shielded by immunity after prosecutors last month laid out their arguments for why the ruling should have no impact on the case.

The charges brought by Smith against the president-elect in Florida accuse Trump of illegally taking classified documents from the White House and resisting the government’s attempts to retrieve the materials. That case was thrown out in July by Judge Aileen Cannon, but prosecutors have appealed her ruling, which said that Attorney General Merrick Garland’s appointment of Smith violated the Constitution.

Georgia RICO case

The immediate fate of Trump’s criminal case in Georgia largely hinges on whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a Democrat, is disqualified from prosecuting the matter after her prior romantic relationship with a fellow prosecutor. But even if she is allowed to continue prosecuting Trump, the case would almost certainly imperiled now that he has been elected.

The criminal charges again Trump for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results are effectively on hold while the appeals court decides whether to disqualify Willis, a decision that is not expected until 2025.

If Willis is removed, sources told CNN they think it’s unlikely another prosecutor will want to take up the case and it will effectively go away.

Sources familiar with the case said it is unlikely that a state-level judge would allow proceedings to continue when Trump is president and, in that scenario, Trump’s attorneys would certainly move to have the case dismissed.

There is no clear answer as to whether a state-level prosecutor, like Willis, can prosecute a sitting president. Trump’s victory now forces Willis to confront that constitutional question in addition to the existing legal issues that have already cast uncertainly over the Georgia case’s future.

Civil suits

The former president is also defending himself in a litany of civil lawsuits, including ones concerning his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, two E. Jean Carroll defamation cases, and a civil fraud case brought by the New York attorney general where Trump was ordered to pay nearly $454 million in damages.

In September, state and federal appeals courts in New York heard arguments for two of Trump’s civil appeals.

Trump lost two defamation cases to Carroll in 2023 and 2024 in federal court after a jury found him liable for sexually abusing the onetime columnist and subsequently defaming her. Two juries awarded Carroll $5 million and $83 million.

A federal appeals court heard Trump’s appeal to dismiss the first Carroll verdict in September. The court has yet to issue a decision.

Later in the month, a state appeals court heard arguments in Trump’s efforts to dismiss the $454 million civil fraud judgement against him, in which a judge found he, his adult sons and his company fraudulently inflated the value of Trump’s assets to obtain better loan and insurance rates.

The five-judge appeals court appeared open to at least lowering the fine levied against Trump, though it also has yet to issue a decision. That ruling can be appealed to New York’s highest appellate court.

Trump is also still facing civil lawsuits brought by Democratic lawmakers and others over his role in the January 6 Capitol attack.

It’s possible that all these cases continue to play out even as Trump serves his second term in the White House. In a 1997 Supreme Court ruling stemming from a civil lawsuit then-President Bill Clinton was involved in, the justices unanimously decided that sitting presidents could not invoke presidential immunity to avoid civil litigation while in office.

CNN’s Katelyn Polantz contributed to this report.

The-CNN-Wire

2024 HBCU Fall Caravan Makes First Stop at San Diego Mesa College

Community News

Maria

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Nov 6, 2024

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2024 HBCU Fall Caravan Makes First Stop at San Diego Mesa College

By Voice & Viewpoint Staff

The first of 11 Historically Black Colleges & Universities Fall Caravan stops took place right here at San Diego Mesa College on October 28th as part of the caravan’s tour across California, and the only one in San Diego County. From 10am-1pm the caravan featured HBCU representatives from across the country who hosted the college fair for interested high school students, transfer students, and community college students.

The cloudy day featured games, food, music, and representatives providing information about transfer requirements and support services like financial aid and counseling for interested wide-eyed students excited to get a head start on their future.

Ashanti T. Hands, President of San Diego Mesa College, was present at the event, inspiring students to take advantage of the wonderful opportunity presented by the California Community Colleges (CCC) to bring information about the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Caravan event to students in our county.

“HBCUs offer a rich history of academic excellence and culturally affirming and nurturing environments that can be a transformative next step. We strongly encourage students to explore the unique opportunities that HBCUs from across the country offer, as they consider their next steps in higher education,” said Ashanti T. Hands.

Some HBCUs in attendance were Texas Southern University, Talladega College in Alabama, Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, Coppin State University in Maryland, Baltimore, Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia, Xavier University of Louisiana, Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, Lincoln University Missouri, Arizona State University, and more.

Students from all across San Diego County attended the college fair, some from Oceanside and others from local high schools, all hoping to learn about what is needed to attend an HBCU, some gaining an opportune advantage by speaking directly to admissions staff before the Caravan left to inspire more students in California.

For full stories and photos only published in print, pick up a paper at a newsstand near you, or check out the latest edition of our newspaper on Thursday each week.

DOJ Targets Elder Fraud and Nursing Home Abuse in Sweeping Nationwide Actions

National

Maria

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Nov 6, 2024

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DOJ Targets Elder Fraud and Nursing Home Abuse in Sweeping Nationwide Actions

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has released its annual report to Congress on efforts to combat elder fraud, abuse, and neglect. The report details over 300 enforcement actions against more than 700 defendants accused of targeting older adults. The department recovered nearly $700 million, disrupted major transnational schemes, and prosecuted cases involving substandard care at nursing homes and serious rights violations in veterans’ facilities.

One high-profile case included the convictions of two Pittsburgh-area nursing homes, Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center and Mount Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center. A federal jury found both facilities guilty of falsifying records submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to avoid penalties for inadequate care. Evidence presented at trial revealed that both facilities manipulated staffing records to appear compliant with Medicare and Medicaid standards. Sentencing is scheduled for December following a comprehensive investigation by the FBI, Health and Human Services, IRS, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

In its report, the DOJ noted an investigation into New Jersey Veterans Memorial Homes at Menlo Park and Paramus found conditions that violated residents’ constitutional rights under the 14th Amendment. According to DOJ findings, inadequate infection control and medical care at these facilities exposed veterans to life-threatening conditions. The report noted that poor management compounded these deficiencies, contributing to high death rates among residents.

The DOJ’s report highlighted a broad initiative against elder fraud schemes affecting over 225,000 seniors. Fraud cases ranged from romance scams to government impersonation schemes, with DOJ efforts stopping $27 million in fraudulent transfers before they reached perpetrators. With assistance from financial institutions, the DOJ returned millions of dollars to victims and provided resources through its National Elder Fraud Hotline, which handled more than 50,000 calls from older adults seeking support and guidance.

Beyond prosecution, the DOJ emphasized prevention and awareness, hosting nearly 1,000 elder justice events, including the first Elder Justice Law Enforcement Summit. The summit gathered law enforcement from all 50 states to share best practices in addressing elder abuse and fraud. Public campaigns also raised awareness of common scams, providing seniors with valuable tools to protect themselves from fraud.

“By working together with federal, Tribal, state, and local law enforcement, we can make meaningful progress toward curbing and preventing elder abuse,” Attorney General Merrick Garland stated. “Because millions of older Americans suffer some form of elder mistreatment each year—and because many more abuses go unreported or unseen—everyone has a role to play in this work.”

The report additionally covered DOJ’s enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Four Texas counties agreed to improve the accessibility of their election websites, addressing barriers faced by older adults with disabilities. Officials said the commitment to accessibility was part of the DOJ’s broader mission to ensure that elderly Americans can fully participate in their communities.

“The Office for Victims of Crime recently funded the first National Center for State and Tribal Elder Justice Coalitions, promoting statewide coordination to address and prevent elder abuse more effectively,” Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer remarked.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco added, “Given the financial, emotional, and physical toll suffered by older victims regardless of how they are victimized, the Department aggressively pursues all forms of fraud and abuse wherever they may arise.”

Colonial Williamsburg Restores America’s Oldest Black Schoolhouse, Uncovering a Legacy of Education and Resilience

Maria

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Nov 6, 2024

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Colonial Williamsburg Restores America’s Oldest Black Schoolhouse, Uncovering a Legacy of Education and Resilience

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Colonial Williamsburg is nearing completion on the restoration of the Williamsburg Bray School, the oldest surviving schoolhouse for Black children in America. Founded in 1760 by the Associates of Dr. Bray, a British Anglican charity, the school was established to teach enslaved and free Black children to read, albeit through a curriculum that promoted religious submission to slavery. Yet, for the hundreds of students who passed through its doors, literacy opened possibilities far beyond their assigned roles.

The school’s dedication on November 1 marked a milestone in the project’s meticulous restoration efforts, with public tours set to begin this spring. Located on the grounds of Colonial Williamsburg in partnership with William & Mary’s Bray School Lab, the Williamsburg Bray School stands as a testament to the oppression and resilience woven into early American history. The Smithsonian’s Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, who served as the keynote speaker, emphasized the significance of the structure by saying that it has “extraordinary potential” to demonstrate how a small number of people’s dreams helped shape the values of many people.

Dendrochronology—a method of dating wood by its growth rings—helped identify the schoolhouse in 2020, confirming that it was built in the winter of 1759 or spring of 1760. Colonial Williamsburg’s team, under the direction of architectural preservation director Matt Webster, has now identified the 89th original structure in Williamsburg’s Historic Area.

More than 80 former students, now identified through Colonial Williamsburg’s research, attended the Bray School in the 1760s. Among them was Isaac Bee, who later emancipated himself. His enslaver placed ads in the Virginia Gazette warning that Bee “can read.” Aberdeen, Bristol, and Phoebe—ages 5, 7, and 3—were among other students taught by Ann Wager, the school’s only teacher, who instructed over 300 Black children in reading, Christianity, and obedience. Despite the pro-slavery curriculum, many students quietly resisted by sharing literacy with others in their communities.

“It’s a story of resilience and resistance,” Maureen Elgersman Lee, the Bray School Lab director, told the Associated Press. “The Bray School’s teachings may have been rooted in pro-slavery ideology, but education had a way of empowering these children.” Lee and her team continue researching descendants, with several students tracing their ancestry to Black households such as the Jones and Ashby families. Janice Canaday, a descendant of former students Elisha and Mary Jones, is now Colonial Williamsburg’s African American community engagement manager. Reflecting on her heritage, Canaday shared, “To know what your family has come through—that’s where your power is.”

The Bray School was an exception in a time when most colonies prohibited educating Black people. Though Virginia imposed anti-literacy laws later in the 1800s, Colonial Williamsburg has uncovered evidence suggesting Bray students went on to influence their communities. Jody Allen, director of the Lemon Project, noted that the students likely taught siblings and others what they learned, enabling literacy as an act of defiance.

Since its rediscovery, the Bray School has undergone extensive preservation efforts overseen by Colonial Williamsburg. The team restored historically accurate wooden sills and brickwork, maintaining nearly 75% of the original structure. Officials said the preserved building will anchor research on the intersections of race, religion, and education, shedding light on a part of America’s past often overlooked. “This is an incredibly important opportunity both to understand the Bray School and to understand Williamsburg in the 18th century,” Webster stated.

The school, originally recommended by Benjamin Franklin as a site for Black education, also illuminates the lives of early Black educators in Virginia. William & Mary Professor Emeritus Terry Meyers said the Bray School likely fostered Virginia’s first Black teachers.

Colonial Williamsburg President Cliff Fleet also stressed the educational significance of the school’s story. William & Mary President Katherine Rowe noted that the restored building will serve as a “living testament to the resilience and strength of the Black students who defied their roles by embracing literacy.”

The research will continue as scholars, descendants, and visitors explore the Bray School’s historical role. Researchers hope to relocate the building to Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area, preserving the space where generations of Black children gained the knowledge that helped shape their futures. “This project honors not just the children who learned here, but their courage to transcend the limitations set before them,” said Bunch, “a resilience that endures in the story of our nation.”

The Next Four Years: Debt and Rent are Among Top Issues for Young California Voters

Maria

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Nov 6, 2024

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The Next Four Years: Debt and Rent are Among Top Issues for Young California Voters

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

(CBM) – As America elects a new President this week — and a slate of new elected officials at the local and state level — the voices of young voters in California are resounding as political campaigns and policy makers order their priorities and shape their messages to include their perspectives and respond to their concerns.

But what are those issues on the minds of the next generation of California’s electorate in 2024?

Power California, an organization that informs and empowers young voters, and Latino Decisions, a political research company, set out to answer this question in their Rising Electorate Survey, whose findings were released earlier this fall.

The survey polled 1,754 young Californians ages 18-30 on the issues they cared about the most. While many of the findings showed a growing stress and uncertainty surrounding rent control, housing, better wages and special interest groups being too involved in government, nearly half of the young Californians surveyed believed things will get better in the future.

“For us, there are several things we know and several things that we can expect in the next four years, including that young Californians, Gen Zs, and aging millennials will become the largest political voting bloc here in California,” said Saa’un Bell, Senior Associate Director of Power California.”

Among responders to the survey, 35% were Latino or Hispanic, 25% Black, 20% Asian American and Pacific Islander, 16% were White, non-Hispanic. There were about 4% identifying with some other racial groups, which includes those who identify as Indigenous. In terms of geography, 28% of the participants surveyed came from Los Angeles County, followed by 16% from the Bay Area, 16% from the Central Valley. And the remainder of the sample, which was roughly 40%, came from other parts of the state.

Economic pressures were one of the areas covered in the survey. One in 4 young Californians have thought about leaving the state, taken on a second job or postponed bills. One in 5 is supporting friends and family or had to choose between rent and paying their bills. For young Black and Latino Californians, the impacts of economic insecurity were more significant. Young Black and Latino Californians are more likely to have a second job or report postponing bills and 1 in 5 young Black Californians have moved back home with family.

Kaja Wilson, a youth member of Power California living in Fresno, spoke during a digital webinar organized by the organization. She shared her perspective on the priorities of young voters in the state.

“Young people are still having a hard time seeing ourselves reach milestones like home ownership, savings, investments, and personal development, all the while we deal with the burden of debt, including student loans. Over the last year at Power California, I’ve seen the potential of young people to show our power. We’ve been working on a rent control campaign. I’ve been activated to get the Fresno community members to take action on local issues. It’s possible to create a better and affordable future for me and my community, and a world that’s easier for us all to navigate.”

Dr. Andrew Proctor, Senior Analyst for Latino Decisions, was one of the leads facilitating the young voter survey and shared his analysis of the data collected during the Power California webinar.

“Many young Californians blame low wages, elected officials, and corporate landlords for the housing crisis. Things are so bad that one in four young Californians have considered leaving the state. Young Californians are also motivated by their experiences with economic insecurity as well as their commitments to social justice causes. Economic concerns, including inflation and housing, are top issues that they want the government to address, and those issues are motivating their decision to turn out and vote in 2024.”

The survey also found strong support for rent control laws and addressing climate change. Reproductive rights and gun control are also salient issues for young Californians, and they are active participants in several movements for social justice. However, individuals taking the survey also shared their belief that organizations and political parties are not reaching out and engaging the full potential of young Californians.

“There are many narratives that young people, young voters, are apathetic, pessimistic, and cynical. Those narratives are out of context – and not true,” said Bell.

Eight Takeaways From The 2024 Election

Maria

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Nov 6, 2024

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By Eric Bradner, Gregory Krieg and Daniel Strauss, CNN

(CNN) — Donald Trump has completed a paradigm-shattering political comeback, winning the White House in an election shaped more by Americans’ dissatisfaction with the direction of the country than by Democrats’ dire warnings of the threat the 45th and soon-to-be 47th president poses to its founding principles.

In a repeat of his 2016 victory, Trump once again broke through the “blue wall.” He defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania and was leading in two more Great Lakes swing states, Michigan and Wisconsin. He also romped in the Sun Belt battlegrounds, winning Georgia and North Carolina and leading in Arizona and Nevada.

Trump made gains with nearly every demographic group compared with his 2020 loss, CNN’s exit polls showed. And his apparent near-mirroring of the 2016 map would indicate that he paid no political price for his lies about fraud in that election, his efforts to overturn it, or the criminal charges he has faced since then.

He is now poised to return to office with a Republican Senate majority, easing his path to confirming his choices for key government posts. It’s not yet clear which party will control the House.

Democrats, meanwhile, will be forced to confront difficult questions about the direction of the party — on the issues, and on its appeal to critical segments of the electorate, particularly the Latinos whose realignment could reshape American politics.

Here are eight takeaways from the 2024 election:

Trump undoes the Biden map

Though several states are still tallying their results, Trump’s road to victory in 2024 appears to have been nearly identical to his 2016 win.

Both campaigns had long been focused on seven swing states: the “blue wall” of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and the Sun Belt battlegrounds of Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina and Nevada.

There were no surprises — no states that unexpectedly slipped into Trump’s column, despite his musings about winning blue states like New Mexico and Virginia.

However, Trump has already claimed Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, and he leads in all seven battlegrounds. In 2020, Joe Biden had won six of those seven — losing only North Carolina to Trump.

The final count could take weeks, but Trump also holds the popular vote lead. If that edge holds, he’d be the first Republican since George W. Bush in 2004 to win the popular vote.

The ‘glass ceiling’ remains intact

Harris’ loss will once again leave disappointed the millions of women who hoped to see the history-making moment when what Hillary Clinton famously called the “glass ceiling” was shattered.

There was a significant gender split, with the majority of women backing Harris, but men supporting Trump, CNN’s exit polls showed.

The only segment of the electorate with which Harris made notable gains over Biden’s 2020 performance was with college-educated women — the voters who had propelled the party’s strong suburban performance in the 2022 midterms.

Abortion rights, the issue that fueled Democratic wins in 2022, on ballot initiatives and in special elections, proved less potent this year.

Harris performed much worse than Biden among voters who said they thought abortion should be legal in most cases — even though the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade in between the two elections.

Four years ago, 26% of the electorate held that opinion, and Biden won them by 38 points. This year, 33% held that opinion, and Harris won them by just 3 points.

It’s a result that suggests the issue wasn’t the deciding factor for many of those voters — even though Democrats had succeeded in the 2022 midterms, special elections and more by highlighting the GOP’s role in ending Roe v. Wade’s national abortion rights protections.

Republicans win the Senate

Republicans won back the Senate majority that they held during Trump’s first term but lost when he was defeated in 2020.

The GOP win would have significant ramifications for a new president —easing Trump’s path to having nominees for the Cabinet and other key posts confirmed.

Democrats entered the 2024 election cycle with only one or two seats to spare (depending on which party was in the White House, and therefore held the vice president’s tie-breaking vote) — and an all-but-impossible map to defend, with three seats in deep-red states on the ballot.

Republicans won all three of those races. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin’s retirement effectively guaranteed Republican Jim Justice’s win there. Montana Sen. Jon Tester lost to 38-year-old former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy. Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown fell short against businessman Bernie Moreno.

Democrats hoped a long shot would materialize — crossing their fingers that Rep. Colin Allred could oust Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, or that former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell could buck Florida’s rightward trend and beat Sen. Rick Scott. Neither came close.

Three Senate races in the Great Lakes battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were also neck-and-neck. Their outcome will determine the size of the GOP majority.

Republicans now face a battle to replace Mitch McConnell as the party’s leader in the chamber, after the Kentucky senator said in February he would step down from his leadership post. Texas Sen. John Cornyn and South Dakota Sen. John Thune are the two top candidates.

Democrats could find some shelter in the House

Democrats didn’t want to discuss it before the election, but they’re talking about it now.

With Harris’ loss of the presidency and with the Senate coming under GOP control, the House could become the party’s last line of defense in Washington.

With so many votes still to be counted and races to be called, it’s hard to say whether House Democrats are on a path to victory or are headed for another close defeat. Democrats have had some good news out of New York and California, which could on their own kick out enough GOP incumbents to make Hakeem Jeffries the next House speaker.

What that would mean is, simply, that Trump would be unable to pass much, if any, legislation and perhaps more importantly would find himself hamstrung as he tries to wind back Biden’s policies.

The CHIPS Act, a bipartisan law investing in memory chip manufacturing, would be on the chopping block if Republicans keep their majority, but absent that, most would assume it’s off the table. Same goes for any move to uproot the public investments doled out by the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Inflation Reduction acts, which appear safe for the time being.

Obamacare, too, would almost surely be in the clear. (Republicans couldn’t repeal it with a governing trifecta in 2017, so talk of repeal might be over anyway.) Though all of these laws – the signature achievements of the last two Democratic administrations – seem safe if Democrats get their majority, there will still be tough fights at the administration and agency levels about how they’re managed.

But on an otherwise bleak night for Democrats, a fighting chance is the best the party can ask for.

Rural voters are an even more potent force than many realized

If Trump does return to the White House, he will have rural counties across the battleground states to thank.

There will be a lot of back-and-forth over why Harris underperformed Biden in big cities and their suburbs, but the fact remains she won in those places mostly by significant margins.

Still, Trump’s margins in rural America appear to have been simply too large to overtake. It turns out that there were, in fact, more votes for the former president to mine in counties like central Pennsylvania’s Huntingdon, a short drive from the campus of Penn State University, where he’s on pace to outperform both his vote total and margin from four years ago.

Harris’s performance in corresponding strongholds was pretty much the inverse.

In Montgomery County, home to a big chunk of the Philadelphia suburbs, Harris is on pace to win about 60% of the vote. The problem for the vice president – and it’ll be something Democrats spend a lot of time chewing on – is Biden fared about 2.5 points better than that.

There was a similar dynamic on display in Michigan’s Oakland County, too, where Trump again turned out his base and, in some places, added to it, while Harris appears unlikely to match Biden’s 14-point advantage.

Small numbers in the grander scheme of an election so big, expensive and plainly complicated could seem negligible – but they add up. And on Tuesday, the math appeared to be on Trump’s side.

Democrats will do some soul searching

Well before the outcome of the presidential election came into view, one thing was crystal clear for Democrats as Tuesday night rolled on: There would be lots of finger-pointing around the party. The results were not just a disappointment at the presidential level. In parts of the country where Democrats won and expected to win, the margin was far from comfortable.

Even in a scenario where Trump would be able to turn out his base, Democrats thought a surge of support among women voters thanks to an emphasis on abortion rights in races across the country would keep the presidential race close.

“As we have known all along, this is a razor thin race,” wrote Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon in an email at one point in the night.

But as the night dragged on, it was not nearly as narrow as Democratic polling and public polling had projected. It became clear to Democrats that they were no longer the party with an ongoing advantage among minority voters and labor unions. And they will have to think about how to win over those constituencies and where they went wrong in messaging and ground game.

“There’ll be plenty of critiques and so on,” Democratic strategist David Axelrod said on CNN – before going on to praise Harris as a candidate despite the results.

Trump makes big gains with Latino men

Trump’s campaign pushed hard to court men, and particularly men of color. CNN’s exit polls showed it paid off.

Chief among Trump’s gains compared with his performance against Biden in 2020: Latino men. Trump won that cohort by 8 points, four years after losing them by 23 points. It’s a result that showed his campaign’s efforts to court those voters paid off — and that the late focus on a comedian mocking Puerto Rico at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally didn’t cause the damage Harris’ campaign hoped it would. The gains were concentrated most heavily among Latinos under age 65.

Trump also made gains in key places among Black men, more than doubling his 2020 performance in North Carolina.

Overall, the exit polls painted a picture of an electorate displeased with the state of the nation and its leadership.

Nearly three-fourths of voters said they were dissatisfied or angry with the way things are going in the United States, CNN’s exit polls found. Trump won about three-fifths of those voters. Biden was deeply underwater, with 58% of voters saying they disapprove of his performance as president. Four in five of those voters backed Trump.

Harris slipped compared with Biden’s performance four years ago among young voters, independents, moderates and union households.

Voters who said democracy was the most important issue overwhelmingly backed Harris, but Trump won those who identified the economy as most important by nearly the same margin.

Florida and Ohio are no longer battlegrounds

Florida’s decades-long status as a presidential swing state is over.

Two years after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis romped to a 19-percentage-point reelection victory, Trump backed it up with another double-digit GOP win.

In heavily Hispanic Miami-Dade County — traditionally a huge source of Democratic votes — the massive swing was on full display. What had been a 29-point Hillary Clinton win in 2016 was an 11-point Trump victory this year.

Florida even bucked the national trend of states of all political stripes backing abortion rights ballot measures in the two and a half years since Roe v. Wade’s reversal.

A majority of Florida voters there backed a ballot measure to legalize abortion, but it fell short of the state’s 60% threshold to win passage — meaning the state’s six-week ban remains in place.

There are deeper reasons for Democrats to despair. The party’s historic voter registration edge has all but evaporated by 2020, and now Republicans — fueled by migration to the state since the coronavirus pandemic — have the lead. The GOP has won every governor’s race since 1994, and gerrymandered districts have locked in its supermajority in both chambers of the state legislature.

As it sheds its swing-state status, Florida could be on track to become the next Texas — poised for a generation of Republican dominance built on a coalition of older, non-college-educated voters, younger Hispanic voters, conservatives migrating from other states and more.

Ohio, another traditional presidential battleground, is also now solidly in the red column. Trump was cruising to a double-digit victory there.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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Gen. Election Update: Tracking Your Votes on Ballot Propositions — and What They Mean for Our Communities

State News

Maria

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Nov 6, 2024

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Gen. Election Update: Tracking Your Votes on Ballot Propositions — and What They Mean for Our Communities

By Joe W. Bowers Jr., California Black Media

In the Nov. 5 General Election, Californians cast their votes on ten propositions addressing issues from education and climate funding to prison labor and the minimum wage. With some measures likely to pass and others on track to fail, the outcomes could have significant implications for Black communities across the state.

Below is a breakdown of the propositions and their potential impact.

Likely to Pass:

Proposition 2: Bonds for Public School and College Facilities With 56.7% support, Prop 2 is on track to pass. This measure would allocate $10 billion to repair and upgrade K-12 and community college facilities, especially in under-resourced schools that face safety and infrastructure challenges. For students in these districts, including many Black students, this funding could lead to safer and more supportive learning environments, more conducive to academic success.

Proposition 3: Constitutional Right to Marriage Prop 3 currently has 61.4% support and is likely to pass. This measure aims to amend California’s constitution to affirm marriage rights for all, regardless of gender or race. For LGBTQ+ individuals in our communities, this is a powerful affirmation of equality and inclusion within the state.

Proposition 4: Bonds for Water, Wildfire, and Climate Risks Currently passing with 57.8%, Prop 4 is on track to deliver $10 billion for projects that address water quality, wildfire prevention, and climate resilience. This could have a significant impact on communities that face the harshest effects of climate change, including Black neighborhoods vulnerable to environmental hazards.

Proposition 34: Restricts Spending of Prescription Revenues Prop 34 is narrowly passing with 51.4% support, indicating that it may succeed. The measure would require specific healthcare providers to use 98% of revenue from federal drug discount programs on direct patient care. This could improve healthcare access for low-income residents who rely on affordable prescriptions and critical care services.

Proposition 35: Provides Permanent Funding for Medi-Cal With 66.8% of voters in favor, Prop 35 is on course to pass, securing permanent funding for Medi-Cal, California’s low-income healthcare program. For many in our communities who depend on Medi-Cal, this measure promises stability and continued access to essential healthcare services.

Proposition 36: Increased Sentencing for Certain Drug and Theft Crimes With strong support at 70.5%, Prop 36 is poised to pass, increasing penalties for specific theft and drug offenses. This measure would partially roll back sentence reductions established by Prop 47, sparking concerns about potential increases in incarceration rates, especially within communities that already experience disparities in the justice system.

Likely to Fail:

Proposition 5: Bonds for Affordable Housing and Infrastructure With 56.4% of voters opposed, Prop 5 is likely to fail. The measure aimed to reduce the voting threshold for local bonds from two-thirds to 55%, making it easier to fund affordable housing. Without it, local governments will continue to face higher approval requirements, potentially slowing progress on affordable housing solutions.

Proposition 6: Eliminates Forcing Inmates to Work Currently failing with 54.9% opposed, Prop 6 is expected to be defeated. This measure would have ended involuntary labor for incarcerated individuals, a practice critics argue disproportionately affects Black inmates. It’s likely failure means the prison labor system will remain unchanged, though debates around inmates’ rights and prison conditions is expected to continue.

Proposition 32: Raises Minimum Wage With 52.1% of voters opposing it, Prop 32 appears likely to fail. This measure would have raised the minimum wage to $18 an hour. While proponents argued it would provide greater financial stability for low-wage workers, critics expressed concerns about job losses, a factor that likely influenced its rejection.

Proposition 33: Local Government Residential Rent Control With 61.9% voting “no,” Prop 33 is expected to fail, meaning that local governments won’t gain expanded authority to enact rent control. Real estate groups argued that this measure could hinder housing development, and its failure means that current rent control laws will remain in place, leaving fewer protections for renters in high-cost areas.

Looking Ahead

As California awaits final certification of the results by Dec. 13, these propositions highlight both progress and challenges. Key measures affecting healthcare, education, and climate resilience are set to pass, addressing longstanding needs for equity and access. Meanwhile, measures addressing housing, wages, and prison labor face continued debate as they try to gain support.

For California’s Black communities, these outcomes underscore both the progress made and the ongoing work required to achieve a fairer and more inclusive future.

Nov. 5 General Election Update: Most California Black Candidates Are on Track to Win

State News

Maria

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Nov 6, 2024

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Nov. 5 General Election Update: Most California Black Candidates Are on Track to Win

By Joe W. Bowers Jr., California Black Media

With ballots still being counted, Black candidates across California are turning in a strong showing in the Nov. 5, 2024, General Election.

While the results remain unofficial, the leads held by many Black candidates indicate they are likely to secure their positions in Congress, the State Senate, and the Assembly to represent the needs and priorities of Black communities across the state. Housing, healthcare, public safety, reparations, and economic reform resonated as some of the main concerns of campaigns this year

In Congress, Black representatives are on track to retain three seats. Lateefah Simon (D) District 12 (Oakland) will fill the seat held by Barbara Lee. Sydney Kamlager (D) has retained her seat representing District 37 (Los Angeles) and Maxine Waters was re-elected in District 43 (South Los Angeles).

In the California State Senate, Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D), is leading in District 39 (San Diego), while Laura Richardson (D) most likely has won in District 35 (Inglewood), replacing termed-out Senator Steven Bradford (D).

In the races for seats in the California State Assembly, nine Black candidates currently lead in their contests, including incumbents and new candidates positioned to serve: incumbent Lori Wilson (D) – District 11 (Suisun City); Rhodesia Ransom (D) — District 13 (Stockton); incumbent Mia Bonta (D) – District 18 (Oakland); incumbent Isaac Bryan (D) – District 55 (Ladera Heights); Sade Elhawary (D) – District 57 (South Los Angeles); incumbent Corey Jackson (D) – District 60 (Riverside); incumbent Tina McKinnor (D) — District 61 (Inglewood); incumbent Mike Gipson (D) – District 65 (Compton); and LaShae Sharp-Collins (D) – District 79 (San Diego).

If these results hold, the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) will maintain its 12-member caucus, with a shift from 10 Assembly members and 2 Senators to 9 Assembly members and 3 Senators. Additionally, the caucus will now include nine women and three men, compared to its previous makeup of six women and six men.

Richardson will be joining Weber and Lola Smallwood-Cuevas in the Senate while Sharp-Collins, Elhawary, and Ransom will take the place of outgoing

Assemblymembers Reginald Jones-Sawyer, Kevin McCarty, and Chris Holden respectively.

Elsewhere in the state, San Francisco Mayor London Breed is lagging behind in her re-election campaign. In Alameda County, voters will likely recall District Attorney Pamela Price. In Sacramento, Kevin McCarty is at the top of that city’s mayoral contest, which might make him the city’s second Black mayor. And in Stockton, Hollywood entertainer Jason Lee is poised to win the race for Stockton City Council District 6.

These are unofficial Election Night Results, final certification is expected by Dec. 13, 2024.

A Peek At Early Results: San Diego Races

Macy

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Nov 5, 2024

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SAN DIEGO VOICE & VIEWPOINT

As of 8 p.m. press time on election night, The San Diego County Registrar of Voters has released early preliminary results on the following local races.

This includes mail ballots received before election day, and vote center ballots from early voting between Oct. 26-Nov.4. For more Information

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A Divided America Votes as Nation Braces for Impact on Election Night

Maria

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Nov 5, 2024

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A Divided America Votes as Nation Braces for Impact on Election Night

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The nation wakes up to Election Day with heavy hearts and nerves on edge as Americans decide the future in one of the most pivotal and high-stakes elections in modern history. Downtown Washington, D.C., and major cities brace under the weight of both the election’s outcome and the threat of violence, a chilling reminder of the turmoil that followed the 2020 election.

Voters will now have to decide between former President Donald Trump, who has increased his rhetoric to include threats to imprison and even execute political rivals, and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running on a platform of bringing the country together and healing its divisions.

“We stand today in the fullness of our faith, power, and purpose,” said Waikinya J.S. Clanton, founder of Black Women for Kamala. Clanton emphasized that her organization is more than a political group. “This journey began with a divine whisper—to build a sacred sanctuary where Black women’s power could shine undimmed and our purpose expand unlimited,” she noted.

With over 78 million early votes already cast, results are expected to roll in throughout the night. However, as polls close in Indiana and Kentucky at 6 p.m. ET and in Georgia and North Carolina, two crucial battleground states, at 7 and 7:30 p.m. Eastern, respectively, early insights could emerge. A decisive victory in one or both states could pave a clearer path, but a tight race would extend the wait for a definitive answer.

Heightened security blankets Washington, D.C., where federal and local officials have fortified the White House, Capitol, and Harris’s residence with barricades, restricted zones, and street closures. Many businesses have boarded up windows and bolstered security, unwilling to take chances. Eric J. Jones from the Apartment and Office Building Association remarked, “It’s just fear—businesses are taking no chances.”

In D.C. and cities nationwide, private security firms report a spike in demand as businesses brace for potential unrest. At Howard University, where Harris will spend election night, streets are closed off for several blocks around The Yard. Supporters and media await what could be a history-making speech from the vice president, marking a powerful close to her final campaign push.

While Trump’s final campaign stops saw smaller crowds and more heated rhetoric, Harris’ rallies in crucial swing states brought thousands of people to Philadelphia, along with performances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. On the campaign trail, Trump’s language has intensified to unprecedented levels, even simulating a lewd act on stage, leaving audiences shocked.

The battleground states stand as the ultimate deciders, with every vote holding weight in Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, which close their polls by 8 p.m. Eastern. But Pennsylvania and other Blue Wall states, such as Michigan and Wisconsin, are likely to see extended vote counts due to high volumes of mail ballots. If early results favor Harris in Georgia and North Carolina, her path to victory will look clearer; if Trump takes the lead, the race could hinge on states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, and counting may continue into the following days.

Western states like Arizona and Nevada may ultimately hold the final answers if results remain unclear in the East. Arizona’s polls close at 9 p.m. ET, and Nevada’s an hour later. Both states are heavily reliant on mail-in ballots, meaning final tallies could be further delayed.

Several fast-counting congressional districts, including Virginia’s Second and Seventh and North Carolina’s First, might offer hints of broader trends. However, the nation remains focused on the top of the ticket.

Campaigning in Michigan, Harris’s running mate Tim Walz made a pitch to men, whom Trump is also courting. “I want you to think about the women in your life that you love,” Walz said. “Their lives are at stake in this election.”

Where Are The Voters Who Could Decide The Presidential Election?

Maria

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Nov 5, 2024

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Where Are The Voters Who Could Decide The Presidential Election?

By MAYA SWEEDLER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — When you hear the term bellwether, you might think about states in the presidential election that always vote with the White House winner. The true meaning of a bellwether is an indicator of a trend. And for that, you need to be thinking about counties.

In a closely contested presidential election, as many expect 2024 to be, the results in a few bellwether counties in the key battleground states are likely to decide the outcome, just as they did in the past two general elections.

Here’s a look at those that might matter the most on Election Day.

Start with the cities

Many of those states have large, Democratic-leaning cities. These cities and their inner suburbs are an important source of Democratic votes in statewide elections. These areas consistently vote for the Democratic candidates, which means turnout in these places can have an outsized effect on the final statewide margin.

This year, look at Michigan’s Wayne County (Detroit), North Carolina’s Mecklenburg County (Charlotte) and Georgia’s Fulton County (Atlanta).

Republican candidates have tended to do well in the more rural areas of these states, which means Democrat Kamala Harris will need to run up big margins in these places in order to offset Republican Donald Trump’s advantage elsewhere.

Detroit, Charlotte and Atlanta are particularly large, about twice as populous as the next biggest municipality in each state. In 2020, voters in those three counties cast more than two-thirds of their votes for Democrat Joe Biden.

The suburbs matter

The turnout and margin in the counties around Milwaukee and Philadelphia will be significant to the results in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, respectively.

In Wisconsin, the key counties that surround Milwaukee are Washington, Ozaukee and Waukesha — known colloquially as the “WOW” counties. These historically Republican-leaning communities have been slowly moving to the left: Republican presidential candidates have won them in recent elections, but by increasingly smaller margins.

This forces Republican candidates to seek to run up turnout in more rural areas of the state rather than relying on those counties to offset losses in the state’s urban counties of Milwaukee and Dane, home to Madison, the state capital and the University of Wisconsin’s main campus. It will be a good night for Trump if high turnout and margins in the “WOW” counties look more like the early 2000s, rather than 2020.

Philadelphia’s collar counties of Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware are among the state’s wealthiest. They, too, are historic Republican strongholds that have shifted left for decades. Democratic presidential candidates have carried three of them since the 1992 election; Chester flipped between the parties throughout the 2000s.

The massive counties

Arizona and Nevada are unique because in both states, one county is home to so much of the state’s population. More than 60% of ballots cast in the 2020 presidential election in Arizona came from Maricopa, which includes Phoenix, while more than two-thirds of Nevada votes came from Clark, home to Las Vegas.

In states where voters are so overwhelmingly concentrated in a single county, even a narrow win can produce big shifts in the statewide numbers. Biden won 50.3% of the vote in Maricopa in 2020, beating Trump by about 45,000 votes, and that was enough to win the state by just over 10,000 votes. In Nevada, Biden lost 14 of the state’s 15 counties, but his 91,000-vote margin over Trump in Clark was enough to secure his statewide victory of 34,000 votes.

Helene’s aftermath

Trump’s margin of victory in North Carolina was just 74,481 votes in 2020, a little more than 1 percentage point and the tightest of any state he won that year over Biden. It’s not yet clear, and may not be by Election Day, Nov. 5, how Hurricane Helene will affect the election in North Carolina.

The storm’s impact was severe in Buncombe County and the Asheville area, one of two counties in western North Carolina carried by Biden four years ago. The other counties in the region are reliably Republican, and suffered alongside Buncombe a level of destruction described by the state’s governor, Democrat Roy Cooper, as “unlike anything our state has ever experienced.”

“We’ve battled through hurricanes and tropical storms and still held safe and secure elections, and we will do everything in our power to do so again,” Karen Brinson Bell, the executive director of the state’s election board, said a few days after Helene struck. “Mountain people are strong, and the election people who serve them are resilient and tough, too.”

The swing counties

Across the seven main battleground states in 2024, there are 10 counties — out of more than 500 — that voted for Trump in 2016 then flipped to Biden in 2020. Most are small and home to relatively few voters, with Arizona’s Maricopa a notable exception. So it’s not likely they’ll swing an entire state all by themselves.

What these counties probably will do is provide an early indication of which candidate is performing best among the swing voters likely to decide a closely contested race. It doesn’t take much for a flip. For example, the difference in Wisconsin, in both 2016 and 2020. was only about 20,000 votes.

North Carolina’s two Trump-Biden counties – New Hanover on the Atlantic Coast and Nash, northeast of Raleigh – are likely to be the first among the 10 to finish counting their vote on election night. Polls close next in Michigan’s Kent, Saginaw and Leelanau counties and Pennsylvania’s Erie and Northampton counties, followed by Wisconsin’s Sauk and Door. Maricopa is the closer.

What is The Electoral College and How Does The US Use It To Elect Presidents?

Maria

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Nov 5, 2024

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What is The Electoral College and How Does The US Use It To Elect Presidents?

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016 because of the Electoral College. So did George W. Bush in 2000.

The Electoral College is the unique American system of electing presidents. It is different from the popular vote, and it has an outsize impact on how candidates run and win campaigns. Republicans Trump and Bush lost the popular vote during their presidential runs but won the Electoral College to claim the nation’s top office.

Some Democrats charge that the system favors Republicans and they would rather the United States elect presidents by a simple majority vote. But the country’s framers set up the system in the Constitution, and it would require a constitutional amendment to change.

A look at the Electoral College and how it works, as Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, compete for the White House on Election Day, Nov. 5:

What is the Electoral College?

The Electoral College is a 538-member body that elects a president. The framers of the Constitution set it up to give more power to the states and as a compromise to avoid having Congress decide the winner.

Each state’s electors vote for the candidate who won the popular vote in that state. The runner-up gets nothing — except in Nebraska and Maine where elector votes are awarded based on congressional district and statewide results.

To win the presidency, a candidate must secure 270 electoral votes — a majority of the 538 possible votes.

How is it different from the popular vote?

Under the Electoral College system, more weight is given to a single vote in a small state than to the vote of someone in a large state, leading to outcomes at times that have been at odds with the popular vote.

It also affects how candidates campaign. Because the outcome is almost certain in solidly Republican states and solidly Democratic states, candidates tend to focus most of their efforts on a handful of swing states that have split their votes in recent elections.

Who are the electors?

Electors are allocated based on how many representatives a state has in the House of Representatives, plus its two senators. The District of Columbia gets three, despite the fact that the home to Congress has no vote in Congress.

It varies by state, but often the electors are picked by state parties. Members of Congress cannot serve as electors.

How and when are the votes counted?

After state election officials certify their elections, electors meet in their individual states — never as one body — to certify the election. This year, that will happen on Dec. 17.

If the two candidates have a tied number of votes, the election is thrown to the House, where each state’s congressional delegation gets one vote. That has happened only twice, in 1801 and 1825.

Once a state’s electors have certified the vote, they send a certificate to Congress. Congress then formally counts and certifies the vote at a special session on Jan. 6. The vice president presides as the envelopes for each state are opened and verified.

Can lawmakers object?

Lawmakers can object to a state’s results during the congressional certification, as several Republicans did after the 2020 election. On Jan. 6, 2021, the House and Senate both voted to reject GOP objections to the Arizona and Pennsylvania results.

After Trump tried to overturn his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden and his supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, Congress updated the 1800s-era Electoral Count Act to make it harder to object and to more clearly lay out the vice president’s ceremonial role, among other changes. Trump had pressured Vice President Mike Pence to try and object to the results — something the vice president has no legal standing to do.

Once Congress certifies the vote, the new or returning president will be inaugurated Jan. 20 on the steps of the Capitol.