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ATLANTA — Georgia has set new records for early voting again as the two Senate candidates blitz the state ahead of Tuesday’s runoff election. White voters made up 55% of early voters, 32% were Black, and Latinos and Asian Americans each accounted for less than 2% of the total. Among Georgians under 30 years old, 15.5% of early runoff voters didn’t turn out for the general election. A resident fills out paperwork before early voting at a polling station in Atlanta on Tuesday. Another 32% of early voters are age 50 to 64, and 30% are younger than 50.

Rep. Pete Aguilar, a California Democrat, is taking on the highest-level job ever held by a Latino in the House, the party's No. 3 position in House leadership, from No. His colleagues shouted, "We want Petey Pie," a nickname from his grandmother, during elections, according to a source who was in the room during the closed-doors leadership elections. “I think it’s important to have a Latino to be in the top three in House leadership. Some have seen him as potentially becoming the first Latino House speaker.

Latino voters are expected to be consequential in determining who Georgia will send to the Senate. Latino voters provided a roughly 80,000-vote net advantage for Warnock on Election Day, according to Barreto. On the GOP side, the National Republican Senatorial Committee is trying to give Walker an edge with Latino voters through its Operación ¡Vamos! Canvassers from GALEO, a Latino nonprofit, knock on doors in Georgia ahead of the Senate runoff election on Tuesday. Ahead of the Senate runoff election, Voto Latino identified 175,000 Latinos in Georgia who are young, low-propensity voters who participated in the last election.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Monday nominated dozens of Latino musicians to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in an effort to increase Latino representation. "Latinos are nearly 20% of the US and widely bilingual — but of the 600 titles in the Recording Registry, less than 4% are from Latino artists," Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, wrote on Twitter. “I want for the contributions of our musicians to be recognized and celebrated in the way that they deserve, because they have made a mark in America,” Castro told Axios in an interview. The National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress chooses 25 recordings each year to showcase the range and diversity of American recorded sound and to increase preservation awareness for future generations. Since the deadline for public nominations for the 2023 registry has passed, the National Recording Preservation Board will work with Castro to consider nominations, Steve Leggett, the board's program director, told Axios.

☆ Trolls, propaganda & fear stoke Bukele's media machine in El Salvador
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +23 min

In examining Bukele’s media operation, Reuters interviewed more than 70 people, including former media operatives and social media researchers. It showed Bukele with an 86% approval rating in El Salvador, making him the most popular leader in the region. “The threat in El Salvador used to be from the gangs, now it's from the state,” said Angelica Carcamo, the organization's president. “I found a lot more manipulation in El Salvador than in Mexico,” Escorcia said. A native of Guatemala, Torres has been critical of the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras for creating conditions that spur migration.

☆ Factbox: Walmart shootings: Episodes of gun violence at retail chain
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 23 (Reuters) - Tuesday's massacre at a Virginia Walmart was the latest in a series of gun violence episodes at the retail giant's stores in recent years. Here is a partial list:Nov. 22, 2022: A Walmart employee killed six people and wounded several others before fatally shooting himself at a store in Chesapeake, Virginia, authorities said. U.S. President Joe Biden called it another horrific and senseless act of violence, adding: "We must take greater action." Aug. 3, 2019: A far-right gunman killed 23 people in a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, in what federal authorities said was a hate crime. July 30, 2019: Days before the El Paso massacre, a suspended Walmart employee killed two co-workers and wounded a police officer at a store in Southaven, Mississippi.

Military veteran Richard Fierro's selfless response when a gunman opened fire in a Colorado gay club is being lauded by the nation's oldest Latino civil rights organization. He said he did what he was trained to do as a 15-year Army veteran who did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fierro and Jessica, who live in Colorado Springs, own a brewery called Atrevida, which in Spanish means brazen. 'Leaped into the breach'The nation's string of mass shootings in recent years have claimed the lives of many Latino victims. He said LULAC invited Fierro and his family to Washington, D.C., to receive the award or it would give it to him in a ceremony in Colorado Springs.

BOLD PAC spent a record $6 million supporting the candidates in their races. There are currently 38 Latinos in Congress, 28 of them Democrats and 10 Republicans, according to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund. After the elections, that number has increased to at least 45 in the next Congress that starts in January, with 34 Democrats and 11 Republicans, which would make it a record number of Latinos in Congress, according to NALEO. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus was founded as a bipartisan caucus, but as Republicans numbers grew, GOP members broke off and formed the Congressional Hispanic Conference. Talk to Latino voters early and recruit Latinos and Latinas to run and not just in majority Latino districts.

Abortion, gun control and crime were some of the top issues that drove young Latino voters to the polls this year. Out of all young voters, Latinos were the most likely to name crime as the top issue that decided their vote. CIRCLE estimated that 27% of people ages 18 to 29 voted in the midterm election, making it the second-highest youth voter turnout, behind the 2018 midterm election, in almost three decades. The 2022 Midterm Election Voter Poll found inflation was the top issue motivating Latino voters in 11 battleground states. Rayes said young Latino candidates "are engaging the Latino community to come out and vote," pointing out Florida and California as examples.

☆ Elections 2022 shows the Latino vote moving to the right. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Keith Humphreys | Keith Humphreys Is The Esther Ting Memorial Professor Of Psychiatry At Stanford University School Of Medicine. He Served As A Drug Policy Advisor In The Bush | Obama White Houses | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

In the five years prior to the pandemic, Hispanic median household income grew more than twice as much as whites. It follows that, just as people rarely consider quitting jobs or divorcing spouses that they like, they find political change unappealing when they are satisfied with their life situation. There are certainly many Hispanic Americans who are poor and oppressed, but there’s considerable evidence that many are doing better than ever. In this year’s entering class at the University of California, the largest racial and ethnic group is Hispanics. But it’s easy for political junkies to assume that most people follow political nuances closely, when in fact they don’t.

Those were among the driving questions leading up to the midterm elections about Latino voters. Latino voters have long had themes attached to them for elections. Greg Abbott, who declared he would get more than half of Texas' Hispanic vote, finished with 40 percent, 2 percent less than in his last election. That helped create a "bridge opportunity" with Latino voters, said Sanchez, also a University of New Mexico political science professor. George W. Bush was elected with 35% of the Latino vote and did even better in getting re-elected with 40% of the Latino vote.

MIAMI — Florida Democrats are reeling and coming to terms with devastating Election Day losses, particularly among Latino voters who turned out solidly for Republicans in statewide contests. Most Republicans running in the state won by large margins, turning Florida into a solid red state. “Republicans became the real spokespeople for this community,” said Gamarra, referring to the governor, senators, and South Florida members of Congress. DeSantis always hammers down the message that Florida is a “free state.” Over 80,000 people have died of Covid in Florida. Meanwhile, the number of Democratic Latino registered voters decreased from 947,853 in 2020 to 901,481 in 2022.

Early voting turnout data suggests Latino voters were crucial in flipping the Republican district and electing Democratic Latino officials in the nation’s most heavily Hispanic state. Barreto has been tracking Latino voters' influence in contested races nationwide. While ballots are still being counted in New Mexico, Barreto estimates that 67% of all Latino registered voters in the 2nd Congressional District (about 134,100 Latino voters) participated in the 2022 midterm election. Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury comfortably prevailed against Michelle Garcia Holmes, a Republican Latina, to represent the state's 1st Congressional District. Follow NBC Latino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

☆ How Catherine Cortez Masto clinched the Nevada seat — and the Senate
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Natasha Korecki | Natasha Korecki Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The campaign's internal data moving into the fall showed that a significant number of Nevadans still didn't know Laxalt's stance on abortion, said an adviser to Cortez Masto. Cortez Masto clinched Nevada, and that clinched control of the Senate for Democrats, overcoming historical trends that punish the party in the White House. Gas and inflation should have spelled disaster for Cortez Masto, as it did for Nevada Gov. Of those who did vote, 62% backed Cortez Masto. Laxalt did dominate the state's 15 rural counties, but there just weren't enough votes to overcome Cortez Masto in Clark and Washoe counties.

☆ Democrats maintain control of Senate, NBC News projects, defeating many Trump-backed Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Seitz-Wald-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Alex Seitz-Wald | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona won his re-election contest in Arizona, NBC News projected Friday evening, directing all eyes to Nevada. Because so many people worried — I did — about this democracy," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at a news conference late Saturday. A Walker win would keep the Senate 50-50, where Vice President Kamala Harris casts the tie-breaking vote for Democrats. Build something new," Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley tweeted after it became clear his party had lost hope of retaking the Senate. Ballot measures to support abortion rights won in Michigan, California and Vermont, while an anti-abortion measure on the ballot in Kansas was defeated, NBC News projects.

☆ Cortez Masto defeats Laxalt in Nevada, handing Democrats control of the Senate
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Natasha Korecki | Natasha Korecki Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Despite predictions from her opponent that she'd struggle with Latinos, 62 percent said they voted for Cortez Masto and 33 percent backed Laxalt, according to the NBC News Exit Poll. Laxalt tied Cortez Masto to President Joe Biden’s economic policies, blaming them both for rising inflation and gas prices. Laxalt also sought to tie Cortez Masto to rising crime and what Republicans have said are Biden’s failed border policies — themes that pervaded many Republican campaigns. Cortez Masto, however, sought to woo Republican voters in places like Washoe County, touting her work with people like Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. Laxalt handily won the state’s 15 rural counties, in some counties winning 80 percent of the vote, while Cortez Masto steadily led the reliably blue Clark County, home of Las Vegas.

☆ The Republican 'red wave' didn't happen, and that's a good thing for corporate-diversity efforts. Yet here's why some advocates are still wary.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

America didn't experience a Republican "red wave," and that's good for corporate-diversity efforts. That's according to some diversity consultants and execs who champion abortion and LGBTQ rights. Yet the political landscape and rising hate in America will make diversity efforts difficult. This is a welcome development for workers and business leaders who prioritize diversity and inclusion efforts, according to consultants and executives. This could result in a form of more discreet challenges to efforts around DEI, Marshall said.

Young Latino voters were a crucial voting bloc in slowing down the so-called Republican red wave in the 2022 midterm elections, according to early exit polls. Thirty percent of young Latino voters favored the Republican House candidate. Additionally, 41% of young Latino voters identify as liberal, while 34% identify as moderate and 25% as conservative. Young Latino voters under 30, alongside young Black voters, showed stronger support for Democrats on Election Day compared to young white voters, according to the analysis by CIRCLE. "The ranking for those two states is really heavily influenced by the big presence of young Latino voters," Medina said.

Forum, founded in 1948 to ensure that Mexican American World War II veterans could access their government benefits. “Latinos have a long and honorable tradition of military service,” he said, “only somehow it is not as well-known as that of other groups. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are nearly 1.3 million Latino veterans, or about 8 percent of the veteran population. Issues for Latino veterans, Vazquez-Contes noted, range from accessing medical care through the Veterans Administration system to homelessness to suicide. “The promotion rates for the top enlisted ranks, and the top officer ranks, are just basically void of Hispanic names.”Ricardo Aponte of the Hispanic Veterans Leadership Alliance.

Black Panther fans nationwide will head to movie theaters this weekend for the much-awaited sequel and tribute to the iconic African superhero that had been embodied by the late Chadwick Boseman. But for many Latinos who want to see their own superhero epics on the silver screen, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is a milestone that features Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta, who is now poised to break into mainstream pop culture. The first Black Panther movie was a groundbreaking blockbuster in 2018 that not only focused primarily on Black characters, but also proved that mainstream audiences wanted to see more diversity in film. “Black Panther” grossed almost $1.35 billion worldwide, with 52% of that box office (just over $700 million) earned in the U.S. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” pits both kingdoms — Wakanda and Talokan — against each other as the outside world plots to tap into their exclusive reserves of vibranium.

☆ Award-winning actor John Leguizamo says the lack of Latino representation in Hollywood is 'cultural apartheid'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Eboni Boykin-Patterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

John Leguizamo is an Emmy and Tony award-winning actor, and he's calling out Hollywood. In an open letter to Hollywood, he says it's way past time that Latinos have more lead roles. In an "Open Letter to Hollywood" published in the LA Times, Leguizamo said the time for more Latino representation in film, TV, and plays is way past overdue. Leguizamo argued that the absence of Latinos onscreen isn't even reflective of the city in which Hollywood resides. Latino representation also means including Latinos of all hues, since "more often than not," the Latinos who are cast in major roles are "white-passing."

The congressional races were seen as tests of what has become conventional wisdom and a GOP mantra: that Latino voters are shifting to the Republican Party after President Donald Trump made inroads in the region in 2020. Vallejo won 55.3% of the vote to De La Cruz’s 42.7%, according to unofficial results from the Texas secretary of state. Gilbert Hinojosa, the Texas Democratic Party chairman, said Wednesday that Republicans' "red wave didn’t materialize." In the 34th District, Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez ended Republican Rep. Mayra Flores' short stint in Congress. Suzanne Gamboa / NBC NewsAs voter Benjamin Garza saw it, the Rio Grande Valley is a Democratic oasis in Republican Texas.

Several Republican and Democratic Latinos made history in the midterm elections, even as votes were still being tallied Wednesday in many parts of the country. According to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, Latinos ran for top offices in 44 of the nation's 50 states. Antonio Delgado became the first person who identifies as Latino to be elected to the office, according to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. Matos, a former Providence City Council president, was appointed lieutenant governor in April 2021 when Dan McKee became the state's governor. Follow NBC Latino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Latino Republican voters appear more progressive than white Republican voters on key issues like abortion and climate change, according to NBC News exit polls. Around 57% of Latino Republican voters held this view, compared to 45% of white Republican voters. Nearly twice as many Latino Republican voters, 29%, approve of Biden’s student debt cancellation plans compared to white Republican voters, at 15%. Around 29% of Latino Republican voters and 46% of white Republican voters view inflation as the issue that mattered most in deciding how they voted. Similar numbers of Latino Republican voters, 93%, and white Republican voters, 96%, also reported that they disapprove of Biden.

☆ Analysis: Three takeaways from the U.S. midterm elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Marco BelloWASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Tuesday's U.S. midterm elections will determine whether Republicans seize control of Congress from Democrats. Early exit polls from Edison Research, however, showed reason for concern as Democrats appeared to be losing support from crucial voting blocs. The exit polls showed 54% of voters with college degrees picking Democrats while 45% voted for Republicans. Exit polls showed Republicans were winning 40% of the Hispanic vote, compared to 32% won by Trump in 2020. Now all eyes will be on his next move — and whether he has the guts to take on Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

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