Wednesday Scoop: Split Congress

The big story…

Democrats Take Congress, While Republicans Keep the Senate

Although votes are still being counted, it looks like Congress will be divided for the foreseeable future. (image: Wikimedia Commons)

A lot went down during election night, but here’s the basics:

• The Democrats now hold the majority of the House for the first time in eight years, gaining at least 26 seats overnight. The Senate is still controlled by the Republicans, who gained two seats in last night’s elections.
• Ted Cruz beat Beto O’Rourke in a close race for Senator of Texas. (O’Rourke is now famous for dropping the f-bomb on live TV during his concession speech).
• The contentious race for governor of Georgia has not been called yet. Although Brian Kemp (R) is in the lead, Stacey Abrams (D) will not concede until every vote is counted.
• In ballot measures, Florida gave voting rights to ex-felons, Massachusetts supported transgender rights, Michigan legalized recreational marijuana, Arkansas and Missouri raised the minimum wage, and Alabama, West Virginia, and Oregon passed anti-abortion measures.
• At least 12 states had broken voting machine problems, with several voting rights activists successfully suing states to keep the polls open later.
• A record number of 98 women are project to win seats in the House.
• The U.S. elected its first two Muslim congresswomen, first two Native American women representatives, the youngest woman ever to serve in Congress, and the first openly gay governor. There were also a lot of other candidates who made history last night.
• A Note: Some races aren’t officially called yet, so check in with CMN throughout the day for important election updates.

In global news…

Kidnapped Cameroon Children Freed

The 78 children who were kidnapped from a boarding school in Cameroon have been freed, while the school principal and one teacher remain in captivity. Authorities are still unsure about who is behind the abductions but have not ruled out the involvement of secessionist fighters.

Also in global news… 

New Caledonia Has Rejected Independence from France

The citizens of the French Pacific island territory of New Caledonia rejected independence from France in an islandwide referendum. Read more about it on CMN.

In the environment…

Ozone Hole Close to Being Completely Healed

Climate change experts in a new UN report predict that the hole in the Earth’s ozone layer will be completely healed in 50 years’ time. CNN reports, “A fragile shield of gas around the planet, the ozone layer protects animal and plant life from the powerful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. When the ozone layer is weakened, more UV rays can get through, making humans more prone to skin cancer, cataracts and other diseases.” Scientists discovered in the 1980s that chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, were causing significant damage to the ozone layer. CFCs, which used to be found in refrigerators and aerosol cans, were banned globally in 1987, allowing the ozone layer to heal.

In television…

Satanists are Threatening Legal Action Against Netflix

After the release of Netflix’s “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” The Satanic Temple is threatening to sue the streaming service for the show’s use of a copyrighted demonic statue. Read more about it in Duane Paul Murphy’s report for CMN.

Trending today…

Pizza to the Polls Delivered Over 10,000 Pizzas to Voters

Alright folks, that's a wrap! Thank you so much to everyone who reported lines, donated, and most important, voted.

We close out the 2018 election with 10,005 pizzas sent to 576 polling places in 43 states.

There's no telling how many voters stayed in line because of ~you~ pic.twitter.com/jlB4QxEXaI

— Pizza to the Polls (@PizzaToThePolls) November 7, 2018

Last But Not Least…

CMN Track Reviews

Looking for new music to listen to? The CMN writers have been putting together some great track reviews — head on over to our site to check them out.

Wednesday’s Morning Scoop was made possible by Natalia Kolenko, Duane Paul Murphy, and the CMN Staff. Harvard researchers think they have identified a very oddly shaped comet — or an alien spacecraft.