The Grateful Dead‘s Dancing Bears can adorn your dancing feet this holiday season, thanks to a new capsule collection the band authorized with eco-conscious shoe brand Sanuk.
The unisex Sanuk X Grateful Dead collection features Puffy Chiller slip-ons and fuzzy Furreal sandals, all featuring the Dead’s Dancing Bears logo. Both feature recycled polyester faux fur, as well as midsoles and outsoles created out of either recycled material or a material made of sugar cane.
The shoes range from $55 to $85, making them the perfect gift for the Deadhead in your life whose feet are perpetually cold.
This is the latest in a string of Sanuk X Grateful Dead footwear collections.
Lars Ulrich has shared a statement reflecting on Metallica‘s tribute to late Megaforce Records co-founders Jon and Marsha Zazula at their concert in Florida over the weekend.
In an Instagram post, Ulrich calls the show “an absolutely epic, unique, and unforgettable night.”
“Thank you to everyone who came from near and far away to partake,” the drummer writes. “Incredible to see so many familiar faces in the front row, out in the house and backstage.”
The Zazulas launched Megaforce in 1982 and signed a then-unknown Metallica to their first record deal. Marsha passed away in January 2021, followed by Jon in February 2022.
To celebrate the legacy of the Zazulas, Metallica’s tribute set focused entirely on the band’s early days, with performances of songs from the 1983-84 era.
“Special shout out to the three Zazula daughters, Danielle, Rikki & Blaire, our comrades from the Old Bridge Militia and our old school touring partners in Raven for making the trek and joining in the shenanigans,” Ulrich writes. “Mad love to all.”
Metallica’s next scheduled concert is their Helping Hands charity concert, taking place December 16 in Los Angeles. Greta Van Fleet is also on the bill.
(NEW YORK) — More than six months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose forces began an offensive in August, has vowed to take back all Russian-occupied territory. But Putin in September announced a mobilization of reservists, which is expected to call up as many as 300,000 additional troops.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Nov 09, 11:01 AM EST
Russian troops retreat from key Ukrainian city
Russia’s defense minister and top commander in Ukraine announced Wednesday that Russian troops will pull back from the key city of Kherson in southern Ukraine.
Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said he accepted a proposal from Russian Gen. Sergey Surovikin to order Russian forces to retreat to the eastern bank of the Dnieper River, in effect abandoning the city of Kherson.
Surovikin said it was a “very difficult decision” and justified it as necessary to save the lives of Russian soldiers and to preserve their capacity for future operations.
“Besides that, it frees up part of the forces and resources, which will be employed for active actions, including offensive, in other directions,” Surovikin said in the televised meeting with Shoigu.
Kherson is the only regional capital the Russians have occupied since 2014. The city and the surrounding area act as a gateway to Crimea Peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Nov 09, 3:21 AM EST
White House denounces Griner transfer to penal colony
Brittney Griner, the WNBA star detained in Russia, has been transferred to a penal colony, a move decried by White House officials.
“Every minute that Brittney Griner must endure wrongful detention in Russia is a minute too long,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement early Wednesday. “As the Administration continues to work tirelessly to secure her release, the President has directed the Administration to prevail on her Russian captors to improve her treatment and the conditions she may be forced to endure in a penal colony.”
Griner’s lawyers said in a statement that she was transferred on Nov. 4 from a detention center in Iksha. She’s now on her way to a penal colony in an undisclosed location.
“We do not have any information on her exact current location or her final destination,” the lawyers, Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, said in a statement. “In accordance with the standard Russian procedure the attorneys, as well as the U.S. Embassy, should be notified upon her arrival at her destination.”
The White House said it had made a “significant offer” to Russian officials to “resolve the current unacceptable and wrongful detentions of American citizens.”
“In the subsequent weeks, despite a lack of good faith negotiation by the Russians, the U.S. Government has continued to follow up on that offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with the Russians through all available channels,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
She added, “The U.S. Government is unwavering in its commitment to its work on behalf of Brittney and other Americans detained in Russia — including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan.”
Nov 08, 11:56 AM EST
Moscow says it’s ‘following’ the US midterm elections
Moscow is closely “following” the midterm elections in the United States and knows that some Republican candidates have proposed to cut the country’s military aid to Ukraine, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko.
“Naturally, we are following the developments in the United States,” Grushko said in an interview with Russian state-owned television network Zvezda on Tuesday. “We are aware that a number of prominent Republicans favor reducing the military assistance to Ukraine, because they proceed from the position that what Democrats are currently doing is irrational.”
If Republicans are triumphant, Grushko said, the U.S. Congress could ramp up pressure on European nations regarding their defense budgets.
“We remember that one of [former U.S. President Donald] Trump’s key slogans when he came to power was that the Europeans should pay for their defense themselves,” he added. “Largely thanks to his efforts, European countries took enhanced commitments to increase their defense budgets to 2%. And there have been talks that defense spending should now reach at least 3%. The United States will continue to pursue the policy it has been running since 1949.”
Nov 08, 11:46 AM EST
Zelenskyy broaches ‘genuine peace talks’ in speech
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised the notion of holding “genuine peace talks” in his daily address to his nation on Tuesday.
Zelenskyy set out conditions for peace talks with the Russians, requiring the restoration of territorial integrity, compensation for all damages caused to his country, punishment of every war criminal and guarantees that another Russian invasion will not happen again.
“These are completely understandable conditions,” Zelenskyy said.
He said that earlier Tuesday he gave a virtual speech to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt, telling dozens of world leaders of the ongoing Russian aggression.
“Anyone who is serious about the climate agenda should also be serious about the need to immediately stop Russian aggression, restore our territorial integrity and force Russia into genuine peace negotiations,” Zelenskyy said.
He added that previous proposals from Ukraine for peace talks have prompted “insane Russian responses with new terrorist attacks, shelling or blackmail.”
Nov 08, 11:37 AM EST
US ambassador to UN meets with Zelenskyy
U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and members of his leadership team in Kyiv on Tuesday “to discuss the unwavering U.S. commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” according to a statement from U.S. Mission to the U.N. spokesperson Nate Evans.
“She reiterated that the United States is steadfast in its support for Ukraine and is prepared to stand with Ukraine as long as it takes,” Evans said.
“Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield and President Zelenskyy discussed international efforts to minimize the impact of Russia’s aggression on global food security, including through sustaining and expanding the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative, and to ensure accountability for war crimes and atrocities perpetrated on the Ukrainian people,” he added. “She committed to continuing to work at the United Nations to strengthen international support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and to urge Member States to defend international law and the Charter of the United Nations.”
Nov 08, 8:09 AM EST
Ukraine asks US for new capabilities in fighting Iranian drones
ABC News has obtained a letter sent by a top Ukrainian official to senior members of Congress, asking them to assist Ukraine’s calls for additional air defense systems to counter the attack drones built and supplied by Iran to bolster Russia’s war effort.
Russia has launched waves of deadly attacks in recent weeks, using Iranian-made drones that explode on impact to strike power plants, killing civilians and causing rolling blackouts, plunging millions of Ukrainian homes into darkness.
In the letter, the chairman of the Ukrainian parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, calls on the U.S. to provide Ukraine with highly mobile air defense systems known as C-RAMs, saying they would help protect “important objects, especially crucial power plants.”
Nov 08, 6:37 AM EST
US ambassador to UN travels to Ukraine
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield is traveling to Ukraine on Tuesday “to reiterate the United States’ unwavering support as Ukraine defends its freedom and territorial integrity amidst Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion,” according to a statement from the U.S. Mission to the U.N.
While in the country’s capital, Kyiv, Thomas-Greenfield “will meet with Ukrainian government leaders to discuss the ironclad American commitment to the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine,” and she “will observe efforts to document and preserve evidence of atrocities committed by Russian forces and will hear first-hand accounts of survivors,” according to the U.S. mission.
“Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield will also discuss the global food insecurity crisis exacerbated by Russia’s invasion and will underscore the critical need for an extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative into the coming year,” the U.S. mission said. “She will also meet with humanitarian organizations working to meet winterization needs for vulnerable people impacted by Russia’s attacks on energy and other civilian infrastructure.”
Nov 06, 1:57 PM EST
Biden, German chancellor call Russian nuclear threats ‘irresponsible’
President Joe Biden spoke to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday and both agreed Russia’s nuclear threats stemming the war in Ukraine are “irresponsible,” according to the White House.
Both leaders said they would continue to “provide Ukraine with the economic, humanitarian, and security support it needs to defend against Russia,” the White House said in a statement.
Biden and Scholz also spoke of the chancellor’s recent trip to the People’s Republic of China and, according to White House officials “affirmed their shared commitment to upholding the rules-based international order, human rights, and fair trade practices.”
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Nov 03, 12:02 PM EDT
Western officials believe Russia is planning ‘orderly, well-planned and deliberate’ military withdrawal from Kherson
Western officials are “confident” Russia’s military is “setting the conditions” for withdrawal from the Ukrainian city of Kherson, the only regional capital that has been occupied by Russian forces since the February.
The Russian military is preparing to make a “strategic” withdrawal and move its forces east across the Dnipro river, officials said.
“It looks like an orderly, well-planned and deliberate military process is taking place,” a Western official told ABC News.
The officials would not put a timeframe on when the withdrawal would happen and added that it is not guaranteed to take place. They downplayed, however, any speculation that the Russians are using the withdrawal to mask a more “nefarious” action in that area.
The officials said their assessment was that the Russians believe Kherson “is not worth fighting for.”
The advance of Ukrainian forces in Kherson has slowed over the past three weeks.
In mid-October, the newly appointed commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, General Surovikin, said “difficult decisions” may be necessary in Kherson.
Senior Ukrainian officials have suggested more recently that Russian forces are preparing to fight for Kherson and a source on the ground told ABC News that the Russian military is still moving in and out of the city.
-ABC News’ Tom Burridge
Nov 02, 12:14 PM EDT
North Korea covertly shipping ammunition to Russia for war in Ukraine, US says
North Korea was secreting sending ammunition to Russia to use in its invasion of Ukraine and is disguising the shipments as appearing to be destined to the Middle East or North Africa, the White House said Wednesday.
“Our information indicates that [North Korea] is covertly supplying Russia’s war in Ukraine with a significant number of artillery shells, while obfuscating the real destination of the arms shipments by trying to make it appear as though they’re being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa,” White House spokesman John Kirby said.
Kirby said North Korea was sending “a significant number of artillery shells.” He did not specify an exact number but said it was more than “dozens.”
“But we don’t believe that they are in such a quantity that they would tangibly change the direction of this war or tangibly change the momentum either in the east or in the south” of Ukraine, he said.
Kirby added, “We’re gonna continue to monitor whether these shipments are received.”
In September, the U.S. had said Russia is looking to purchase millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea, saying at the time that this indicated the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Nov 02, 12:01 PM EDT
Russia waives veiled threat on use of nuclear weapons
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a warning to nations with nuclear capabilities, calling on them to abandon attempts to infringe on each other’s vital interests, warning that direct armed conflict and provocations with weapons of mass destruction can lead to catastrophic consequences.
Russia claimed it believes there can be no winners of nuclear war and said it refarrims its commitment to the prevention of nuclear warm.
“A reaction with the use of nuclear weapons is hypothetically allowed by Russia only in response to aggression using weapons of mass destruction or aggression using conventional weapons, when the existence of the state is threatened,” the ministry said in a statement.
The White House has said it will not confirm or deny New York Times reporting that senior Russian military officials had recently discussed when and how Russia might use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine. The intelligence about the conversations was reportedly circulated inside the U.S. government in mid-October.
But, Russian President Vladimir Putin was not a part of these alleged conversations, according to the New York Times.
The White House on Wednesday said it still sees “no indications that Russia is making preparations” to use nuclear weapons.
-ABC News’ Natalia Shumskaia and Ben Gittleson
Nov 02, 12:14 PM EDT
North Korea covertly shipping ammunition to Russia for war in Ukraine, US says
North Korea was secretly sending ammunition to Russia to use in its invasion of Ukraine and is disguising the shipments as appearing to be destined to the Middle East or North Africa, the White House said Wednesday.
“Our information indicates that [North Korea] is covertly supplying Russia’s war in Ukraine with a significant number of artillery shells, while obfuscating the real destination of the arms shipments by trying to make it appear as though they’re being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa,” White House spokesman John Kirby said.
Kirby said North Korea was sending “a significant number of artillery shells.” He did not specify an exact number but said it was more than “dozens.”
“But we don’t believe that they are in such a quantity that they would tangibly change the direction of this war or tangibly change the momentum either in the east or in the south” of Ukraine, he said.
Kirby added, “We’re gonna continue to monitor whether these shipments are received.”
In September, the U.S. had said Russia is looking to purchase millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea, saying at the time that this indicated the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine.
Nov 02, 12:01 PM EDT
Russia waives veiled threat on use of nuclear weapons
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a warning to nations with nuclear capabilities, calling on them to abandon attempts to infringe on each other’s vital interests, warning that direct armed conflict and provocations with weapons of mass destruction can lead to catastrophic consequences.
Russia claimed it believes there can be no winners of nuclear war and said it reaffirms its commitment to the prevention of nuclear warm.
“A reaction with the use of nuclear weapons is hypothetically allowed by Russia only in response to aggression using weapons of mass destruction or aggression using conventional weapons, when the existence of the state is threatened,” the ministry said in a statement.
The White House has said it will not confirm or deny New York Times reporting that senior Russian military officials had recently discussed when and how Russia might use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine. The intelligence about the conversations was reportedly circulated inside the U.S. government in mid-October.
But, Russian President Vladimir Putin was not a part of these alleged conversations, according to the New York Times.
The White House on Wednesday said it still sees “no indications that Russia is making preparations” to use nuclear weapons.
Nov 02, 8:40 AM EDT
Russia rejoins wartime deal on Ukrainian grain exports
Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Wednesday that Russia has agreed to resume its participation in a deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations to keep grain and other commodities shipping out of Ukraine’s ports amid the ongoing war.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, that the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative would “continue in the same way as before” as of noon Wednesday, according to Erdogan.
The renewed agreement, first reached over the summer, will prioritize shipments to African countries, including drought-ravaged Somalia, after Russia expressed concerns that most of the grain was ending up in richer nations.
Moscow agreed to return to the deal after receiving written guarantees from Kyiv that Ukraine would not use the safe shipping corridors through the Black Sea for military actions against Russian forces, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Russia had suspended its role in the deal over the weekend, after accusing Ukrainian forces of carrying out a “massive” drone attack on its Black Sea fleet on Saturday.
Turkey and the U.N. brokered separate deals with Russia and Ukraine in July to allow Ukraine to resume its shipment of grain from the Black Sea to world markets and for Russia to export grain and fertilizers.
Since Russian forces invaded neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, the cost of grain, fertilizer and fuel has skyrocketed worldwide. Russia and Ukraine — often referred to collectively as Europe’s breadbasket — produce a third of the global supply of wheat and barley, but a Russian blockade in the Black Sea combined with Ukrainian naval mines have made exporting siloed grain and other foodstuffs virtually impossible. As a result, millions of people around the world — particularly in Africa and the Middle East — are now on the brink of famine.
Nov 01, 3:01 PM EDT
Ukraine does not have effective defenses against Iranian ballistic missiles, air force official claims
Iranian ballistic missiles, which Russia plans to purchase from Iran, will probably be placed on the northern border of Ukraine, the spokesman of the Ukrainian Airborne Forces Yuri Ignat said Tuesday.
Ignat claimed the ballistic missiles’ range was 300 km for one and 700 km for another.
“We have no effective defense against these missiles. It is theoretically possible to shoot them down, but in fact it is very difficult to do it with the means we have at our disposal. We have air defense, not missile defense,” he said.
-ABC News’ Yulia Drozd
Nov 01, 3:01 PM EDT
Russia announces wider evacuation of occupied southern Ukraine
As Ukrainian forces advance to capture the city of Kherson, Russian forces are ordering civilians out of parts of the now-occupied city. Some 70,000 people along a 15 kilometer (10 mile) stretch of the left bank of the Dnipro River will be evacuated deeper into the Kherson region or to Russia, according to the Russian-installed leader of the occupied Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo.
Russia had previously ordered civilians out of an area it controls on the west bank of the river.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Oct 31, 7:07 PM EDT
Russia’s withdrawal from grain deal ‘collective punishment’ for world: State Department
State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Monday lambasted Russia’s recent decision to withdraw from the U.N.-brokered deal that allowed for grain to be exported through the Black Sea — likely to be a chief focus of this week’s G-7 ministerial meeting and potentially the G-20 Leaders’ Summit next month.
“We deeply regret Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which is having immediate, harmful impacts on global food security,” Price said during a press briefing. “Russia should return to full participation in the initiative, and we urge all parties to swiftly agree to sustain this crucial program through the months to come.”
“Any disruption to the initiative risks spiking food prices, lowering the confidence of insurers and commercial shippers who have returned to Black Sea routes, and further imposing hardships on low-income countries already reeling from dire humanitarian crises and global food insecurity,” he added.
Price said Russia’s reneging had already caused future contracts for foodstuff to rise, even though some ships appear to have been allowed to pass through the water routes with their cargo following Moscow’s announcement.
“We’ve seen Russia engage in what appears to be collective punishment for the people of Ukraine,” he said. “But Moscow’s suspension of the initiative would be tantamount to collective punishment for the rest of the world — but especially lower- and middle-income countries that so desperately needed this grain.”
ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Oct 31, 3:32 PM EDT
Ukraine energy company warns about attacks on energy infrastructure
Following a series of coordinated strikes across Ukraine this Monday morning, Ukraine’s largest private energy company DTEK says it’s running out of equipment and spare parts needed for repairs of the damaged infrastructure facilities.
“Unfortunately, we have already used up the stock of equipment that we had in our warehouses after the first two waves of attacks that have been taking place since Oct. 10,” said DTEK Executive Director Dmytro Sakharuk. “We were able to purchase some equipment. But unfortunately, the cost of the equipment is now measured in hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Most parts have been already used for repairs following previous Russian strikes, he added.
Oct 31, 4:54 AM EDT
Russia launches waves of missiles at energy targets
Russia on Monday morning again launched a series of coordinated strikes across Ukraine, targeting energy infrastructure, including in the Kyiv region.
Ukraine’s military said it shot down 44 cruise missiles as the Russians launched “several waves of missile attacks on critical infrastructure facilities” across the country.
About five distant booms could be heard in central Kyiv at about 8 a.m. local time.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, confirmed that a power plant has been hit, meaning mid-morning around 350,000 homes in the capital were left without power. Kyiv’s water supply has also been compromised, according to a water company.
A local official said “critical infrastructure” had also been hit in the Chernivtsi region in southwestern Ukraine.
Critical infrastructure has also been hit and damaged in Zaporizhzhia in the south, according to another local official.
Other regions of Ukraine appear to have been targeted, including Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Poltava and Lviv.
There are currently no reports of significant casualties.
ABC News’ Tom Soufi Burridge
Oct 30, 10:02 AM EDT
Blinken accuses Russia of ‘weaponizing food’
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken slammed Russia’s decision to pull out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative as a statement from the Kremlin that “people and families around the world should pay more for food or go hungry.”
Russia announced it is withdrawing from the U.N.-brokered grain deal in response to a drone attack Saturday in the waters of the Sevastopol Bay, in the Black Sea near Crimea.
Russia’s decision, Blinken said, is jeopardizing grain shipments he described as “life-saving.”
“In suspending this arrangement, Russia is again weaponizing food in the war it started, directly impacting low- and middle-income countries and global food prices, and exacerbating already dire humanitarian crises and food insecurity,” Blinken said in a statement released Saturday night.
He said 9 million metric tons of food has been shipped under the agreement, which was signed and launched in July. He said the shipments have reduced food prices around the world.
“We urge the Government of Russia to resume its participation in the Initiative, fully comply with the arrangement, and work to ensure that people around the world continue to be able to receive the benefits facilitated by the Initiative,” Blinken said.
Blinken’s statement echoed what President Joe Biden said earlier Saturday, calling Russia’s withdrawal from the initiative, “purely outrageous.”
“It’s going to increase starvation. There’s no reason for them to do that, but they’re always looking for some rationale to be able to say the reason they’re doing something outrageous is because the West made them do it. And it’s just not,” Biden said. “There’s no merit to what they’re doing. The UN negotiated that deal and that should be the end of it.”
As an actress, cookbook author, entrepreneur, mom and more, Tia Mowry wears many hats.
One of those acting endeavors was starring in the 1994 sitcom Sister, Sister alongside her twin Tamera Mowry. Over the years there have been whispers of a reboot before she shut it down with a TikTok last year. So has anything changed?
“Oh, my gosh. You know, no, I’m sorry to say,” Mowry tells ABC Audio while promoting her latest collaboration with LACTAID, a lactose-free dairy product. “We have so many things going on in our lives. I have so many things going on. I don’t even know if there will even be any room for it.”
“But who knows? I never, never say never,” she adds. “You know, Tamera and I could be in our 60s. And could you imagine?”
Nevertheless, Mowry says the fact that the series, which ran for six seasons, still resonates decades later makes it “a huge success.”
“I feel like this show is constantly living on over 20 years later. And to me, that is a huge success,” the mom of two says. “… having the show still perform well and people resonate with it and it’s still being a success with where it’s at now. I think that’s something to celebrate.”
Another reason to celebrate is the exciting project Mowry has coming up that she “cannot wait to share with the world.”
“There is something that I will be announcing in January that was on my vision board for years,” she reveals. “And I cannot wait to share with the world this special project that I have been working on. I’m all about inspiring and encouraging and representation, so I think you’re going to love it, hopefully.”
ABC Newsprojected Maxwell Frostto be the first member of Gen Z elected to Congress following his race for a House of Representative seat in Florida’s 10th district. Fittingly, he’ll celebrate his victory in a very Gen Z way.
In response to news of the results, the 25-year-old Democrat tweeted that he plans to see The 1975‘s concert this Thursday in Washington, D.C.
“I’ve been campaigning for over a year this is wild!!” Frost wrote. “I’m gonna see @the1975 on Thursday to celebrate!!!”
The 1975 is currently on a U.S. tour supporting the band’s new album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, which dropped in October. The outing’s already made headlines this week after footage surfaced of frontman Matty Healy appearing to eat raw meat onstage during Monday’s show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
It’ll be a full-circle moment when Dierks Bentley steps onstage at the CMA Awards tonight, November 9, to honor living legend Alan Jackson.
“I mean, he was one of the first guys I listened to when I got turned on to country music in ‘94,” Dierks reminisces to ABC Audio.
In fact, AJ was one of Dierks’ very first country celebrity sightings after he moved to Nashville to pursue music in the ‘90s. “I was at the mall, Green Hills Mall, and there’s Alan Jackson and his wife, Denise,” he recounts.
“And I was like, ‘Oh my, I have to meet him. So I waited outside for about half an hour,” Dierks continues. “He came out, [I] shook his hand. He said, ‘Thanks a lot, son,’ you know, got in his truck and drove away. And so it’s kind of a full-circle moment for sure.”
Dierks is in a unique spot in country music: His discography boasts many radio hits, but he also releases and performs bluegrass-leaning music and always makes time to connect with both the mainstream and roots worlds.
“I’ve always been really happy with my spot in country music, you know? I know a lot of the bluegrass guys and the older country guys, and I love being a part of that world,” he reflects. “But I’m also a huge fan, and I get to collaborate sometimes with the next upcoming generation of kids that are out there making their mark.”
Case in point: Dierks teamed up with Breland and Hardy for “Beers on Me,” which earned a CMA nomination for Music Event of the Year in 2022.
The 56th annual CMA Awards airs tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC; the ceremony will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
(WASHINGTON) — The 2022 midterm elections are shaping up to be some of the most consequential in the nation’s history, with control of Congress at stake.
All 435 seats in the House and 35 of 100 seats in the Senate are on the ballot, as well as several influential gubernatorial elections in battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Democrats are defending their narrow majorities in both chambers. Republican control of either the House or Senate would be enough to curtail most of President Joe Biden’s agenda, and would likely result in investigations against his administration and even his family.
Here is how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Nov 09, 11:07 AM EST
DCCC chair concedes
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York on Wednesday called his Republican challenger Mike Lawler to concede. Political insiders say this was a big loss for Democrats.
Maloney is the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the fundraising arm for the House. He directed millions to save his own campaign and insisted he wasn’t in real trouble, potentially costing his colleagues votes.
Nov 09, 10:13 AM EST
Democrat projected to win Kansas gubernatorial race
Democrat Laura Kelly, the incumbent, is projected to win the Kansas gubernatorial race.
Her opponent, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, was backed by former President Donald Trump.
Nov 09, 9:58 AM EST
Trump fuming as results came in: Sources
While former President Donald Trump still has a hold over Republicans and prepares to announce his candidacy for president in 2024, election night was not a “red wave” as Trump had expected.
Sources close to the former president described him as fuming, especially as candidates Trump backed performed poorly with voters.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ successful night in Florida also served as a wakeup call for Trump and his advisers.
“This is a sinking ship,” one top Trump adviser told ABC News. “We’re not going to beat that.”
“This was the end of the Trump era and the dawn of the DeSantis era. Like every other Trump catastrophe, he did this to himself with stupid and reckless decisions,” a Republican operative close to the Trump orbit told ABC News.
Trump suffered losses across the country and was particularly unhappy as he watched two candidates he endorsed in Pennsylvania lose their elections: Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano.
Trump told advisers he was also shocked the Georgia Senate race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and challenger Republican Herschel Walker was so close. (On Wednesday morning, with 96% of the expected vote reporting, Warnock and Walker were tied at 49%.)
Trump announced on Monday that he planned to make a big announcement next week. Some of those close to Trump are privately hoping that he decides not to run. But others who have spoken with him say he’s unlikely to renege on his plans because he’s spent the last two years teasing a run.
Nov 09, 9:46 AM EST
Oz concedes to Fetterman
Pennsylvania’s Dr. Mehmet Oz called Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday to concede, according to a tweet from Fetterman’s communications director.
Fetterman was projected to win Pennsylvania’s Senate race, one of the most closely watched races in the nation.
Nov 09, 9:18 AM EST
Dixon concedes Michigan gubernatorial race
Tudor Dixon, the Republican nominee for governor in Michigan, called Democrat incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday morning to “concede and wish her well.”
“Michigan’s future success rests not in elected officials or government, but all of us. It is incumbent upon all of us to help our children read, support law enforcement, and grow our economy,” Dixon said in a statement. “Thank you to our volunteers and supporters for working so hard to forge a better Michigan. We came up short, but we will never stop fighting for our families.”
Whitmer, elected in the blue wave in 2018, cast herself as a crucial backstop for abortion access while Dixon said she opposes abortion access.
Nov 09, 7:07 AM EST
Where outstanding Senate races stand
Alaska: With 67% of the expected vote reporting, Republican challenger Kelly Tshibaka leads with 44% of the vote, followed by Republican incumbent Lisa Murkowski with 43%.
Arizona: With 67% of the expected vote reporting, Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly leads with 52% of the vote, followed by Republican challenger Blake Masters with 46%.
Georgia: With 96% of the expected vote reporting, incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and challenger Republican Herschel Walker are tied at 49% of the vote, meaning a runoff election is likely.
Wisconsin: With 94% of the expected vote reporting, Republican incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson leads with 51% of the vote, followed by Democratic challenger Lt. Gov Mandela Barnes with 49%.
Nevada: With 80% of the expected vote reporting, Republican challenger Adam Laxalt leads with 50% of the vote, followed by incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto with 47%.
Nov 09, 6:20 AM EST
Tony Evers projected to win reelection as Wisconsin governor
Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will win his campaign for reelection over Republican Tim Michels, ABC News projects.
Evers took to Twitter to react to the news: “Holy Mackerel, folks! I want to thank everyone who made this possible. Because of you, we have another four years to keep doing the right thing for Wisconsin.”
Evers, Wisconsin’s governor since 2018, had been in a tight race against Michels, a construction executive and former GOP candidate, according to FiveThirtyEight’s polling average.
Those surveys showed the two candidates neck-and-neck heading into Election Day with Michels holding a slim 1-point advantage over Evers in the campaign’s final stretch, though the two traded leads a few times since the late summer.
Nov 09, 6:17 AM EST
Katie Hobbs’ lead over Kari Lake narrows in Arizona’s gubernatorial race
As of early Wednesday, Katie Hobb’s lead over Kari Lake in Arizona’s gubernatorial race has narrowed to about three points, or roughly 40,000 votes, following the last big Election Day drop from Maricopa County for the night.
We won’t see more votes from Maricopa County until Wednesday evening. As expected, more early votes are going to Hobbs, a Democrat who currently serves as Arizona’s secretary of state, while more Election Day votes — many of which still need to be counted — are going to Lake, a Republican who previously worked as a television news anchor in Phoenix for 22 years.
The vibe at the Republican Watch Party in Scottsdale drastically changed over the course of Tuesday night. What started as a celebration packed with people ended with worried faces scattered around an empty ballroom. One attendee was overheard calling the night “so sad.”
Only Lake and Abe Hamadeh, Republican candidate for Arizona’s attorney general, briefly spoke to supporters at the event. Blake Masters, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, and Arizona Rep. Mark Finchem, the Republican candidate for Arizona’s secretary of state, never took the stage, even though some attendees paid $1,000 to be there with them. Hundreds of red, white and blue balloons in a net above the stage were also never released.
Lake’s team asked members of the press to hang around until 2 a.m. local time, when the ballroom reservation ended. But with the room largely cleared out by 12:30 a.m., it was clear Lake would not take the stage again. This was a stark contrast from primary night on Aug. 2, when Lake declared victory before any projection, took to the stage three times and had her team extend the ballroom reservation until 4 a.m.
“God did not put us in this fight because it was going to be easy,” Lake told a crowd of hundreds in her single on-stage appearance on Tuesday night. “When corruption has risen to the level that it’s at right now, it takes tough, strong people. Are you tough and strong. Are you willing to continue this fight?”
“I think it will be within hours. We will declare victory, and we will get to work turning this around,” she added.
“As they continue to come in and our numbers go up, up, up — like they did last time — when we win, the first line of action is to restore honesty to Arizona elections,” she continued, firing up the crowd. “We will not stop fighting until we have every legal vote counted, so we’re going to be patient. We’re going to be patient guys. We’re going to wait right now.”
Nov 09, 4:27 AM EST
With votes outstanding, Cortez Masto says she’s ‘confident’
With the Senate race in Nevada yet to be called and some counties still counting votes, Democratic incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto told reporters early Wednesday that she’s feeling “confident.”
“The votes are still being counted,” she said. “We know this will take time and we won’’ have more election results for several days. I am confident in this team. I’m confident in the campaign that we’ve built to win.”
Currently, Nevada’s Senate and governor races are extremely close; however, both show the Democratic incumbent in a slight lead over their opponent.
“We’re not done yet,” Cortez Masto told reporters. “Let’s keep the positive energy flowing.”
Nov 09, 3:32 AM EST
House, Senate majorities still up in the air
There are currently five Senate races, including Arizona, Georgia and Nevada, as well as a number of House races that have yet to be called.
Most are separated by razor thin margins and all will come down to counting the vote.
ABC News has not projected which party will control either the House or the Senate, and Republicans still could flip both chambers, which would be in line with past outcomes for the minority party in a midterm year.
Nov 09, 2:19 AM EST
McCarthy predicts Republicans will ‘take the House back’
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., took the stage just after 2 a.m. ET on Wednesday to discuss the Republican Party’s performance in the midterms so far.
“If you believe in freedom, hard work and the American dream, these results proved that there is a place for you in the Republican Party,” he said.
While the balance of power in Congress has yet to be determined, McCarthy told supporters that “it is clear that we are going to take the House back.”
As of early Wednesday, according to ABC News’ projections, Republicans were estimated to have won 207 House seats to Democrats 188, with 40 more remaining unprojected.
“When you wake up tomorrow, we will be in the majority and Nancy Pelosi will be in the minority,” McCarthy said to cheers from the crowd.
Nov 09, 1:46 AM EST
Pelosi says House Democrats are ‘outperforming expectations’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said early Wednesday her party had defied pre-election predictions that they were slated to lose the majority while noting that the ultimate outcome was still unclear.
“While many races remain too close to call, it is clear that House Democratic Members and candidates are strongly outperforming expectations across the country,” Pelosi said in a statement.
“As states continue to tabulate the final results, every vote must be counted as cast,” she continued. “Many thanks to our grassroots volunteers for enabling every voter to have their say in our Democracy.”
Heading into the midterms, Democrats maintained only a small majority hold on the House with Republicans needing to flip five seats for control.
The GOP had for months campaigned heavily on concerns about high inflation, the economy and public safety — often highlighting President Joe Biden’s low approval rating — while Democrats had focused on abortion access, extremism and, in some races, messages on social issues and inequality.
As of early Wednesday, according to ABC News’ projections, Republicans were estimated to have won 207 House seats to Democrats 188, with 40 more remaining unprojected.
Nov 09, 1:45 AM EST
Gretchen Whitmer projected to win reelection in Michigan
Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is the projected winner of Michigan’s gubernatorial race, fending off a challenge from Republican nominee Tudor Dixon.
Whitmer, elected in the blue wave in 2018, cast herself as a crucial backstop for abortion access while Dixon said she opposes abortion access. Preliminary exit poll results in Michigan showed abortion was a top issue for voters, unlike in other states where inflation topped voters’ concerns, and 60% of Michigan voters said abortion should be legal in most or all cases.
Nov 09, 1:40 AM EST
Which Trump-backed candidates are projected to have lost?
With Dr. Mehmet Oz’s projected loss in Pennsylvania, at least six candidates backed by former President Donald Trump have now been defeated so far.
New Hampshire’s Don Bolduc: Bolduc was projected to be defeated tonight by Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan. Bolduc had reversed course on his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Trump has weighed in specifically on this loss on his platform Truth Social, claiming that had Bolduc “stayed strong and true” to those false claims he “would have won easily.”
Pennsylvania’s Doug Mastriano: Mastriano was projected to be defeated in his bid for governor tonight by Democrat Josh Shapiro. Mastriano is an election denier who helped spearhead Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election results in Pennsylvania and attended the rally before the Jan. 6 riot and appeared in video walking through police lines.
Pennsylvania’s Dr. Mehmet Oz: Oz was projected to lose to Fetterman tonight for Senate in one of the most closely watched races in the nation. Oz had “raised questions” about the election, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Maryland’s Dan Cox: Democrat Wes Moore was projected to beat Trump-backed Dan Cox, who FiveThirtyEight rates as an election denier. He posted in an Facebook post that “I was there in Philadelphia in 2020 on President Trump’s team and I witnessed the fraud. We must never let them rig and steal our elections again.”
Massachusetts’ Geoff Diehl: Geoff Diehl was projected to lose tonight to Democrat Maura Healey in the race for governor. Diehl is an election denier, according to FiveThirtyEight. He said in an October 2021 statement “that the 2020 election was rigged,” according to a local report.
New York’s Lee Zeldin: Lee Zeldin was projected to be defeated tonight by Governor Kathy Hochul. The race had become tighter than expected in the last few weeks.
Nov 09, 1:26 AM EST
Mike Lee projected to win Utah Senate race
ABC News can project that Republican Mike Lee will win Utah, clinching his third term in the U.S. Senate. Lee is projected to defeat his Democratic challenger Evan McMullin. McMullin said he called Lee to acknowledge the defeat.
“While tonight’s results weren’t what we hoped for, I can say with absolute confidence that we did something special here in Utah. To all the Utahns who put party politics aside to join our cross-partisan coalition: I am so proud of what we built here,” McMullin tweeted.
Nov 09, 1:17 AM EST
John Fetterman projected to win Pennsylvania’s marquee Senate race
ABC News can project that Democrat John Fetterman will win Pennsylvania’s Senate race, defeating celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz in one of the most closely watched races in the nation.
Pennsylvania is one of a handful of battleground states that will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.
“It’s official. I will be the next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania,” Fetterman tweeted early Wednesday. “We bet on the people of Pennsylvania – and you didn’t let us down and I won’t let you down. Thank you.”
Nov 09, 12:53 AM EST
Kari Lake tells supporters to wait for ‘victory to come at us’
Kari Lake took the stage early Wednesday at the Republican Watch Party in Scottsdale, where she told hundreds of her supporters that she will win — but cautioned patience.
Lake, an outspoken election denier, began her brief remarks by telling the crowd: “We had a big day today and don’t let those cheaters and crooks think anything different. Don’t let them doubt in you.”
Lake’s been trying to sow doubt about the integrity of the election results in the lead up to Election Day. On Wednesday morning, she appeared to take a jab at her Democratic opponent Katie Hobbs, who currently serves as Arizona’s secretary of state. Hobbs has called Lake’s comments unacceptable.
“Are you willing for incompetency to play itself out and a victory to come at us?” Lake asked the crowd. “I am willing to wait for that and when we win and I think you will be within hours. I think it will be within hours. We will declare victory and we will get to work turning this around. Mo more incompetency, no more corruption in Arizona elections.”
Nov 09, 12:17 AM EST
McCarthy has yet to take the stage at election watch party
So far, the Kevin McCarthy watch party is notable for missing one guest … Kevin McCarthy.
Hotel staff initially prepared for the House Minority Leader to arrive around 9 p.m. Then, there was guidance he would speak around 11 p.m. It’s now past midnight and the congressman has yet to make an appearance.
Guests at the event — largely young GOP staffers — are settling in for a long night. Some are expressing concern the calls are taking a lot longer than they expected — and some key races aren’t going their way. A select few guests are even finishing their drinks and leaving.
Hotel staff are scrambling. They tell ABC News they did not expect the event to go this long and the room will stay open past midnight, if McCarthy wants to speak. Meantime, the stage is set for a victory speech. But, the room where the speech would take place is largely empty.
McCarthy’s team has not responded to questions on timing.
Nov 09, 12:15 AM EST
Lujan Grisham projected to win reelection in New Mexico
ABC News can project that Democratic New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan will win reelection against former meteorologist Mark Ronchetti, the Republican nominee.
Nov 09, 12:14 AM EST
Abortion rights ballot measure projected to pass in Michigan
Michigan voters have responded to the ballot question: Should the right to abortion be protected in the state constitution?
ABC News can project that Proposition 3 will pass, enshrining the right to abortion in the Michigan constitution up until fetal viability (about 23-24 weeks). This measure will overturn the pre-Roe ban that’s currently being fought in the courts and protect against any future bans brought by Republicans.
Nov 09, 12:07 AM EST
Polls close in Hawaii
Polls only remain open in Alaska now for the next hour.
Nov 08, 11:42 PM EST
Abortion rights ballot measures projected to pass in California, Vermont
ABC News can project that California’s Proposition 1 — a ballot measure to enshrine the right to abortion within the California state constitution — will pass. That means the state constitution will be changed so that no future laws can deny or interfere with a person’s choice to have an abortion or use contraceptives.
Abortion rights will also be enshrined in Vermont’s state constitution, ABC News can project. The ballot measure, Proposal 5, will create a constitutional right to personal reproductive autonomy.
Nov 08, 11:25 PM EST
Budd projected to win NC Senate seat
ABC News can project that Republican Ted Budd will win the North Carolina Senate seat against Democrat Cheri Beasley.
Nov 08, 11:19 PM EST
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp projected to defeat Stacey Abrams
ABC News can project Gov. Brian Kemp will win reelection, the second time he would defeat Democrat Stacey Abrams for the state’s top position.
“Brian Kemp signed Joe Biden’s election victory in the state of Georgia and then he defied Donald Trump and told him flat no when Trump tried tried to put pressure on him to call a special session of the Georgia Legislature to overturn those results,” ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jon Karl said on ABC News Live.
“Donald Trump was so angry about that that he actually recruited a former Senator, David Perdue, to run against Brian Kemp in the Republican primary and Kemp just destroyed him, he beat him decisively, and Trump actually went to Georgia earlier this year during the primary and he said that Georgia would be better off if Stacey Abrams won,” Karl added.
Nov 08, 11:15 PM EST
Hochul projected to win reelection as New York governor
ABC News can project that Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will win against GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin, becoming the first woman elected to the role in New York..
Nov 08, 11:05 PM EST
Polls close in 4 more states
Polls have now closed in California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Nov 08, 11:02 PM EST
Josh Shapiro projected to win Pennsylvania governor race
ABC News can project that Democrat Josh Shapiro will win against Republican challenger Doug Mastriano for Pennsylvania governor.
Nov 08, 11:24 PM EST
Vance projected to win Ohio Senate
ABC News can project that Republican J.D. Vance will win the Ohio Senate seat against Democratic challenger Tim Ryan.
Nov 08, 10:53 PM EST
Hassan projected to keep seat in New Hampshire Senate
ABC News can project that Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan will win against Republican challenger Don Bolduc.
“If you take a look at the exit polls, this was significant to moderate voters,” ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis said. “[Hassan] actually outperformed herself from the election in 2016. … This is obviously somebody who prides herself on being one of the most moderate senators that there is.”
Nov 08, 10:50 PM EST
Herschel Walker addresses supporters: ‘Just hang in there’
Coming out to “Bad to the Bone” Herschel Walker took the stage at his election night party as votes continue to be counted in Georgia.
“If you can hang in, hang in there a little bit longer, just hang in there a little bit longer. Because something good it takes a while for it get better. And it’s gonna get better. So I wanted to thank you guys for hanging in . If some of you have to go home. You can wake up tomorrow morning and see that the new senator from the great State of Georgia is Herschel Walker,” Walker said to cheers.
Walker acknowledged he was in a tight battle with Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. Walker told supporters “we’re here to win this election.”
“I’m telling you right now. I’m like Ricky Bobby. I don’t come to lose,” Walker said, referring to a fictional race car driver. “And I told you he’s gonna be tough to beat. He’s gonna be tough to beat but let me tell you what. He got the wrong Georgian here don’t he.”
Nov 08, 10:55 PM EST
Grassley projected to win reelection to Senate
ABC News can project that Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, R, will win against Democratic challenger Michael Franken in his reelection bid, clinching an eighth term.
Nov 08, 10:33 PM EST
Gov. Abbott projected to keep seat against O’Rourke
ABC News can project that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will win against Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke in the race for governor.
Nov 08, 11:05 PM EST
Maura Healey’s message for LGBTQ community after historic win
Democrat Maura Healey, projected to win the gubernatorial race in Massachusetts, addressed the LGBTQ community in her acceptance speech.
“Tonight, I want to say something to every little girl and every young LGBTQ person out there,” Healey said. “I hope tonight shows you that you can be whatever, whoever you want to be.”
Healey, currently Massachusetts attorney general, will make history as the nation’s first openly lesbian governor.
“Nothing and no one can ever get in your way except your own imagination, and that’s not going to happen,” she said.
Nov 08, 10:26 PM EST
Biden starts making congratulatory calls
President Joe Biden has started calling some projected Democratic winners while watching results coming in, according to a White House official.
According to the White House, the president has made congratulatory calls to Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Maura Healey, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, Vermont Senate candidate Peter Welch, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, New York Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Virginia Reps. Abigail Spanberger and Jennifer Wexton, all of whom ABC News has projected to win their respective races.
Nov 08, 10:15 PM EST
Sen. John Kennedy projected to win reelection in Louisiana
ABC News can project that Republican John Kennedy will win a third term to the U.S. Senate. Kennedy faced a number of challengers, including Democrats Luke Mixon and Gary Chambers Jr.
In Louisiana, all candidates regardless of party affiliation compete in a first-round election, in which a candidate can win by receiving more than 50% of the vote.
Nov 08, 10:01 PM EST
Polls close in 4 more states
Polls have now closed in Montana, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Utah. Polls typically close at 8 p.m. statewide in Pennsylvania, though polling location hours were extended to 10 p.m. in Luzerne County after the county reported delays with voting due to paper shortages.
Nov 08, 9:59 PM EST
Gov. Noem projected to win again in South Dakota
ABC News can project that Republican Gov. Kristi Noem will win her bid for reelection in South Dakota against Democratic challenger Jamie Smith.
Nov 08, 9:48 PM EST
Bennet projected to win Colorado Senate race
ABC News can project that Democratic incumbent Michael Bennet will win Colorado’s Senate race against Republican nominee Joe O’Dea.
“This was a moderate Republican trying to win in a state that has become increasingly more Democratic,” ABC chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl said of O’Dea on ABC News Live.
O’Dea was “very critical” of former President Donald Trump, “and Donald Trump right back at him,” Karl said. “In fact, [Florida Gov.] Ron DeSantis endorsed Joe O’Dea just a few days ago and Trump criticized [DeSantis], saying it was a big mistake.”
Nov 08, 9:42 PM EST
Wes Moore projected to become Maryland’s first Black governor
ABC News can project that Democratic nominee Wes Moore will win Maryland’s gubernatorial race, which would make him the first Black person elected governor of Maryland.
Moore, an author and former nonprofit leader, is projected to defeat Republican Dan Cox, an election denier who was backed by former President Trump.
Nov 08, 9:41 PM EST
Incumbents projected to win in Colorado, Vermont governor races
ABC News can project that Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will win against Republican challenger Heidi Ganahl, and Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott will win against Democratic challenger Brenda Siegel, in their respective bids for reelection.
Nov 08, 9:41 PM EST
FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver says early results suggest good night for polling
FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver notes that early results are largely in line with what surveys had indicated, suggesting the polling industry may be in for a desperately needed reprieve after three consecutive cycles of results that were far off the mark.
Polls significantly underestimated Republicans’ support by varying degrees in 2016, 2018 and 2020. Yet early results Tuesday line up well with what polls had forecasted.
“We aren’t seeing too many crazy, out-of-bounds outcomes so far. There are a lot of uncertain races, and there’s a fair bit of regional variation, and Democrats clearly have a Florida problem. But nothing too wild yet,” Silver wrote in FiveThirtyEight’s blog.
Nov 08, 9:22 PM EST
DeSantis celebrates projected victory: ‘I have fought the good fight’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke to supporters on Tuesday night after he was projected to win reelection.
“Florida was a refuge of sanity when the world went mad,” DeSantis said. “We stood as a citadel of freedom for people across this country and indeed the world.”
DeSantis touted Florida’s policies on COVID-19, gender ideology and education as he made the case for himself as a Republican leader championing the party’s values.
DeSantis is widely seen as a potential contender for the GOP nomination in 2024, and he spent much of his victory speech Tuesday discussing national politics.
“While our country flounders due to failed leadership in Washington, Florida is on the right track,” he said, adding: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race in this first term and I have kept the faith.”
“We’ve accomplished more than anybody thought possible four years ago but we’ve got so much more to do and I have only begun to fight,” he concluded.
Nov 08, 9:15 PM EST
Female firsts projected in Arkansas, Massachusetts governor races
ABC News can project that Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders will win against Democratic challenger Chris Jones, electing her as the first female governor of Arkansas.
ABC News can also project that Democrat Maura Healey will win against Republican challenger Geoff Diehl to become the first woman and openly gay politician elected governor of Massachusetts.
Nov 08, 9:03 PM EST
Projections for Senate races in Kansas, New York, South Dakota
ABC News can project that in three Senate races, Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., will win against Democratic challenger Mark Holland; Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will win against Republican challenger Joseph Pinion; and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., will win against Democratic challenger Brian Bengs. All three projected winners are seeking reelection.
Nov 08, 9:01 PM EST
Sen. John Boozman projected to win reelection in Arkansas
ABC News can project Republican incumbent John Boozman will win reelection to a third term in Arkansas. Boozman is projected to defeat Democrat Natalie James, a small business owner and community organizer. James was the first Black woman to win a major party nomination for Senate in Arkansas.
Nov 08, 9:00 PM EST
Polls close in 15 more states
Polls have now closed in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Nov 08, 8:48 PM EST
Welch projected to win in Vermont
ABC News can project that Democratic U.S. Rep. Peter Welch will win against Republican challenger Gerald Malloy for Senate in Vermont.
Nov 08, 9:00 PM EST
Florida Democrat Maxwell Frost projected to become first Gen Z member of Congress
Democratic activist Maxwell Frost will win his bid in Florida’s 10th Congressional District and become the first Gen Z member of Congress, ABC News projects.
Frost, a progressive who defeated an establishment favored candidate in the primary, will defeat Republican Calvin Wimbish in the open seat vacated by Rep. Val Demings, the Democratic Senate nominee in Florida. Demings is projected to lose her challenge to Sen. Marco Rubio, R.
Frost turned 25 just this year and ran on policies like stricter gun legislation, “Medicare for All” and stronger action to combat climate change.
Karoline Leavitt, a Republican running in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, would join Frost as another Gen Z lawmaker if she wins her challenge to incumbent Rep. Chris Pappas, D.
Nov 08, 8:51 PM EST
Republicans flip three House seats in Florida alone
ABC News projects that Republicans will flip three Democratic House seats in Florida alone, a big step toward netting the five seats needed to win the chamber.
Republican Anna Paulina Luna is projected to defeat Democrat Eric Lynn in the House seat that Democratic gubernatorial nominee Charlie Crist vacated. Crist is also projected to lose his challenge to Gov. Ron DeSantis, R.
Republican state Sen. Aaron Bean is projected to win over LaShonda Holloway in Florida’s 4th Congressional District. Incumbent Rep. Al Lawson, D, moved districts after redistricting.
Republican Army veteran Cory Mills is also projected to emerge victorious in Florida’s 7th Congressional District over Democrat Karen Green. The seat is currently held by retiring Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D.
“Florida has always been in our lifetimes the decisive swing state or at least one of a handful of decisive swing states, and now it’s Florida, Florida, Florida, Republican, Republican, Republican,” ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl said on ABC News Live.
Nov 08, 8:37 PM EST
Gov. McKee projected to keep seat in Rhode Island
ABC News can project that Democratic Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee will win against Republican challenger Ashley Kalus.
Nov 08, 8:33 PM EST
McMaster projected to keep South Carolina governor seat
ABC News can project that Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster will win against Democratic challenger Joe Cunningham.
Nov 08, 8:32 PM EST
Polls now closed in 25 states
Arkansas is the latest state to close its polls, with polls now closed in 25 states plus D.C.
Nov 08, 8:31 PM EST
Katie Britt projected to be 1st woman elected to Senate from Alabama
ABC News can project that Republican Katie Britt will win the U.S. Senate race in Alabama. Britt will become Alabama’s first woman elected to the Senate.
The state’s previous female senators, Democrats Dixie Bibb Graves and Maryon Pittman Allen, had been appointed by the governors to fill a vacancy. Britt is projected to defeat Democrat Will Boyd and Libertarian John Sophocleus to fill the seat held by retiring Republican Sen. Richard Shelby.
Nov 08, 8:28 PM EST
Lee projected to keep Tennessee governor seat
ABC News can project that Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee will win against Democratic challenger Jason Martin.
Nov 08, 8:28 PM EST
These three races will determine balance of power in the Senate: Klein
Senate races in Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania will determine which party controls the chamber next year, according to ABC News Political Director Rick Klein.
Whoever wins the two of those three are probably going to win the whole Senate,” Klein said as the first race projections started to come in from across the country.
The best chance for Democrats to pick up a seat is in Pennsylvania, Klein said, where Democrat John Fetterman faces celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz.
“In Nevada, that’s probably going to be Republicans’ best chance,” Klein said. “They see Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto as the most vulnerable Democrat anywhere on the map.”
Nov 08, 8:18 PM EST
Beasley sees early lead in North Carolina Senate race
Considered the sleeper Senate race of the election cycle, Democratic candidate Cheri Beasley in North Carolina leads Republican candidate Ted Budd 58%-41%, with 36% of the expected vote reporting as of 7:45 p.m. ET.
In the heavily blue areas of the state, Mecklenburg County, which encompasses Charlotte, Beasley leads Budd 69.3%-29.1% with 50% of the expected vote reporting. For Wake County, which encompasses Raleigh, Beasley leads 68.2-30% with 54% of the expected vote reporting.
ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
Nov 08, 8:13 PM EST
Chris Sununu projected to win reelection in New Hampshire
ABC News can project that Republican Gov. Chris Sununu will win reelection in New Hampshire, defeating his Democratic challenger Tom Sherman.
(NEW YORK) — Tropical Storm Nicole is forecast to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane as it approaches Florida’s east coast.
The storm is expected to make landfall in the Sunshine State between the southeastern cities of Fort Pierce and Melbourne late Wednesday or early Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
Nicole formed as a subtropical storm in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean on Monday, becoming the 14th named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends later this month.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Nov 09, 10:52 AM EST
Florida counties announce evacuation orders
Several of Florida’s 67 counties have announced evacuation orders in anticipation of Tropical Storm Nicole’s arrival.
Flagler County: Evacuation orders go into effect Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. local time for residents and visitors in Zone A, the barrier island from Flagler Beach to Marineland, as well as mobile homes and RVs countywide, according to the Flagler County Emergency Management.
Volusia County: Mandatory evacuations went into effect Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time for residents and visitors east of the Intercostal Waterway, all mobile homes east of Interstate 95, all low-lying areas and other areas prone to flooding as well as all campsites and RV recreational parks, according to the Volusia County Emergency Management.
Palm Beach County: Mandatory evacuations went into effect Tuesday at 7 a.m. local time for Zones A and B, including mobile homes, barrier islands and low-lying areas, according to Palm Beach Mayor Robert Weinroth.
Nov 09, 9:55 AM EST
Nicole close to hurricane strength as it heads for Florida
Tropical Storm Nicole barrelled toward the northwestern Bahamas and eastern Florida on Wednesday morning, with maximum sustained winds near 70 miles per hour — almost as a strong as a hurricane, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
The center of Nicole is forecast to approach the northwestern Bahamas on Wednesday morning, move near or over those islands by midday, then approach the east coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area on Wednesday night. The storm’s center is expected to move across central and northern Florida into southern Georgia on Thursday, then across the Carolinas on Friday.
“Some strengthening is expected today, and Nicole is forecast to become a hurricane near the northwestern Bahamas and remain a hurricane when it reaches the east coast of Florida tonight,” the National Weather Service said in a public advisory on Wednesday morning. “Nicole is expected to weaken while moving across Florida and the southeastern United States Thursday through Friday, and it is likely to become a post-tropical cyclone by Friday night over the Mid-Atlantic states.”
As of early Wednesday, Nicole was already spreading gusty winds and rain showers into Florida, where it is later expected to make landfall between the southeastern cities of West Palm Beach and Melbourne as either a tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane. Its tropical storm-force winds currently extend outward up to 460 miles, especially to the north of the center. In the early morning hours, a National Ocean Service station at the Lake Worth Pier, just south of West Palm Beach, reported sustained winds of 44 mph and a wind gust of 55 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Because Nicole is so close to hurricane strength, the National Weather Service has issued hurricane and storm surge warnings along Florida’s east coast from Daytona Beach to West Palm Beach. Meanwhile, Miami is under a tropical storm watch and tropical storm warnings have been issued for Florida’s west coast as well as from Jacksonville up through Savannah, Georgia, to Charleston, South Carolina.
Storm surge will be the highest on the eastern coastlines of Florida and Georgia, from the border down to West Palm Beach, where water could rise as much as 5 feet above normal tide levels. Some storm surge is also possible on Florida’s west coast from Sarasota to Tampa, where water could rise as much as 3 feet and up to 4 feet in the Big Bend area and Apalachicola. Storm surge will be felt all the way to Charleston, South Carolina, where water could rise up to 4 feet.
The areas that will see the heaviest rainfall will be right where the storm touches down on Florida’s east coast, with the potential for up to 8 inches of localized rain. Heavy rain will track north and inland, into Georgia, the Appalachian Mountains from Tennessee and North Carolina to Pennsylvania and into western New York where more than 4 inches of rain is possible.
Nov 09, 5:04 AM EST
Biden approves Florida emergency declaration
President Joe Biden on Tuesday night approved an emergency declaration for Florida due to conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Nicole, according to the White House.
In anticipation of the storm’s arrival, Biden ordered federal assistance to supplement state and local response efforts, the White House said.
The emergency declaration authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize and provide at its discretion equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency, according to the White House.
(NEW YORK) — WNBA star Brittney Griner, who’s been detained in Russia since February and is facing nine years in a Russian prison, has been transferred to a penal colony.
The move was decried by White House officials.
“Every minute that Brittney Griner must endure wrongful detention in Russia is a minute too long,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement early Wednesday. “As the Administration continues to work tirelessly to secure her release, the President has directed the Administration to prevail on her Russian captors to improve her treatment and the conditions she may be forced to endure in a penal colony.”
Griner’s lawyers said in a statement that she was transferred on Nov. 4 from a detention center in Iksha. She’s now on her way to a penal colony in an undisclosed location.
“We do not have any information on her exact current location or her final destination,” the lawyers, Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, said in a statement. “In accordance with the standard Russian procedure the attorneys, as well as the U.S. Embassy, should be notified upon her arrival at her destination.”
The White House said it had made a “significant offer” to Russian officials to “resolve the current unacceptable and wrongful detentions of American citizens.”
“In the subsequent weeks, despite a lack of good faith negotiation by the Russians, the U.S. Government has continued to follow up on that offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with the Russians through all available channels,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
She added, “The U.S. Government is unwavering in its commitment to its work on behalf of Brittney and other Americans detained in Russia — including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan.”
Griner, a 31-year-old Houston native who plays professional basketball for the Phoenix Mercury, was detained on Feb. 17 at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Khimki as she returned to Russia to play during the WNBA’s offseason after she was accused of having vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in the country.
(NEW YORK) — WNBA star Brittney Griner, who’s been detained in Russia since February and is facing nine years in a Russian prison, has been transferred to a penal colony.
The move was decried by White House officials.
“Every minute that Brittney Griner must endure wrongful detention in Russia is a minute too long,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement early Wednesday. “As the Administration continues to work tirelessly to secure her release, the President has directed the Administration to prevail on her Russian captors to improve her treatment and the conditions she may be forced to endure in a penal colony.”
Griner’s lawyers said in a statement that she was transferred on Nov. 4 from a detention center in Iksha. She’s now on her way to a penal colony in an undisclosed location.
“We do not have any information on her exact current location or her final destination,” the lawyers, Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, said in a statement. “In accordance with the standard Russian procedure the attorneys, as well as the U.S. Embassy, should be notified upon her arrival at her destination.”
The White House said it had made a “significant offer” to Russian officials to “resolve the current unacceptable and wrongful detentions of American citizens.”
“In the subsequent weeks, despite a lack of good faith negotiation by the Russians, the U.S. Government has continued to follow up on that offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with the Russians through all available channels,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
She added, “The U.S. Government is unwavering in its commitment to its work on behalf of Brittney and other Americans detained in Russia — including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan.”
Griner, a 31-year-old Houston native who plays professional basketball for the Phoenix Mercury, was detained on Feb. 17 at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Khimki as she returned to Russia to play during the WNBA’s offseason after she was accused of having vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in the country.
