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By LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House majority hung in the balance Wednesday, teetering between Republican control that would usher in a new era of unified GOP governance in Washington or a flip to Democrats as a last line of resistance to a Trump second-term White House agenda.

A few individual seats, or even a single one, will determine the outcome. Final tallies will take a while, likely pushing the decision into next week — or beyond.

After Republicans swept into the majority in the U.S. Senate by picking up seats in West Virginia, Ohio and Montana, House Speaker Mike Johnson predicted his chamber would fall in line next.

“Republicans are poised to have unified government in the White House, Senate and House,” Johnson said Wednesday.

President-elect Donald Trump, who won the Electoral College and the popular vote against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, has consolidated growing power around his MAGA movement, backing newcomers to Washington and setting the stage for his own return to the White House.

Johnson said Republicans in Congress are preparing an “ambitious” 100-day agenda with Trump, who he has said is “thinking big” about his legacy.

Tax cuts, securing the southern border and taking a ”blowtorch” to federal regulations are at the top of the agenda if the GOP sweeps the White House and Congress. Trump himself has promised mass deportations and retribution against his perceived enemies. And Republicans want to push federal agencies out of Washington and to restaff the government workforce with the help of outside think tanks, Johnson has said, to bring the federal government “to heel.”

But Johnson, after just a year on the job, has had difficulty governing the House, and the new Congress would be no different. Hard-liners led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Matt Gaetz and others have often confronted and upended their own GOP leadership in what has been one of the most chaotic sessions in modern times.

If Johnson’s slim four-seat majority were to shrink any further, governing could come to a standstill.

Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the House “remains very much in play.”

With Democrats having defeated two House Republicans in Jeffries’ home state of New York, he said the path to the majority now runs through pickup opportunities in Arizona, Oregon, Iowa and California that are still too early to call.

“We must count every vote,” Jeffries said.

The House contests remained a tit-for-tat fight to the finish, with no dominant pathway to the majority for either party. Rarely, if ever have the two chambers of Congress flipped in opposite directions.

Each side is gaining and losing a few seats, including through the redistricting process, which is the routine redrawing of House seat boundary lines. The process reset seats in North Carolina, Louisiana and Alabama.

Much of the outcome hinges on the West, particularly in California, where a handful of House seats are being fiercely contested, and mail-in ballots arriving a week after the election will still be counted. Hard-fought races around the “blue dot” in Omaha, Nebraska and in far-flung Alaska are among those being watched.

Trump, speaking early Wednesday at his election night party in Florida, said the results delivered an “unprecedented and powerful mandate” for Republicans.

He called the Senate rout “incredible,” and he praised Johnson, saying he’s “doing a terrific job.”

From the U.S. Capitol, Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, privately a harsh Trump critic, called it a “hell of a good day.”

Senate Republicans marched across the map alongside Trump, flipping the three Democratic-held seats and holding their own against Democratic challengers who failed to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas and Sen. Rick Scott in Florida.

In West Virginia, Jim Justice, the state’s wealthy governor, flipped the seat held by retiring Sen. Joe Manchin. Republicans toppled Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio with GOP luxury car dealer and blockchain entrepreneur Bernie Moreno. And Republican Tim Sheehy defeated Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in Montana.

Democrats avoided a total wipeout by salvaging seats in the “blue wall” states. Rep. Elissa Slotkin won an open Senate seat in Michigan, and Sen. Tammy Baldwin was reelected in Wisconsin. Pennsylvania’s race between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick was still undecided.

In other developments, Democrats made history by sending two Black women, Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, to the Senate. Just thee Black women, including Harris, have served in the Senate, but never two at the same time.

All told, Senate Republicans have the potential to achieve their most robust majority in years — a testament to McConnell, who made a career charting a path to power, this time aligned with Trump whom he has privately called “despicable” in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

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During a news conference Wednesday, McConnell declined to answer questions about his past stark criticism of Trump and said he viewed the election results as a referendum on the Biden administration.

He told reporters at the Capitol that a Senate under Republican control would “control the guardrails” and prevent changes in Senate rules that would end the filibuster.

“People were just not happy with this administration and the Democratic nominee was a part of it,” McConnell said.

What’s still unclear is who will lead the new Republican Senate, as McConnell prepares to step down from the post.

South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican, and Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who previously held that post, are the front-runners to replace McConnell in a secret-ballot election scheduled for when senators arrive in Washington next week.

Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Kevin Freking and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

Fort Lauderdale’s sometimes nasty election cycle saw political rivals attacking incumbents, railing against overdevelopment, broken sewer pipes and nightmarish gridlock.

They promised change. But on Tuesday, three out of the four incumbents declared victory.

Dean Trantalis, an attorney elected mayor of Fort Lauderdale six years ago, won a third and final term.

Incumbents John Herbst and Steve Glassman won their commission races for the District 1 and 2 seats. And Ben Sorensen, a former commissioner who stepped down in 2022 to run for Congress, easily knocked out incumbent Warren Sturman for the District 4 seat.

What now? The South Florida Sun Sentinel checked in with the winners to see what’s next as they chart the course for the city’s future.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis celebrates his election victory Tuesday night at Thasos Greek Taverna. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Mayor Dean Trantalis

What lies ahead for Fort Lauderdale now that the election has been decided?

The new commission will take office the first meeting in December.

In January, we will come up with our priorities during our annual goal-setting meeting with an open discussion on what voices people heard during the campaign.

Can you name some of the city’s upcoming priorities?

Planning a new City Hall is going to be important.

(Fort Lauderdale’s City Hall building, badly damaged during a record rainstorm in April 2023, was recently demolished.)

I expect in the next few months we will be making a decision on the new City Hall.

It’s a big site. Maybe the new City Hall should be built there (in the same downtown location).

Continuing with our infrastructure program is going to be important (to address flooding and the city’s underground pipes).

We also want to focus more on cleaning up our waterways.

And what measures we’re going to take in order to address our homeless situation.

Those will become topics I would like to address.

We’re going to talk about commuter rail.

Commissioner-Elect Ben Sorensen was a strong proponent for a tunnel to cross the New River as opposed to a bridge. I feel we have a solid majority for the tunnel option. I hope to continue to work with the county on that.

Another project I’ve been working on is trying to bring a retail center downtown to complement Las Olas Boulevard. This would bring in national brands and high-end retail. It would involve repurposing the city’s two downtown parking garages and using that real estate to partner with private investors to keep the parking and build one or more towers on that site for retail shops.

What will happen to the black olive trees planted on the median on Las Olas? Will they stay or go?

It’s not an either/or choice. We can still incorporate planting the trees along the sidewalks and widen the sidewalks. And by the time they mature, the trees in the median will be ready to come down — if they have not already died. We should be prepared when they all die in 10 years to already have new trees planted on the sides of the street.

John McCall/South Florida Sun SentinelIncumbent Steve Glassman, shown in 2022, won election Tuesday in a three-way race for the Fort Lauderdale District 2 commission seat. Vice Mayor Steve Glassman

What lies ahead for Fort Lauderdale?

We will continue to tackle our challenges and move forward as a city.

We need to address infrastructure and flooding and traffic. Those priorities will not change. Those priorities are not going away. We just have to keep going and keep making progress.

We’ve always had homelessness and housing affordability as a priority.

During the campaign, I did hear a lot about the homeless crisis. That is on people’s minds. They want us to address it.

One person told me they didn’t vote for me because they thought I was too aggressive on that. But we don’t want this to be an issue that takes over the whole city. We have to make sure the neighbors’ quality of life is not impacted.

We need a new City Hall. We have to move forward with that discussion.

How might things have been different if one of your two opponents won?

I would just say that each of us brings our very special talents to the issues. When you have a change on the dais, there’s always going to be a change in approach.

Will the trees on Las Olas stay or go?

We have not decided that yet. We have asked for options on that.

Incumbent John Herbst, shown on Sept. 17, won election Tuesday in a two-way race for the Fort Lauderdale District 1 commission seat. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Commissioner John Herbst

What lies ahead for Fort Lauderdale?

We’ll have our planning session in January. We need to address the state’s new homeless law. That’s going to be the big thing on our plate.

As far as longer-term projects, we need a new City Hall.

We have to come to some resolution about the (cracks) in the roof of the police station and how we are going to handle that. If the experts think it’s fixable, the engineers who designed the project will pay for (the fix).

We also have to hire a new city manager and a new city attorney.

(Greg Chavarria, the former city manager, resigned in May. Tom Ansbro, the former city attorney, died in October.)

Will the tree-lined median stay or go?

We still haven’t come to a final decision on what we’re doing. That will be another one of those things that’s in the works. It’s time to get that one across the finish line.

Ben Sorensen, a former commissioner shown on Aug. 14, won election Tuesday in a four-way race for the Fort Lauderdale District 4 commission seat. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Commissioner-Elect Ben Sorensen

Commissioner-Elect Ben Sorensen will represent the District 4 neighborhoods after being sworn in on Dec. 3.

What lies ahead for Fort Lauderdale? What goals and projects do you have in mind?

My main focus is going to be our infrastructure. Stormwater, drainage, water and sewer is job one. We are ground zero for sea-level rise and weather impacts in Fort Lauderdale. And we have neighborhoods throughout the city that are dramatically impacted by rain and flooding events. We need to increase the bond funding and the pace at which we upgrade our infrastructure so that we meet the needs of all neighborhoods.

Number two is homelessness.

(The homeless population of the city has increased over the last year.) We need to do everything we can in a hands-on approach to identify homeless individuals and create immediate action plans for their rehousing and wrap-around case management support.

We need to act with immediacy, urgency and efficiency to house and get the appropriate services for homeless individuals.

There’s three options for housing homeless individuals. One is a shelter. Two is an existing apartment. And third is building more affordable workforce housing.

The national best practice indicates that putting homeless people into shelters is not the best option. So we have to redouble our efforts to partner with existing landlords to get homeless people into existing units. And we have to with greater urgency identify city-owned land and possibly privately owned land to build more workforce housing.

Are the trees on Las Olas staying or going?

My understanding is the city is preparing an updated design of Las Olas that will include trees in the median. I look forward to seeing that design. And I look forward to having a robust discussion with the neighborhoods to identify the best path going forward.

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan

BY MELISSA GOLDIN

Less than 24 hours after Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States, social media users began pushing two conflicting narratives to suggest election fraud, one that revived false claims by Trump that the 2020 vote was stolen from him and the other questioning how Vice President Kamala Harris could have received so many fewer votes in 2024 than President Joe Biden in 2020.

Both narratives hinge on a supposed 20 million vote gap between Harris and Biden.

Here’s a closer look at the facts.

CLAIM: President Joe Biden won approximately 20 million more votes in the 2020 election than Vice President Kamala Harris earned in the 2024 race, proving either that Trump has cheated his way to a second term or that there was widespread fraud four years ago.

THE FACTS: The claims are unfounded. Votes from Tuesday’s presidential election are still being counted, so any comparison with previous races would not be accurate. In addition, election officials and agencies monitoring the vote have reported no significant issues with Tuesday’s election. Claims of widespread fraud in 2020 have been debunked countless times.

“As we have said repeatedly, our election infrastructure has never been more secure and the election community never better prepared to deliver safe, secure, free, and fair elections for the American people,” Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly said in a statement. “This is what we saw yesterday in the peaceful and secure exercise of democracy. Importantly, we have no evidence of any malicious activity that had a material impact on the security or integrity of our election infrastructure.”

Multiple Pennsylvania officials, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, said that they had not seen any signs of cheating and called the election secure after Trump said in a Truth Social post Tuesday that there was “a lot of talking about massive CHEATING in Philadelphia.”

And yet, posts circulated online claiming otherwise, receiving hundreds of thousands of likes and shares.

“20 MILLION VOTES WERENT COUNTED,” reads one X post. “I KNEW IT TRUMP CHEATED.”

Another X post, which shared a bar graph of presidential election results from 2012-2024, states: “If these nunbers are accurate, this is indicative of a stolen 2020 election. 20 million votes just disappeared. In other words there were potentially 20 million fraudulent votes last cycle. That’s an insane number.” The Democratic candidates in 2012 and 2016 both won nearly 66 million votes, a bit less than Harris’ current count.

Harris had won about 67 million votes as of Wednesday afternoon, compared to the approximately 81 million Biden garnered in 2020 — a difference of about 14 million. But that gap is decreasing as the vote count continues. No state has counted 100% of its ballots yet.

Trump is so far lagging behind his 2020 total by approximately 2 million votes, but this gap is also decreasing as more votes are counted.

Despite persistent claims that Trump won the 2020 election, including from Trump himself, there is no evidence that this is true.

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Biden won the Electoral College with 306 votes to Trump’s 232, and the popular vote by more than 7 million ballots. Many battleground states conducted recounts or thorough reviews of their results, all of which confirmed Biden’s victory. An exhaustive Associated Press investigation in 2021 found fewer than 475 instances of confirmed voter fraud across six battleground states — nowhere near the magnitude required to sway the outcome of the presidential election.

Trump was repeatedly advised by members of his own administration that there was no evidence of widespread fraud. Numerous legal challenges alleging voter fraud pursued by the Trump campaign and its backers were heard and roundly rejected by dozens of courts at the state and federal level, including by judges whom Trump appointed.

The allegations now spreading about fraud in the 2024 race echo many baseless claims that emerged four years ago.

Vice President Kamala Harris called Trump on Wednesday afternoon to concede the race and congratulate him.

“We must respect the results of this election,” she said in her concession speech.

By Zeke Miller, Will Weissert and Jill Colvin, Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump spent his first day as president-elect receiving congratulatory phone calls from his defeated opponent, world leaders and President Joe Biden as he began the process of turning his election victory into a government.

Trump was keeping a low profile, staying out of the public eye after addressing supporters in Florida during the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Vice President Kamala Harris called Trump to concede the race and to congratulate him, while Biden invited the man he ousted from the White House four years ago to an Oval Office meeting to prepare to return the keys. Biden’s chief of of staff later Wednesday nudged the Trump team to sign the required federal agreements necessary to begin an orderly presidential transition, a White House official said.

A source with knowledge of the Trump campaign said transition talks to take over power on Jan. 20, 2025, had not begun in earnest. Instead, the president-elect was busy taking calls from leaders, domestic and international, donors and key supporters. Transition discussions are expected to ramp up later in the week, as attention turns to naming an inaugural committee and a formal transition team.

Biden chief of staff Jeff Zients reached out to Trump transition co-chairs Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon to reiterate the important role the agreements with the White House and the General Services Administration play in beginning a presidential transition. The White House official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive transition planning.

The delay is holding up the federal government’s ability to begin processing security clearances for potential Trump administration national security appointees, which could limit the number of his staff who could work on sensitive information by Inauguration Day. It also means they can’t yet access federal facilities, documents and personnel to prepare for taking office.

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The agreements are required by the Presidential Transition Act, and require the president-elect’s team to agree to an ethics plan and to limit and disclose private donations. Congress, in the act, set a deadline of Sept. 1 for the GSA agreement and Oct. 1 for the White House agreement, in an effort to ensure that incoming administrations are prepared to govern when they enter office on Jan. 20.

The White House announced that Biden had spoken to the president-elect and expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition, while emphasizing the importance of working to bring the country together.

Biden also called Harris to salute her for her campaign. And Trump and Harris spoke on a call where the president-elect “acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism, and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country,” according to Trump spokesman Steven Cheung.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s office said he called Trump and the pair had a “warm and cordial” conversation while also also discussing the ”Iranian threat.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had an “excellent call” with Trump, who has threatened to cut off the steady flow of U.S. aid and arms to his nation in its fight against Russia’s nearly three-year-old invasion. “I praised his family and team for their great work,” Zelenskyy said. “We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering U.S. leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace.”

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Trump, too, as did Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who spoke to the president-elect to express “the kingdom’s aspiration to strengthen the historical and strategic relations between the two countries, wishing the friendly American people progress and prosperity under his excellency’s leadership,” according to a statement from Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry.

Trump made his first foreign trip as president during his first term to Saudi Arabia. He stood by the kingdom then, even as ties became strained over the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives in Istanbul.

The president-elect has since vowed to bring peace to the Middle East at a time when Israel is at war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon and has recently traded fire with Iran. Trump, who was a staunch supporter of Israel during his previous term, has not said how he’d accomplish that.

Meanwhile, U.S. markets, banks and bitcoin all stormed higher Wednesday, as did Tesla, owned by outspoken Trump supporter Elon Musk, as investors looked favorably on a smooth election and Trump returning to the White House.

Trump got more potential good news with word that special counsel Jack Smith is evaluating how to wind down the two federal cases against the president-elect before he takes office in light of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted, according to a person familiar with Smith’s plans who was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.

Smith charged Trump last year with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The latter case had already been dismissed. But Trump’s election victory means that the Justice Department believes he can no longer face prosecution in accordance with decades-old department legal opinions meant to shield presidents from criminal charges while in office.

Miller and Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Tom Beamont and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.

By AARON MORRISON, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters for the first time elected two Black women to serve simultaneously in the Senate and sent an openly transgender lawmaker to Congress on Tuesday. They’re among historic choices in nearly a dozen races showing Americans opting for more diverse representation even with issues such as affirmative action and LGBTQ inclusion driving deeper divisions.

Delaware’s Lisa Blunt Rochester and Maryland’s Angela Alsobrooks prevailed in their races, doubling the number of Black women ever elected to the Senate – from two to four. And Delaware voters elected Sarah McBride in an at-large House race, making her the first openly transgender person elevated to Congress.

Democratic Delaware Senate candidate state Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester speaks during an election night watch party Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

The victories come in an election year defined in part by historic firsts.

“Marking these milestones does two things: One, it celebrates the increasing diversity that we are seeing in women’s political representation, whether it be in a state or nationally,” said Kelly Dittmar, director of research at Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics.

“But at the same time, it reminds us that we have more work to do,” said Dittmar, noting that U.S. women overall aren’t represented equitably in elected offices and that Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans, as well as Native Americans, lag behind their share of the population.

Other historic firsts in the Senate on Tuesday include New Jersey’s Andy Kim, who became the first Asian American elected to represent the Garden State in the Senate and also the first Korean-American elected in the Senate. Republican Bernie Moreno of Ohio became the first Latino to represent the state.

Black women make history in the U.S. Senate

Never in the Senate have two Black women served at the same time. Kamala Harris was only the second Black woman and first South Asian woman to serve in the Senate, before she was elected vice president. From 2021 to 2023, the chamber was without Black female representation until California Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler to a vacancy created by the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Blunt Rochester, a Democrat who currently represents the at-large congressional district of Delaware, becomes the first woman and first Black person to represent Delaware in the Senate. Alsobrooks, a Democrat and former executive of Prince George’s County, Maryland, is also the first Black woman to represent her state in the Senate.

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“It’s remarkable to think that in two years, America will celebrate its 250th birthday,” Alsobrooks said during a victory speech Tuesday evening. “And in all those years, there have been more than 2,000 people who have served in the United States Senate. Only three have looked like me.”

“And so I want to salute all those who came before me, who made it possible for me to stand on this stage tonight, whose sacrifices and stories I will continue to carry with me,” she added to cheers from supporters.

Their victories raise the number of Black members of the Senate to five, the most to serve together in history. Still, the Senate’s 100 members have historically been, and continue to be, mostly white men.

“We increased our representation of Black women in the Senate by 100%,” said Aimee Allison, founder and president of She the People, a national organizing hub for recruiting and electing women of color in politics.

“I’ve been in electoral politics for 30 years and, for the vast majority of that time, Black women have played an outsized role as voters and organizers, but had been defeated, often by fellow Democrats in primaries, because we were dismissed as being unelectable,” Allison said.

“It’s a testament to the evolution of Black women as political players in this country,” Allison added. “Some of the things that stumped us are kind of baked into a system that have kept Black women out of the Senate. We have figured out additional paths to be successful.”

House to get first transgender member

McBride, a Democratic state senator in Delaware, already made history in 2020 when she was elected the only openly transgender state senator in the country. That followed a rise in national recognition for McBride, who became the first transgender speaker to address a major party convention during the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

Sarah McBride, Democratic candidate for Delaware’s at-large congressional district, speaks during an election night watch party Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Her elevation to Congress comes as transgender issues have proven divisive in American politics. From bans on biological males playing in women’s and girls’ sports and bans on books with LGBTQ themes, to debates over gender-affirming pronouns and gender-neutral bathrooms, visibility of transgender people in politics could keep those issues at the forefront of debates about acceptance and tolerance.

After winning her primary in September, McBride said she was not running for Congress to make history, but instead “to make historic progress for Delawareans.”

Advocates welcome progress, but note the work ahead for representation

In the 50 years since the Center for American Women and Politics began tracking gender equality and racial diversity in politics, progress often comes when Democrats do better in the election cycle.

“We have not seen those same levels of gains in the Republican Party,” said Kelly, the center’s research director. “It’s very clear that it’s kind of a one-sided story. And if we want to get to gender parity in elected office, it’s going to be hard to do that on one side of the aisle, just numerically.”

Allison said the youngest generation of future American voters may not always see racial and gender diversity as a crucial, if longstanding problems of social and economic inequality go unaddressed by their parents’ generation.

“You can’t make an argument about representation only,” she said. “It’s hard to do that because it’s not enough. The first step in creating this multiracial democracy is creating an American government that serves all people.”

General Daily Insight for November 06, 2024

A productive vibe should keep us moving today. The grounded Capricorn Moon sextiles stable Saturn at 10:17 am EST, drawing our focus toward what’s likely to work in the real world. Luna also harmonizes with the hearty Sun, so we’ll potentially find our efforts personally fulfilling. When the Moon goes on to contradict party animal Jupiter, though, we might need to allow ourselves a little break to have fun. We’re probably in a good place overall, so it’s not necessary to sweat over every detail!

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Making progress toward a major goal is likely now. You’ll potentially be helped by people telling you certain things they wouldn’t say publicly. Rationally, you know keeping their confidence is the best option. That being said, once small talk with others gets rolling, it might be easy for secrets to sneak out as the candid Moon in your public 10th house stirs up trouble with expansive Jupiter in your communication zone. Perhaps you’re better off making yourself scarce for the time being!

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Learning about a subject that inspires you is probably a good use of your time today. While the inquisitive Moon in your research sector collaborates with taskmaster Saturn in your community zone, coming together with others who share your interest can motivate you to stay on track and guide you in directions you wouldn’t have thought of. Still, participating in an organized program might require a financial investment. That’s potentially worth it overall, but don’t claim you didn’t see the cost coming.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Accepting assistance from someone else could currently shorten your path toward a significant goal — but maybe that’s not exactly how this was supposed to go down in your fantasies. As the vulnerable Moon in your sharing sector disagrees with puffed-up Jupiter in your sign, you were potentially hoping to gain a big ego boost from taking care of the entire process independently. Consider whether it’s more important to get the job done or to work for all the credit yourself.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Joining forces with a companion could help you get the most out of a hobby or leisure pursuit at this time. Your pal will likely teach you some new techniques that you’ll find useful. That said, the process of collaboration is potentially a little more stressful than casually noodling around and figuring out for yourself what feels good. You’ll probably have other opportunities to work alone later, so try to be patient with any compromises that seem to be required for now.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Working hard to fix things up at home can pay off today. You’re equipped to succeed in making a more peaceful environment for yourself and anyone else you live with. Still, the rest of the world might beckon. While the Moon in your hardworking 6th house runs into tension with gregarious Jupiter in your social sector, you may be tempted by an invitation to hang out with friends. Remember — if you’re on a roll with your tasks, getting that energy back will be tough!

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

You might currently be focused on strengthening a particular connection. While the spontaneous Moon in your playful 5th house tickles uptight Saturn in your partnership zone, you may realize that you’ve forgotten to have fun together. Correcting that omission is definitely possible right now. Keep in mind that doing so could show you that you also need to let go of a particular power dynamic that advantages you. If your goal is truly to build a healthy connection, the sacrifice should be worth it!

Libra

September 23 – October 22

You may presently prefer to stay in instead of going out on an exciting adventure. Perhaps a desire to save money is part of your decision, but it’s probably not the whole story. You might also feel more emotionally comfortable sticking to your usual schedule and surroundings. No matter what you eventually choose to do, it’s a good idea to acknowledge your whole range of motivations. Plus, that could help you identify any compromises that would make going out worthwhile for you.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Clearly sharing a personal story is an option now. While the intimate Moon in your communication sector cooperates with focused Saturn in your self-expression zone, you’re equipped to identify which details are genuinely necessary to shape a coherent narrative versus which will lead off on distracting tangents. Still, be careful as you choose your audience for this tale. Not all potential listeners have your best interests at heart, so try to think a few steps ahead about how things are likely to unfold.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

You may currently be interested in shoring up the overall security and stability in your life. Meanwhile, a companion could be trying to pull you in a more expansive direction. Unfortunately, this probably isn’t a question of who is objectively right or wrong — you’d likely find that type of challenge easier to handle. The truth is simply that your preferences are different from theirs. You can say you might feel differently at a later time, but you are where you are right now.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Getting out and connecting with others can go well for you at present. As the vibrant Sun in your social sector engages with the passionate Moon in your sign, you may exude vital energy. That should, in turn, energize the people you chat up — even though you’re not just talking to hear yourself talk. Still, you probably know you have a to-do list waiting for you somewhere. Don’t let it weigh on you too much, but return to it when you get a chance.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

You’re likely to have a realistic attitude toward getting things done at the moment. While the devoted Moon in your 12th House of Secrets bolsters the potent Sun in your goal-oriented 10th house, you’re probably more focused on achieving the necessary outcome than on gathering personal glory. You can also work constructively with any ongoing limits on your resources. However, driving your own desires out of the equation entirely isn’t a great idea — remember that you have a right to be here too.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Coming together with people who share your beliefs could be rewarding today. You potentially see your worldview as a major part of your identity, and it’s probably nice to have that affirmed by others as the nurturing Moon in your 11th House of Community supports structured Saturn in your sign. Is that all there is to you, though? True, it is important to satisfy your intellectual longings, but ensure you aren’t pushing too much aside in the emotional realm in order to make it work.

By STEVE PEOPLES and BILL BARROW, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Even with the outcome uncertain Tuesday night, the 2024 presidential election already has exposed the depths of a fractured nation as the candidates navigated political shifts based on class, race and age under the near-constant threat of misinformation and violence.

Early data suggests that Republican Donald Trump may benefit from some of the shifts more than Democrat Kamala Harris. And the Republican former president may have also benefited from frustrated voters’ focus on the economy.

The biggest conclusions from the election so far, however, may be the most obvious.

The United States is poised to elect either its first female president in Harris or its first president with a felony conviction in former president Trump, whose enduring political strength through chaos — much of it his own making — has carried few political costs so far.

With votes still being counted across the country, here are some early takeaways:

With modest shifts, Trump weakens the Democrats’ coalition

Black voters — men and women — have been the bedrock of the Democratic Party, and Democrats have had a strong pull for Latino voters. It’s been the same with young voters.

But preliminary data from AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 115,000 voters nationwide, suggested that the groups shifted in Trump’s direction.

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Voters under age 30 represent a fraction of the total electorate, but about half of them supported Harris. That’s compared to the roughly 6 in 10 who backed Biden in 2020.

Slightly more than 4 in 10 young voters went for Trump, up from about one-third in 2020.

Another shift that emerged was among Black and Latino voters, who appeared slightly less likely to support Harris than they were to back Biden four years ago, according to AP VoteCast.

About 8 in 10 Black voters backed Harris, down from the roughly 9 in 10 who backed Biden. More than half of Hispanic voters supported Harris, but that was down slightly from the roughly 6 in 10 who backed Biden in 2020. Trump’s support among those groups appeared to rise slightly compared to 2020.

Trump boasted throughout the fall that he would get more support from Black men and Latino men than he had before.

Harris, meanwhile, went after more educated voters — including moderate Republicans — repelled by Trump.

It may turn out that the Trump era is not a permanent realignment of the major party coalitions. But it’s clear that old coalitions and longstanding understandings of how to win the White House simply do not apply with Trump in the mix.

A new president will take charge of a nation with deep fissures

Whether Trump or Harris ends up behind the Resolute Desk, the 47th president will lead a nation with deepening political and cultural fissures and a worried electorate.

AP VoteCast found that about 4 in 10 voters considered the economy and jobs the most important problem facing the country. Roughly 2 in 10 voters said the top issue is immigration, an anchor of Trump’s argument, and about 1 in 10 picked abortion, a pillar of Harris’ campaign.

In a reminder of just how unusual this election has been, about 1 in 4 Trump voters said the assassination attempts against him were the most important factor in their vote.

But when asked what most influenced their vote, about half of voters cited the future of democracy. That was higher than the share who answered the same way about inflation, immigration or abortion policy. And it crosses over the two major parties: About two-thirds of Harris voters and about a third of Trump voters said the future of democracy was the most important factor in their votes.

• People watch screens showing poll results at a watch party hosted by the New York Young Republican Club in New York on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

• Supporters watch as results come in at an election night campaign watch party for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, on the campus of Howard University in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

• A voter colors the state of Illinois blue during an election night watch party, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)

• A voter leaves a polling place after casting his ballot in Gilroy, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

• Howard University students watch live election results during a watch party near an election night event for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at Howard University in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

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People watch screens showing poll results at a watch party hosted by the New York Young Republican Club in New York on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

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That’s not surprising given the realities of the Trump era and the rhetoric of the campaign.

Trump refused to acknowledge his 2020 defeat and watched his supporters ransack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress convened to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s victory. Trump even mused two days before Election Day that he “shouldn’t have left” the White House after repeatedly promising retribution to his political enemies.

Harris, by the end of the campaign, joined other critics — including some of Trump’s former White House chief of staff — in describing the former president as a “fascist.” Trump, meanwhile, labeled Harris a “fascist” and a “communist.”

Trump’s criminal baggage not an issue for many voters

Incomplete returns show that Donald Trump’s criminal convictions, additional pending indictments and any concerns over his most incendiary rhetoric simply were not a sufficient concern to keep tens of millions of Americans from voting for him.

According to AP VoteCast, slightly more than half of voters said Harris has the moral character to be president, compared to about 4 in 10 who said that about Trump. It’s quite possible, as Trump has said many times on the campaign trail, that his legal peril actually helped him.

As it stands, Trump may never actually face sentencing in a New York business fraud case in which he was convicted of 34 felonies. For now, his sentencing is scheduled for later this month.

He’s already had one federal indictment in Florida dismissed, sparing him from a trial on whether he flouted U.S. law on protecting national security secrets. And he’s made clear he would use his power as president to spike the federal case against him for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. That would leave a Georgia racketeering case pending against Trump and others accused of trying to subvert the 2020 election result.

Relatively few voters said Trump’s legal cases was a major factor in their decision-making this election. Only about a quarter of Trump voters said the legal cases involving Trump were an important factor.

Mars and Venus: Abortion, ‘bro’ politics illuminate gender voting differences

It was the first presidential election after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended a woman’s national right to terminate a pregnancy. It was also the first time that a Republican presidential candidate overly courted males with a hypermasculine approach.

Both Harris’ and Trump’s advisers expected a historic “gender gap” between the two candidates, with women making up a clear majority of Harris’ supporters and men providing the clear majority of Trump’s total.

But about half of women backed Harris, while about half of men went for Trump, according to AP VoteCast. That appears largely consistent with the shares for Biden and Trump in 2020.

VoteCast found that about 1 in 10 voters said abortion is the top issue facing the country, reinforcing the newfound salience of an issue that barely registered for voters four years ago.

About one-quarter of voters said that abortion policy was the single most important factor for their vote, while close to half said it was an important factor, but not the most important.

Questions about ‘election integrity’ persist — thanks to misinformation

Trump spent the closing days of the election aggressively promoting baseless claims about the integrity of the election, insisting that would lose only if Democrats cheat. Not long after, he claimed on social media, without evidence, that there was “a lot of talk about massive CHEATING in Philadelphia.”

There is no credible information pointing to significant fraud in this election — or the last one, despite Trump’s claims to the contrary. A broad coalition of top government and industry officials, many of them Republicans, found that the 2020 election was the “most secure” in American history.”

At the same time, a misinformation campaign promoting false instances of election fraud is spreading online.

The FBI on Tuesday issued a statement highlighting two examples of its name and insignia being misused in election-related videos. One of them featured a fabricated press release alleges that the management of five prisons in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona rigged inmate voting and colluded with a political party.

“This video is also not authentic, and its contents are false,” the FBI said.

TALLAHASSEE — Florida voters Tuesday approved two of four ballot measures proposed by the Legislature, putting hunting and fishing rights in the state Constitution and making a property-tax change.

But proposals backed by Republican lawmakers to hold partisan school board elections and end public financing of political campaigns fell short.

About 67% of voters supported what appeared on the ballot as Amendment 2 and was titled “Right to Fish and Hunt.” Constitutional amendments need support from 60% of voters to pass.

Luke Hilgemann, executive director of the International Order of T. Roosevelt and T. Roosevelt Action, which supported Amendment 2, said in a statement that “Florida voters sent a message that they won’t stand for attacks against our sporting heritage.”

“States across the nation can now look to Florida’s success as a blueprint for advocacy and action, uniting sportsmen and women to push back against restrictive regulations and safeguard our outdoor way of life,” Hilgemann said.

Charles O’Neal, chairman of the opposition group NoTo2.Org, raised concerns that the proposal would override protections for fish stocks, open state waters to foreign commercial fishing, and possibly allow hunters to trespass on private property.

Opponents also included the Sierra Club-Florida and Save the Manatee Club.

Florida voters reject attempt to legalize recreational marijuana

The Vote Yes on Amendment 2 political committee, which led the effort to pass the measure, raised $1.228 million.

The other successful measure, Amendment 5, received 66% of the vote, according to unofficial results as of about 10 p.m.

The measure, titled “Annual Adjustments to the Value of Certain Homestead Exemption,” is expected to give many homeowners slightly larger property-tax breaks.

Homeowners receive tax exemptions on the assessed values of their property up to $25,000 and on the values between $50,000 and $75,000. The amendment will require adjusting for inflation the exempt portion currently between $50,000 and $75,000.

Meanwhile, what appeared as Amendment 1 on the ballot would have reversed a voter-approved change from 1998 that required school board candidates to run without party affiliations. Amendment 1 received support from 55% of voters, short of the required 60%.

Supporters of Amendment 1 contended that holding partisan school board elections would increase transparency about candidates and that the elections often are already battlegrounds for Republicans and Democrats.

But critics argued the proposal was an effort to consolidate power by Republicans, who hold voter-registration edges in 57 of the state’s 67 counties.

Voters reject Florida abortion rights amendment

The proposed amendment came after controversies have roiled many school boards in recent years about issues such as mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic and removing or restricting school library books. Also, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a high-profile role in trying to help elect conservatives to school boards in some parts of the state.

Also failing Tuesday was what appeared on the ballot as Amendment 6, which would have repealed public financing for statewide candidates.

Under the public-finance program, candidates for governor and Cabinet seats can receive matches for individual contributions of $250 or less. In exchange, candidates agree to abide by certain campaign spending limits. Matching funds are not available for contributions to political committees or outside of statewide races.

Republican supporters of Amendment 6 pointed to a need to limit government spending. But opponents of the amendment contended that public funding helps level the playing field for candidates with limited financial support.

Candidates have tapped the program for more than $33 million over the four most-recent gubernatorial election cycles.

Public campaign financing was approved by voters in 1998.

A 2010 proposal by the Legislature to repeal the program fell short, getting 52.49% support from voters. Tuesday’s proposal received slightly over 50%.

In addition to the four proposals placed on the ballot by the Legislature, voters also considered proposed constitutional amendments on recreational use of marijuana and abortion rights. Neither of those amendments reached the 60% threshold.

Palm Beach County will keep its mayor and welcome two new faces to the county commission.

Current Democratic mayor Maria Sachs led the way in the polls Tuesday night with 795 of 799 precincts reporting as of 9:30 p.m., defeating her Republican opponent John Fischer.

Sachs will continue representing District 5 on the commission, which encompasses West Boca and West Delray. She ran again to continue the projects she said she began during her first term.

Sachs said her priorities heading into another mayoral term will be affordable and workforce housing, smart development and alleviating the cost of living.

“I am feeling hopeful,” she said Tuesday night before official results were in. “I never count the votes until they are all in, even though it looks very good.”

Sachs said she watched the results roll in from her home with family and some close supporters.

“I feel very humbled by the numbers so far,” she said.

Fischer, Sachs’ opponent, is a retired county paramedic firefighter captain who’d said that if elected, he wanted to address cost-of-living issues, specifically by analyzing the county’s budget.

Though the county commission will retain its current mayor, a new face defeated an incumbent in the District 3 commission race: Democrat Joel Flores led the way in the polls against Republican Mike Barnett.

Flores previously worked as the mayor of Greenacres from 2017 to 2024. He said he wanted to run for a county commissioner position because District 3, which includes cities such as Greenacres, Palm Springs and Lake Clark Shores, “has been overlooked for a long time.”

Flores said his priorities going into the term would be to bring in more affordable and workforce housing, maintain public safety by working with law enforcement, regulate the county’s infrastructure and advocate for Hispanic voices.

“I’m feeling overwhelmed. I feel like today the voters had the last say, and I feel blessed to have the support of the community,” Flores said. “Palm Beach County as a whole spoke loudly for District 3. … We’re going to represent the people and I look forward to doing the work that needs to be done.”

Barnett, Flores’ opponent, had represented District 3 on the commission since January of 2023 after being appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In the third commission race for District 7, Democratic Bobby Powell Jr. defeated Republican Leonard Serratore on Tuesday night.

District 7 encompasses Riviera Beach, Mangonia Park, Lake Park and part of Palm Beach. Powell will replace Mack Bernard, who has served in the District 7 seat since 2016.

Powell could not be immediately reached on Tuesday night.

Powell was a state representative from 2012 to 2016 and has been a state senator for District 24 from 2016 to now. He said in an interview that he ran for the open District 7 commission seat because he thinks it “would be an excellent opportunity to help people on a local level,” to “get directly involved with the people at the county level,” and “have an impact on housing, an impact on homelessness, an impact on small business and economic development.”

The Palm Beach County Commission presides over a total of seven districts and often makes decisions about affordable housing, development in the Agricultural Reserve and managing county infrastructure.

Democrat Alexcia Cox declared victory late Tuesday  over Republican Sam Stern in the race for Palm Beach State Attorney, ending the night ahead by a razor-thin margin, but with an unknown number of uncounted mail-in ballots that kept her opponent from fully conceding defeat.

Cox led by 4,258 of 712,412 votes counted as of 10:20 p.m., a margin of just 0.59%. If the remaining mail-in ballots break for Stern, it could be enough to trigger an automatic recount even if it doesn’t change the outcome.

A recount is mandated by law if the margin is less than 0.5%.

“I just want to thank everyone who has been so supportive and energetic about this race and what my candidacy brings to our community,” Cox said. “Now I’m looking forward to getting back to my office and getting to work.”

The race was destined to defy easy prediction. While Democrats hold a registration advantage in the county, Republicans have recently shown the ability to carry a majority. Gov. Ron DeSantis defeated Democratic challenger Charlie Crist in Palm Beach County two years ago.

This year, with Palm Beach resident Donald Trump at the top of the ticket in a state he was widely expected to — and did — win, Stern was positioned to pull off a down-ticket upset, especially with the endorsement of his opponent’s challengers for the Democratic nomination. During the campaign, Stern pointed to those candidates as current employees of the State Attorney’s Office who know Cox best.

But in the early and mail-in voting, the registration advantage was solid. Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 45,000 in Palm Beach County, and Cox’s lead was about half that. Cox went in with the support of outgoing State Attorney Dave Aronberg, who was first elected in 2012 and popular enough to not even draw a challenger when he was last re-elected four years ago.

Election Day results cut into Cox’s lead throughout the night, but she was not willing to celebrate without every vote counted. Stern, likewise, declined to comment until the results were final and the number of uncounted mail-in ballots becomes known.

Cox will be the county’s first Black and first female State Attorney. Her demographic credentials parallel the name at the top of the Democratic ticket, Kamala Harris, running to be the country’s first Black female president. The early and absentee results in Palm Beach County also favored Harris, but her lead was almost identical to Cox’s as the Election Day results were posted.

Cox, 44, is Aronberg’s current deputy chief assistant state attorney, while Stern, 43, is a former state and federal prosecutor now in private practice and who teaches trial advocacy at the University of Miami and University of Virginia law schools.

An independent, Adam Farkas, was also in the race but picking up less than 3% of the vote.

Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457. Follow him on Threads.net/@rafael.olmeda.

State Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, R-Highland Beach, won a second term Tuesday in Florida’s House District 91 race. She defeated Democratic candidate Jay Shooster.

District 91 represents a large swatch of southern Palm Beach County, including Boca Raton, Highland Beach and reaching farther west toward West Boca.

In questionnaires provided to the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Editorial Board, Gossett-Seidman said the three most important issues facing the legislative district are “inflation, traffic congestion and infrastructure failures, and property tax and property rental tax reform.”

Gossett-Seidman, a past Highland Beach town commissioner and former sports writer turned PR pro, prevailed even though Shooster, an attorney, had raised more campaign funds.

Gossett-Seidman narrowly won her first term in 2022.

WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Florida on Tuesday.

Most of the district is in Broward County, though it also overlaps with Palm Beach County.

The first-term Democrat previously served in the state House and as director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

He defeated Republican Joe Kaufman to hold on to his seat. The Associated Press declared Moskowitz the winner at 8:39 p.m. EST.

Palm Beach voters appeared to favor a half-cent sales tax to support schools.

The tax would replace a one-cent tax that was agreed to eight years ago.

The measure had the support of about 60% of voters at about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, with all early voting in and 759 of 798 Election Day precincts in.

The new tax would lower the total sales tax from 7% to 6 1/2%. If it fails, the tax would go down to 6%.

Palm Beach County school officials were optimistic prior to the vote.

“The 1/2 Penny for Schools provides the resources needed to enhance safety and security, modernize schools, and provide students and teachers with the latest classroom technology and equipment,” Superintendent Michael Burke said.

“Every school in Palm Beach County benefits from the half penny, and all half penny funds stay right here in our community,” he said. “With strict oversight from local citizens and experts, taxpayers can trust the funding provided by the half penny is used to benefit our children, teachers, and schools as promised.”

District officials say the tax would be used to help purchase, maintain, and repair and refurbish facilities and equipment.

“With over 30 million square feet of facilities, the District needs to maintain and replace aging roofs, renovate restrooms, and upgrade lighting and HVAC systems throughout local schools,” the district said on its website. “Additionally, funds from this half-penny measure would enhance school security, purchase buses, and update technology for students and teachers.”

Schools would also receive School Enhancement Funds for projects decided by their School Advisory Council.

In 2016, voters approved a one-cent sales tax, with half the money going to the district and half going to the county and cities. But that tax will expire in 2025, and the County Commission and League of Cities decided not to ask voters to renew it.

The Palm Beach County School Board decided it still had continued needs for that revenue and agreed to place a half-cent tax on the ballot.

If passed, the measure would benefit both district-operated and charter schools.

Florida’s voters on Tuesday chose to keep a six-week ban on abortion in place, rejecting efforts to amend the state’s Constitution to allow access up until viability, which is about 24 weeks.

Abortion rights proved one of the more significant draws to the polls for Florida voters, but supporters fell short of the 60% margin needed to enshrine access in the state constitution.

The proposed, high-stakes amendment has been the target of millions of dollars in advertising as well as intense grassroots canvassing campaigns.

More than 1 million Florida residents signed petitions to put Amendment 4 on the ballot in Florida. However,  60% of Florida voters needed to approve the amendment for it to pass, a threshold much higher than a simple majority. Only 57% of voters approved the amendment.

“The majority of Floridians want abortion access, but the 60% was tough to get up to,” said Josh Kaufman, the statewide organizer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida’s Yes on 4 campaign. In the coming days, he said, Amendment 4 organizers will consider their next move.

2024 South Florida general election results

In Broward and Palm Beach counties, with most of the precincts reporting, the amendment got more than 65% of the vote.

Some of the main opposition to Amendment 4 came from Republican  Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration, who initially fought against putting the amendment on the ballot and then ramped up efforts to defeat it. The governor has held at least a half-dozen news  conferences in the last two weeks alongside pro-life physicians to label Amendment 4 as “too extreme” and its wording as  “too vague.”

Dr. Christina Pena, a Miami gynecological surgeon, participated in a governor’s news conference. On Tuesday night, Pena said she and her friends were gathering to learn whether Amendment 4 had been defeated, adding that she is proud of her colleagues who spoke out against the amendment to try to save lives.

“Amendment 4 would have been devastating for women, and for doctors,” Pena said. “Cementing abortion into the Florida constitution while at the same time eliminating key health and safety standards would be both reckless and dangerous.”

For months, including on election day, grassroots organizations have been working to educate Florida voters on the existing abortion ban and going door-to-door in neighborhoods to persuade voters to rebuff government involvement in their reproductive rights.  Those efforts represent a diversity of ethnicities, races and religious affiliations.

The amendment’s failure disappointed the coalition of reproductive rights groups, which have been working for more than a year to get it passed.

“Floridians will continue to live under the extreme, near-total abortion ban that puts women’s lives in danger, and doctors will continue to be pushed out of our state as they risk criminal prosecution for treating patients who seek their professional care,” said Anna Hochkammer, executive director of the Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition.  “Tonight’s results reflect that the wide majority of Floridians agree that politicians have no place in the deeply personal decisions between a patient and their doctor. We are unwavering, and our fight for justice and human dignity will not end until every Florida woman’s right to healthcare is restored.”

On Tuesday, young voters, many of them first-timers or first-timers in person, said Amendment 4 had drawn them to the polls.

“I don’t think the government should interfere in what is right for you and your family,” said Daniel Escobar, a 22-year-old from Plantation who exited the voting poll alongside his mother, Pilar, 63, who expressed the same sentiment. Pilar Escobar said as a Latina, limiting government interference in reproductive rights carried more weight for her than religion or culture.

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• Election 2024 | Jared Moskowitz wins reelection to U.S. House in Florida’s 23rd Congressional District

Grassroots efforts in Florida had targeted Hispanics. In the lead-up to the election, Mi Vecino, an organization focused on securing Hispanic support for Amendment 4, increased its efforts at direct voter contact in Osceola and Palm Beach counties, including door-knocking and phone calls. Initially their message had been aimed at limiting government interference in personal decisions. However, this week, as they focused on Democrats and Independent voters who hadn’t yet cast a ballot, Mi Vecino reshaped its messaging  to respond to the opposition’s campaign.

“We made it clear that either you live under the six-week ban for the indefinite future, or you save lives by extending care beyond six week,” said Mi Vecino co-founder Devon Murphy-Anderson. “This is the choice before us.”

Lupe Rodriguez, executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice said  65-70% of Latinas support abortion access. “We are expecting a Latina majority in Florida will turn out to vote yes on 4, and that’s based on the polling and on more anecdotal data from canvassing in Hialeah.”

Florida is one of 10 states where abortion access was on the ballot Tuesday. While abortion rights previously have won in other states — both Democratic and Republican — that have had ballot measures since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, Florida’s amendment faced a unique hurdle with the 60% requirement.

Abortions had been allowed in Florida up to 24 weeks of pregnancy until the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. In July 2022, shortly after Dobbs, Florida lawmakers restricted abortion to 15 weeks and then banned it after six weeks on May 1.

As the election neared, both sides ramped up television advertising. However, the state Department of Health sent cease-and-desist letters to multiple broadcast stations running an ad supporting Amendment 4, saying it posed a public health “nuisance” and warning of criminal charges if the stations didn’t stop airing the ad.

A federal judge blocked the state’s surgeon general from threatening the TV stations, stating it’s free speech and Florida produced its own campaign opposing the abortion rights ballot initiative, so demanding the removal of opposing ads amounted to censorship.

“Even though a majority of Floridians support them, all we have seen the state do over the past months is use taxpayer resources to undermine these amendments simply because the governor opposes them,” said Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU of Florida, responded to DeSantis’ remarks at the many news conferences he has been hosting around the state.

Outside of the voting polls Tuesday, Miramar voter Genie Jean, 44, said the television commercials had no bearing on her decision on Amendment 4. “I am pro-life and pro-American. We need more Americans. I think people should act responsibly and use precautions. And if they don’t, they need to give the baby up for adoption.”

Sun Sentintel reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.

Dear Eric: I’ve struggled with a mild autoimmune condition for the last three decades that would flare from time to time.

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Normal life is difficult during the flares, especially while raising a family and running a business with my husband. I did the best I could.

About five years ago, I got extremely sick, and it just got worse and worse. During this period I mourned the loss of my two brothers and my dad. Other traumatic things happened as well.

I’m trying to heal and, most of all, trying to make the most of every day I have even if I don’t.

I read your wonderful column regularly. What would you recommend to help me with the little bit of bitterness I feel over people complaining about the most minor, often ridiculous non-issues, people who are squandering their precious days with anger or resentment over things that are not big deals while there are people hoping for just another year.

– No Complaints

Dear No Complaints: I am always struck with awe when I read the wise words of Kate Bowler, a Duke Divinity School professor and scholar of Christianity, who often writes about navigating life after a stage IV colon cancer diagnosis.

In her book, “Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved,” she writes, “I keep having the same unkind thought: I am preparing for death and everyone else is on Instagram.”

How can everyone else be so caught up in their little problems when life is so fragile and so fleeting? Often, we willfully don’t see the preciousness of our days because that’s a reminder of their finitude.

While the shortsightedness of others grates on you, use it as a reminder that they haven’t done the work that you have. And that they are, to paraphrase Ian McLaren, fighting a battle we know nothing about. For a lot of people, that battle is against a lack of meaning in their own lives.

Bitterness steals crumbs of your gratitude and awe. So, use the bitter feeling as an alarm: Alert! This person isn’t in the same place I am. Use it as permission to tune them out (or even cut them out of your life altogether for a time) and refocus on yourself, your journey and the parts of your life that connect you to meaning, wonder, and gratitude.

Dear Eric: I had a good friend who died last year. We knew each other for more than 50 years. We socialized as much as we could, and I talked to him frequently.

He became sick and I visited him as much as I could. After he died, I offered my help to his wife with arrangements for the funeral, since they didn’t have anything done. I didn’t hear any response.

We learned about the funeral through the internet. We sent flowers and cards; we never received any response. We called and left messages, the same way. We sent cards for Masses, holidays and birthdays. No response.

We hear from other friends that the widow is fine. We don’t understand her behavior and we don’t know what else we can do. What is your advice?

– Perplexed Friend

Dear Perplexed: I’m sorry for the loss of your friend. I know that his wife’s silence is making the loss even harder. The silence also makes it hard to figure out what’s happening on her side.

A likely explanation is that her grief makes it hard to talk to you or compels her to withdraw or is simply making logistics a challenge.

That’s hard to take but it’s not about who you are. Grief is complicated and often vicious; it takes us out of ourselves.

Unfortunately, there’s nothing more you can do to foster a connection. For now, it’s important to recognize her silence as a boundary and respect that. You’ve shown your support in many ways, but if it’s not what she wants or needs, the most supportive thing to do is to step back with love.

Dear Eric: I would like to add something to your answer to “No Poker Face,” a 60-something white guy who asked how he should have responded to racist comments from an old friend.

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I strongly recommend the Southern Poverty Law Center’s collection of downloadable PDFs, “Speak Up: Responding to Everyday Bigotry.” Formerly a book, “Speak Up” is a treasure trove of examples of how to respond to these all-too-familiar situations, from Thanksgiving dinner to the workplace and everywhere in between.

– Tough Conversation

Dear Conversation: Thanks for flagging this. What a great resource.

Dear Readers: On Nov. 10, 2024, I’m thrilled to join psychology scholar Dacher Keltner and creative entrepreneur Mali Bacon in a public conversation about gratitude at the Spirit & Place Festival in Indianapolis. You can find more information at spiritandplace.org. I hope you’ll join us!

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram @oureric and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

Seattle home-inspection services startup Inspectify raises $5.3M  MSN

We’ve reached Election Day, the final day of voting in the 2024 presidential election after millions of Floridians already have cast their votes.

Neighborhood polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Those heading to the polls are less likely to face rain earlier in the day: The rain chances are expected to increase after 1 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Miami.

Many choices on the ballot

The ballot is longer than many people realize, with multiple elections and referendums.

Voters will cast ballots on the presidential and U.S. Senate contests, and the abortion and marijuana referendums. And almost all voters also will make choices for members of Congress and state Legislature.

Many South Florida voters also will see sheriff, county commission, mayor, city commission or School Board contests.

Also on the ballot are several proposed amendments to the state Constitution, plus local referendums in various parts of South Florida.

Voting essentials

People must vote in their assigned polling place on Election Day. While polling places will remain open until 7 p.m., anyone who is in line at 7 p.m. is allowed to vote.

To vote, someone must have a current, valid photo ID with a signature. The most common are Florida driver’s licenses or state ID cards.

Many other forms of ID, including passports and credit or debit cards are accepted.

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If the photo ID doesn’t have a voter’s signature, the person will have to show another ID with a signature.

A voter identification card — which many people call a voter registration card — isn’t needed, and isn’t accepted as a form of identification at a polling place.

What’s helpful

People can bring a marked sample ballot, palm card or other information into the polling place to help you remember your choices.

The Broward and Palm Beach county elections office websites allow people to see customized sample ballots for their location, and people can print, mark and bring them to vote.

It’s now illegal for people to bring unused mail ballots into the voting booth to use as a voting guide.

People can wear election buttons, T-shirts and other indications they support a candidate when they go to vote. Campaign attire doesn’t count as illegal electioneering at the polls.

What people can’t do is attempt to sway voters in the no-campaign zone or hang around in that area after they’ve voted, acting as a human campaign advertisement.

That means a Kamala Harris T-Shirt or a Donald Trump MAGA cap is allowed when someone is voting in a polling place, but distributing handbills for a candidate isn’t.

And people may take pictures of their ballots. People aren’t allowed to take selfies in a polling place because they might end up having someone else in the image.

Mail ballots

It’s too late for someone with a mail ballot to return it via the Postal Service and have it arrive back at the county election headquarters by the deadline, Tuesday at 7 p.m.

The county elections offices accept ballots on Tuesday. Mail ballots can’t be returned to neighborhood polling stations on Tuesday, but people who choose not to use them are allowed to vote in person on Election Day.

Florida has a strict deadline for mail ballots. Any that aren’t in the possession of a county supervisor of elections by 7 p.m. on election night aren’t counted.

There’s one exception to the Election Day deadline. Overseas residents or active duty service members and their family members have extra time, as long as the ballots are postmarked by Tuesday.

Information

People can check to see if they’re registered to vote and find mail-ballot dropoff locations and neighborhood polling place locations online and by phone.

Broward County: browardvotes.gov, 954-357-8683.

Palm Beach County: votepalmbeach.gov, 561-656-6200.

Q: Everything but the W. Wow. – Douglas.

A: In many ways, Monday night’s Heat loss to the Kings reminded me of the Dolphins’ Sunday loss in Buffalo. The Heat played well enough to win, did plenty of things right, overcame the adversity of both being without Jaime Jaquez Jr. and missing way too many free throws. And while the Heat exited lamenting another ghastly third quarter, they still were up five with 74 seconds to play. And then the Kings got their version of Tyler Bass’ 61-yard field goal, with Domantas Sabonis’ putback game-winner. The problem for the Heat, as it has been with the Dolphins, is that the margin for error has been an incredibly fine line. And against good teams, they haven’t been good enough. Just like the Dolphins could have had a quality win on Sunday, the Heat could have done the same on Monday. Instead, another example of what mediocrity can look and feel like. In each case, a kick in the gut. The difference, of course, being that the Heat have 76 games remaining.

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Q: Understandable that the team wants more sample size with this starting group, but I really believe starting Alec Burks over Terry Rozier would accomplish two things: Getting a Duncan Robinson-like spacer in the starting group, and allowing Rozier to do what he wants off the bench. He just forces his own offense too much. Burks wouldn’t need all of those shots. – Alec, Philadelphia.

A: I agree in concept, but am not sure that if you want a Duncan Robinson-like spacer, why not Duncan Robinson? But I do agree that another spacer would help, particularly one that does not require a usage rate on the level of Terry Rozier. That said, by putting the ball more often in Tyler Herro’s hands as a point guard, it could impact what has been a solid start to the season by Tyler. And that said, if you were to start a shooter such as Alec Burks or Duncan, I would think it potentially wise to also sub out Nikola Jovic at power forward in favor of the defensive element of Haywood Highsmith. So if you are looking for a spacer/shooter option, then it would lead to, in this view, a first five of Bam Adebayo, Haywood Highsmith, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson or Alec Burks. And yet, that seemingly now also still means trying to find time for Pelle Larsson.

Q: After watching the start of this season, I can’t make a case for Jimmy to get a max extension. So, if he’s unwilling to compromise and accept a lesser deal, they either: See what they can get in a trade by February or have a plan to replace him in the offseason with his available cap space. – Brian, Fort Lauderdale.

A: First, there would be no cap space, because of the remaining salaries on the cap. But beyond that (so maybe this actually is first), you need a sample size far greater than two weeks for such a franchise-altering judgment. I think the upcoming trip, when Jimmy Butler will be faced by size at small forward could be a better tell, as might be the impending back-to-back set against the Pacers and 76ers in two weeks, to see where he stands physically at 35. Both of those games will be significant. As it is, while the complete consistency might not be there, there was a strong closing statement Monday night.

Here are the top stories for Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Get the weather forecast for today here.

SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get our free Morning Update email. Sign up here.

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Today is Tuesday, Nov. 5, the 310th day of 2024. There are 56 days left in the year. Today is Election Day in the United States.

Today in history:

On Nov. 5, In 1994, George Foreman became the oldest heavyweight boxing champion at age 45, knocking out Michael Moorer in the 10th round of their title bout.

Also on this date:

In 1605, the “Gunpowder Plot” failed as Guy Fawkes was seized before he could blow up the English Parliament.

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In 1872, suffragist Susan B. Anthony defied the law by casting a vote in the presidential election; she was later arrested and charged with “knowingly voting without having a lawful right to vote.” Found guilty at trial, she was fined $100, which she refused to pay.

In 1912, Democrat Woodrow Wilson was elected president, defeating Progressive Party candidate Theodore Roosevelt, incumbent Republican William Howard Taft and Socialist Eugene V. Debs.

In 1930, novelist Sinclair Lewis became the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt won an unprecedented third term in office as he defeated Republican challenger Wendell L. Willkie.

In 1968, Republican Richard M. Nixon won the presidency, defeating Democratic Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and American Independent Party candidate George C. Wallace.

In 1996, President Bill Clinton won a second term in the White House, defeating Republican candidate Bob Dole.

In 2006, Saddam Hussein was convicted and sentenced by the Iraqi High Tribunal to hang for crimes against humanity.

In 2009, a shooting rampage at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas left 13 people dead; Maj. Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, was later convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He has not yet been executed.

In 2017, a gunman armed with an assault rifle opened fire in a small South Texas church, killing more than two dozen people; the shooter, Devin Patrick Kelley, was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

In 2021, a crush of fans during a performance by rapper Travis Scott at a Houston music festival left 10 dead, as people were squeezed so tightly they couldn’t breathe.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Singer Art Garfunkel is 83.
• Singer Peter Noone is 77.
• TV personality Kris Jenner is 69.
• Singer Bryan Adams is 65.
• Actor Tilda Swinton is 64.
• Actor Tatum O’Neal is 61.
• Actor Judy Reyes is 57.
• Actor Seth Gilliam is 56.
• Actor Sam Rockwell is 56.
• Musician Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead) is 53.
• Golfer Bubba Watson is 46.
• Olympic gold medal marathoner Eliud Kipchoge is 40.
• Retired NFL center Jason Kelce is 37.
• Musician Kevin Jonas (The Jonas Brothers) is 37.
• NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is 32.