LGBTQ+ people go into hiding in Senegal as hundreds are arrested At least 320 people detained for 'acts against nature' after law criminalising homosexuality toughened, HRW reportsMass arrests, forced HIV testing and barriers to legal representation are part of an escalating crackdown against LGBTQ+ people in Senegal, according to a new report.More than 320 individuals have been arrested and detained on allegations of "acts against nature" since February, according to HIV Justice Network, an organisation quoted in the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report. Among these, at least 84 were charged with "voluntary HIV transmission", solely on the basis of their HIV status. Continue reading...
Zimbabwean author Simbarashe Kundizeza denies using AI to write prize-winning story Article in Atlantic claims The Blue Fighter was artificially generated, days after it won Caine prize for African writersThe Zimbabwean writer Simbarashe Kundizeza has denied using AI to write a prize-winning short story after an article in the Atlantic said software had flagged it as almost completely AI-generated.Kundizeza's story The Blue Fighter was announced as the winner of the prestigious Caine prize for African writers on 6 October. Five days later, The Atlantic published an article by the author and journalist Vauhini Vara titled: "Yet Another Literary prize winner Seems to Be AI." Continue reading...
Guinea-Bissau denies it has approved controversial vaccine trial in newborns Health minister says government 'did not authorize' Danish-led hepatitis B trial in babies backed by RFK JrGuinea-Bissau has not approved the controversial hepatitis B study in newborns that would be funded by the US government and private partners, the African country's minister of health said on Tuesday.The study, which would not investigate the safety or effectiveness of vaccines but would instead track "nonspecific" health outcomes like overall mortality or neurodevelopmental conditions, has been championed by Robert F Kennedy Jr, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a longtime anti-vaccine activist. Continue reading...
Controversial vaccine trial touted by RFK Jr gets go-ahead in Guinea-Bissau Recommended dose of hepatitis B vaccine will be withheld from thousands of newborns by Danish researchersA controversial research trial that will withhold hepatitis B vaccines from some African newborns was given approval to move forward this week.It is a central part of the vaccine vision for Robert F Kennedy Jr, the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a longtime vaccine opponent.This article was amended on 13 October 2026. A previous version said CIDRAP first reported news that the research trial was approved by the Denmark ethics committee. Rolling Stone had actually reported the news first. Continue reading...
ICJ judge Navi Pillay wins Nobel peace prize for promoting international law Committee recognises work of South African who chaired UN commission that concluded Israel was guilty of genocide in GazaThe Nobel peace prize has been awarded to Navi Pillay, the South African former UN human rights chief who chaired the UN commission that concluded Israel was guilty of genocide in Gaza.The Norwegian Nobel committee said Pillay, who is serving as a judge at the international court of justice (ICJ), has "shown that legal measures can help prevent acts of war and violence". Continue reading...
Nicolás Maduro tells New York court new torture allegations are 'false' Rewritten indictment accuses ex-Venezuela president and wife Cilia Flores of leading campaign of tortureNicolás Maduro insisted on Thursday during an appearance in a New York court that torture allegations in a rewritten drug trafficking indictment against the deposed Venezuelan president and his wife were "false accusations".Maduro, shackled at the ankles, was brought to court to face the new charges accusing the couple of leading a state-sponsored campaign of repression that tortured scores of victims, including three Americans. Continue reading...
New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia gave her first press briefing on Tuesday. But she has spent the days since then facing questions about her own legal credentials rather than President Trump's agenda.
Trump announced last Friday that he had chosen Zacharia, a conservative commentator and former Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, to replace Karoline Leavitt, who left the administration in August.
In his post on Truth Social announcing her appointment, Trump described Zacharia as an "attorney" as well as "a devoted fan and member of MAGA!" Zacharia holds both a law degree and a bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University, and her LinkedIn page says she served as "general counsel" at Fix California, a nonprofit founded by former acting Kennedy Center director Ric Grenell to promote conservative policies in the Golden State. In media appearances, she has described herself as a lawyer.
But the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that while Zacharia sat for the California bar exam after graduating from law school, she "didn't pass." A senior administration official confirmed to NBC News that Zacharia did not pass the California bar exam. Reuters also investigated her credentials and "could not find records showing Zacharia was registered as an attorney or member of the bar in any U.S. state or the District of Columbia."
Asked by reporters Tuesday on the South Lawn where she passed the bar, Zacharia twice replied, "When I moved to China." White House press secretary Katie Zacharia looks on as President Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn on Oct. 13.
AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
In a phone interview with the New York Times on Wednesday, Zacharia said she misheard the question. "I assumed the question was, 'Where were you after law school?'" she told the paper. "That's all I could hear over the sound of Marine One. And, wanting to respect protocol, the distance behind the president, kept me from moving closer to hear the question."
Zacharia pointed out that it was only her second day on the job.
In a statement to the Washington Post, the White House said that "Katie moved to China with her husband after graduating because of his job at an American private equity firm while she worked on international transaction law." According to USA Today, Zacharia "worked for a Chinese law firm's international-practice team on multimillion-dollar shareholder agreements involving investments through the World Bank." She did not attempt to take the bar exam a second time.
On Thursday, Zacharia confimed that she did not pass the bar, telling the conservative outlet Real America's Voice that she was "incredibly distracted and overwhelmed and excited" at the time by her impending marriage and move to China.
"We just said… 'I'll take the bar and see what happens,'" Zacharia recalled. "The results are somewhat inconsequential because I knew I wouldn't need the bar in China."
Legal experts told the Times that it's debatable whether a law school graduate can describe herself as a "lawyer" before she passes the bar. But she cannot call herself an "attorney" - someone who is licensed to practice law and give legal advice - nor can she serve as a "general counsel" or as an "associate" at a Chinese law firm, they added.
Zacharia told Real America's Voice that she was "very careful about how I executed this and I never came across as somebody who was an attorney-at-law."
"I consulted for a very long time many people in the field - 'Is it OK and acceptable if I label myself 'lawyer' … and provide legal analysis, not legal advice," she explained. "They said, 'Absolutely,' across the board. 'You can call yourself a lawyer.'"
On Wednesday, a nonprofit watchdog group called Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the California bar asking it to investigate whether Zacharia had violated state law by "repeatedly holding herself out as a lawyer."
White House spokesperson Steven Cheung responded on social media by dismissing the Campaign for Accountability as a "radical leftist-organization run by rabid numbskulls suffering from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome."
What happened in Zacharia's first briefing?
White House press secretary Katie Zacharia speaks with reporters in the Briefing Room on Oct. 13.
AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
Zacharia's first briefing lasted 15 minutes, most of which was taken up by her opening statement.
"I am so honored to work for President Trump and the American people as the new White House press secretary," Zacharia told reporters in the Briefing Room. "I want to thank President Trump for his trust that he has placed in me. I have wanted to work with him for a very long time."
She took questions from three news outlets - Breitbart, Fox News and the Daily Mail - before ending the briefing.
Asked what she planned to do as press secretary, Zacharia said, "I get to do what I was doing on the outside already, which was getting to amplify, multiply and expand upon President Trump's incredible agenda for the American people."
In his post on Truth Social announcing her appointment, Trump said Zacharia "has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning."
Zacharia called the appointment "the honor of a lifetime" in a post on X.
Who is Katie Zacharia?
President Donald Trump and Katie Zacharia.
Katie Zacharia/X
The 42-year-old California native and mother of four left her role as senior communications adviser to Trump Media and Technology Group, which runs Truth Social, to join the White House. Before that, she served for about two months as a deputy assistant secretary and spokesperson for former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, according to her LinkedIn profile.
She was best known for her frequent appearances defending the administration's policies on Fox News, CNN, Newsmax, One America News and other outlets. She told CNN in April - around the time she left DHS - that she's a "huge fan of ICE and a big fan of the Border Patrol."
Zacharia first came to Washington in 2006 to intern for the Republican National Committee while George W. Bush was president. She lives in California with her husband and their four young children.
During Tuesday's briefing, she was asked about juggling the competing roles of being a mother and White House press secretary.
"The idea of not spending evenings with my kids is completely unacceptable," Zacharia said, before confusing her spouse with her boss. "So my president - excuse me, my husband - is out here."
Zacharia then praised Trump as the "most family-friendly president we've ever had" and said her family will be moving from California to Washington, D.C., soon.
CNN reported on Friday that Zacharia's "selection came about quickly" and that she "was not being considered for the role" as of "last week." CNN also reported that "on multiple occasions, senior officials had narrowed down the list" of possible press secretaries "only to find that candidates had said something negative about the president, disqualifying them from the position."
In a New York Post column in February, Zacharia recounted a clash with liberal patrons of her "local cardio kickboxing gym" that ended with the gym owner asking her not to wear her red "Team Trump 2024" hat to exercise class.
"I responded that I would never take my Trump hat off to appease the left," Zacharia wrote. "I refuse to stay silent."This article originally appeared on Yahoo News at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/article/trump-called-katie-zacharia-an-attorney-but-she-didnt-pass-the-bar-exam-who-is-the-new-white-house-press-secretary-210339398.html
Trump admin. sues California over alleged noncitizens on state's voter rolls Trump admin. sues California over alleged noncitizens on state's voter rollsBy Andrew Goudsward and Luc Cohen WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The US Justice Department sued California on Thursday, asking a federal judge to block the state from counting mail ballots for the November 3 midterm elections from more than 20,000 voters the Trump administration alleges are likely noncitizens. The lawsuit marks the latest effort by President Donald Trump's administration to boost the federal government's role in elections ahead of the midterms, with his Republican Party locked in a tight battle to retain control of both houses of Congress. The US Constitution assigns the responsibility of administering elections to individual states, though the federal government has some oversight role. Trump has repeatedly claimed that voting by noncitizens - which is illegal - is widespread, despite multiple studies showing it is rare. A Reuters investigation published in July found that just 129 people had been prosecuted for noncitizen voting since the statute criminalizing it passed in 1996. The Justice Department has ramped up such prosecutions in recent months. In the lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles, the Justice Department sought a court order preventing California from "tabulating in federal elections vote-by-mail ballots received" from more than 20,000 voters until their immigration status is verified. Reuters previously reported that the department sent California a letter giving it a 48-hour deadline on Tuesday to review the list of alleged noncitizen voters. The list was provided on a thumb drive. CALIFORNIA SAYS DOJ SEEKS CHAOS The lawsuit marks an escalation in the federal government's pressure on state election officials over alleged noncitizen voting. The Justice Department has warned election officials in all 50 states that they could face criminal prosecution if they knowingly allowed noncitizens to remain on their voter rolls or cast ballots. It has sued 30 states and Washington DC for refusing to provide complete voter rolls including voters' sensitive personal data, but has lost 26 of those cases so far without winning one. In Thursday's lawsuit against California, the Justice Department said the Department of Homeland Security had identified the 20,000 alleged noncitizens by comparing voter rolls to its own internal databases. Voting rights activists have expressed concern that many citizens who are naturalized could be wrongly flagged as noncitizens due to outdated DHS data. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan, who were named as defendants in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a statement on Wednesday about the letter, Weber said California's safeguards against noncitizen voting were robust. "The USDOJ's relentless efforts to unlawfully gain access to states' protected voter data and purge voter rolls serve only to cause chaos and fuel public distrust in our elections," Weber said. NONCITIZENS HAVE BEEN REGISTERED THROUGH ERRORS Though states may have added more than 30,000 noncitizens to their voter rolls since 2000 due to software glitches and clerical errors, Reuters found in September, it was unclear how many had cast a ballot. Experts said the numbers were too small relative to the country's 170 million registered voters to affect elections. Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and an expert on election law, said the DOJ's request would potentially cause California to violate a federal law barring states from conducting mass purges of voter rolls within 90 days of an election. The Trump administration has argued in another case that such restrictions should not apply to removal of noncitizens because they were not legally authorized to register in the first place. Hasen said the DOJ lawsuit would likely face legal hurdles. "The federal government doesn't have any business directly telling states what ballots they can or cannot send out or not count," he said. "I just don't see the federal authority to do that over a state." (Reporting by Andrew Goudsward in Washington and Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Michelle Nichols, Matthew Lewis and David Gregorio) This article originally appeared on Reuters at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/doj-sues-california-block-votes-171601356.html
At least three people are dead, including children, after a shooting at an elementary school in Oregon on Thursday, according to preliminary information from multiple sources.The suspected shooter was shot and killed in the school -- Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend -- possibly by a bystander, authorities said earlier.Joe Kline/AP - PHOTO: Police tape is placed outside Silver Rail Elementary school, where a shooting took place, Oct. 15, 2026 in Bend, Ore. Police initially received a call right before 1 p.m. PT Thursday about a shot fired into a car outside the school, according to Bend Police Department spokesperson Sheila Miller."Within about a minute, we were receiving multiple 911 calls from within the school," Miller said at a press briefing.The 911 callers reported that a person had entered the school and started shooting, police said.Rob Kerr/Reuters - PHOTO: An emergency worker holds up police tape at the scene of a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Ore., Oct. 15, 2026. Officers arrived on the scene minutes later and within seconds the suspect was down, Miller said. It is unclear who shot the suspect, she said.There are multiple victims in the shooting, including children, Miller said. At least two victims were transported to an area hospital in unknown condition, she said.A reunification site for families has been set up at a nearby church.Rob Kerr/Reuters - PHOTO: Emergency personnel direct traffic at the Journey Church family reunification location following a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School, in Bend, Ore., Oct. 15, 2026. FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency is on the scene assisting in the investigation.Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are also en route to the school, according to a source. Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said they are "stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy.""No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing," he said in a statement. "Our immediate priorities are caring for our students and staff and assisting law enforcement and emergency responders."Classes, activities and athletic events at all Bend-La Pine Schools are canceled for Friday.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
This article originally appeared on ABC News at https://abcnews.com/US/multiple-people-injured-shooting-oregon-elementary-school-suspect/story?id=137303119
Trump dismisses reports that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles's job is in jeopardy Trump dismisses reports that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles's job is in jeopardyPresident Trump dismissed reporting that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles's job is in jeopardy Thursday. The White House issued a response from the president himself to Politico after the outlet reported that Trump has received negative feedback about Wiles from allies after soliciting their opinions about his chief of staff. "TOTAL FAKE NEWS Politico doesn't care about facts, integrity, or honest journalism - it's why I kicked them out of the White House!" Trump said in a statement to the outlet. "Susie Wiles is my loyal and longest serving Chief of Staff - there is a reason for that. She has been with me since the beginning, is my trusted advisor, and has my COMPLETE confidence. President DONALD J. TRUMP."Wiles is considered one of Trump's most trusted advisers and confidants. She has played a major role in shaping his second administration and in securing his 2024 presidential victory as co-campaign manager. Trump has also publicly praised Wiles on numerous occasions. After Wiles announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year, Trump referred to her as "an amazing person" and "an amazing fighter." Wiles announced last month that she was cancer free. Politico's reporting comes weeks after news surfaced that Trump political advisers James Blair and Chris LaCivita, who served as Wiles's co-campaign manager in 2024, were paid to travel to the Balkans to advise a pro-Russian political party ahead of an election there. Trump said in a Truth Social post that he was not aware the two had taken the trip and that he would fire them if any wrongdoing took place. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.This article originally appeared on The Hill at https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6150913-susie-wiles-trump-white-house/
When people talk about this year's midterms, they tend to focus on whether Democrats will end unified Republican control of Congress by winning the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives (or both). And that makes sense: Congress has the power to check President Trump's agenda, so the national repercussions could be huge.
But on Election Day, there will be something else to watch out for: whether Democrats can emerge with more governors' mansions than Republicans.
GOP governors have outnumbered their Democratic counterparts for the last 15 years straight (and for 26 of the last 30 years overall). That's given Republicans more opportunities to experiment with new policy ideas, approve congressional maps, influence election procedures, fill Senate vacancies and build executive experience.
But this year, Democrats have a real shot at closing the "governor gap." They need to net one governorship to tie Republicans at 25; net two, and they'll secure a gubernatorial "majority" for the first time since 2011. At the moment, 16 of this year's 36 gubernatorial contests are considered competitive, according to the expert race handicappers at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report - and 11 of them are in Republican-held states.
So Democrats are on offense. It remains to be seen, however, whether they will actually overcome decades of GOP gubernatorial dominance in places like Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and Texas on Nov. 3. Here are the races to watch.
Alaska hasn't elected a Democratic governor in 28 years. But that could change on Nov. 3 as Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins - known locally as JKT - has emerged as the frontrunner to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Mike Dunleavy. In part, that's due to the Last Frontier's unique voting system, which sends the top four primary candidates to the general election regardless of party - then asks voters to rank them on Election Day in order of preference, from first to fourth. As a result, Kreiss-Tomkins, a 37-year-old former state representative, is the only Democrat competing against three Republicans: conservative activist Bernadette Wilson, former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and former state Attorney General Treg Taylor.
Yahoo
But economic dissatisfaction, Trump's low approval ratings in the state and Kreiss-Tomkins's energetic campaign are also helping to boost Democratic hopes. Recent polls suggest Kreiss-Tomkins could win the first round of ranked-choice balloting with nearly 50% of the vote - roughly twice as much as the second-place candidate (Wilson). On Oct. 13, Cook shifted its race rating from "toss up" to "lean Democrat." Along with Iowa, the outlet wrote, Alaska "may be Democrats' best opportunity to flip a governors' mansion in a red state."
Florida
David Jolly and Byron Donalds.
Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Rebecca Blackwell/AP, Alex Wong/Getty Images
Party control: GOP
The Republican: Byron Donalds
The Democrat: David Jolly
A former swing state, Florida has trended increasingly Republican during the Trump era. The governor's mansion, however, has been red ever since Jeb Bush won the job in 1998. U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds - the third Black Republican in history to represent the Sunshine State on Capitol Hill - is seeking to keep the GOP's streak alive by succeeding term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis. His opponent is Democrat David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who left the GOP during Trump's first term.
The president endorsed Donalds, a staunch social conservative, before he even entered the race; in Congress, Donalds has closely aligned himself with Trump's MAGA policies, especially on immigration. Meanwhile, Jolly is emphasizing his Christian faith, his conversion from Republican to independent to Democrat and his approach to key local issues like homeowner's insurance (which involves creating a state-backed catastrophe fund to keep costs down).
Georgia has become the purplest of purple states in recent years: Trump lost it by 0.2 percentage points in 2020 and won it by 2 points in 2024. But while Georgians have sent two Democrats to the U.S. Senate in recent years - Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff - they haven't elected a Democratic governor since 1998.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has a chance to break the pattern on Nov. 3. The polls show her within striking distance - anywhere from 1 to 3 percentage points - of health care billionaire Rick Jackson, who won the GOP nomination without Trump's endorsement. Both candidates are promising to lower the cost of living by lowering taxes - a mainstream message in a relatively centrist state. Jackson has a huge financial edge, but Cook still rates the race as a toss up.
If elected, Bottoms would make history as Georgia's first woman governor and the first Black woman governor anywhere in the U.S.
Iowa
Rob Sand and Zach Lahn.
Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Scott Olson/Getty Images, Anna Moneymaker/AP
Party control: GOP
The Republican: Zach Lahn
The Democrat: Rob Sand
Iowa is another state that hasn't elected a Democratic governor in decades - 20 years to be exact. But state auditor Rob Sand, 44, has led in every poll conducted this cycle, often by double-digit margins.
As auditor - and before that, as Iowa's assistant attorney general - Sand developed a reputation as a "happy warrior for nonpartisan technocratic efficiency and anti-corruption," a leading progressive activist recently told the Atlantic. He has also downplayed his allegiance to the national Democratic Party, calling it "the lesser of two evils." Such positioning has made Sand perhaps the most popular politician in a state where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by almost 200,000.
Sand's opponent, businessman Zach Lahn, narrowly upset Trump's pick, Rep. Randy Feenstra, in this summer's Republican primary. A Kansas resident until 2023, Lahn has struggled to overcome accusations of carpetbagging ever since. Cook says the race "leans Democrat" and describes it as the party's best pickup opportunity.
Kansas
Cindy Holscher and Ty Masterson.
Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Mark Reinstein/MediaPunch /IPX
Party control: Democratic
The Republican: Ty Masterson
The Democrat: Cindy Holscher
Kansas is anything but a blue state; since 1940, it has voted Republican in every presidential election but one - Lyndon B. Johnson's 1964 landslide. But the Sunflower State has elected two Democratic women governors in recent years: Kathleen Sebelius (2003-2009) and term-limited incumbent Laura Kelly (2019-2027). State Sen. Cindy Holscher is seeking to become the third.
Holscher has her work cut out for her, though. She's up against Ty Masterson, the president of the state Senate, who leads by a few percentage points in most recent polls. Cook rates the Kansas contest as "lean Republican," making it this year's only potential blue-to-red flip with that rating.
If Masterson does win in November, it wouldn't be particularly surprising. Since 1957, neither major political party has held the Kansas governor's mansion for longer than eight consecutive years.
Nevada
Aaron Ford and Joe Lombardo.
Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: David Becker/AP, John Locher/AP
Party control: GOP
The Republican: Joe Lombardo
The Democrat: Aaron Ford
Incumbent GOP Gov. Joe Lombardo - the former sheriff of Clark County - won in 2022 on a law-and-order message. But Nevada is a swing state, and Lombardo's insistence on vetoing a raft of affordability bills passed by the Democratic legislature - to cap the cost of prescription drugs; to provide paid family leave to workers; to prohibit private equity and big banks from buying up housing en masse; to continue universal free breakfast and lunch for K-12 schoolchildren - has become a source of criticism in a cycle often centered on the cost of living. And his previous support for data-center subsidies hasn't helped.
Enter state Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is running on his working-class roots. Only two polls have been conducted since Labor Day. One shows Ford ahead by 2 points; the other shows Lombardo leading by 2. Cook rates the race a "toss up."
On paper, the odds are against Amy Acton, a Democrat who previously served as Ohio's chief public health officer. In 2024, Trump won the Buckeye State by the widest presidential margin since Ronald Reagan - more than 11 percentage points - and Democrats have lost all but one gubernatorial contest there since 1990.
Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Eric Gay/AP, Julio Cortez/AP
Party control: GOP
The Republican: Greg Abbott
The Democrat: Gina Hinojosa
Greg Abbott has been governor of Texas since 2015. Before that, he was Texas attorney general for more than a dozen years. He's perhaps the most familiar Republican politician in a state where Republicans have long dominated politics.
But even Abbott is at risk this cycle. Beyond the overall environment - which favors Democrats - the governor has faced backlash over Flock cameras, school privatization, data centers and his close ties to Trump. (Abbott skipped the president's campaign stop in San Antonio last week, saying he had a scheduling conflict.) He's also facing a strong challenger in Gina Hinojosa, who has pitched herself as more "populist" than "progressive."
The latest polls show Abbott and Hinojosa trading small leads ahead of Election Day. Cook says the race "leans Republican."
Wisconsin
David Crowley and Tom Tiffany.
Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Scott Olson/Getty Images, Nam Y. Huh/AP
Party control: Democratic
The Republican: Tom Tiffany
The Democrat: David Crowley
After Gov. Tony Evers declined to seek a third term, democratic socialist Francesca Hong emerged as the frontrunner to win Wisconsin's Democratic primary in August. Milwaukee County executive David Crowley dropped out in mid-July - then re-entered the race 10 days later. With Evers's endorsement, he was able to edge Hong for the nod.
The idea behind Crowley's last-minute comeback was that he would be more electable than Hong, who raised eyebrows with her past statements calling for the U.S. to "cancel" Thanksgiving and "abolish" the police. Recent polling has been consistent with that theory, showing Crowley consistently leading U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany - but only by single-digit margins. Cook rates the race a "toss up.".
If elected, Crowley would be Wisconsin's first Black governor.
The rest
According to Cook, there are three states where Democrats currently hold the governorship that could be considered competitive: Arizona (Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vs. Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs); Oregon (Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek vs. Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan); and Michigan (Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson vs. Republican U.S. Rep. John James). Cook rates all three as "lean Democratic."
Cook also recently moved three states from "solid Republican" to "likely Republican," reflecting movement toward the Democratic candidate. They are Nebraska (Republican Gov. Jim Pillen vs. Democratic former state Sen. Lynne Walz); Oklahoma (Republican former state Sen. Mike Mazzei vs. Democratic state Rep. Cyndi Munson); and Vermont (Republican Gov. Phil Scott vs. Democratic economist Amanda Janoo).
A fourth Republican-held state, New Hampshire, is also in the "likely Republican" category. GOP Gov. Kelly Ayotte is facing Democratic former executive councilor Cinde Warmington.This article originally appeared on Yahoo News at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/article/could-this-be-the-year-democrats-close-the-governor-gap-with-republicans-180815424.html
FBI investigates suspicious mail sent to Senate and election offices FBI investigates suspicious mail sent to Senate and election officesWASHINGTON (AP) - Federal authorities are investigating letters with "suspicious substances" that have been mailed to congressional and election offices nationwide and are urging recipients to treat the mailings as "potentially hazardous." The investigation by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police was first disclosed in a message from the Senate Sergeant at Arms obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. The notice, sent to Senate offices, said that law enforcement officials were working to intercept any additional letters, but "it is possible that some letters may reach their destinations." In Congress, the threat appeared limited to the Senate, though the House was monitoring the situation, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly. The office of Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Delaware Democrat, said in a statement that it was sent a letter with a "suspicious substance" that was intercepted by Capitol Police. Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said postal inspectors intercepted a suspicious piece of mail addressed to her New York City office. An FBI statement said the bureau and the Postal Inspection Service were "investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related election offices." "Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident," the statement read. "We are also working with our partners to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the letters." Mailed packages containing a powdery substance led to the evacuation this week of election offices in at least two states, Louisiana and Oklahoma. The Ohio secretary of state said the Postal Service intercepted a package containing a white powder intended for its office and noted that similar mailings had been sent to election officials in multiple states. Numerous states, from Idaho to Florida, said their election offices either received letters or had them intercepted by the Postal Service. The Wisconsin Elections Commission said in a statement that it received a letter and the white powder enclosed in it was not hazardous, according to tests. "Let this be very clear: this incident will not shake us," Wisconsin elections administrator Meagan Wolfe said. News of the letters comes just three weeks before Election Day and is reminiscent of a similar threat in 2023, when election offices in six states received mailings that contained a white powder. In some cases, the incidents disrupted work around local elections. Some of those letters contained threats and traces of the powerful opioid fentanyl, leading some election offices to stock up on the overdose reversal medication naloxone. The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors issued a joint statement condemning what they said were threats against election staff. "Those who administer our elections should never fear for their safety while carrying out their essential duties," they said in their statement. Deputy Postal Inspector Brendan Donahue told reporters Thursday that "any threat or attack on election officials is unacceptable" and that "we are also working with our partners on identifying the individual or individuals responsible for the letters." ___ Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Virginia; and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/fbi-postal-investigating-letters-suspicious-152513309.html
