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While Maricopa County election officials initially categorized the problem as a “hiccup,” it took hours before a solution was identified early Tuesday afternoon. According to the poll, 46% of voters said their family’s financial situation is worse than it was two years ago. Civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP, filed a similar complaint Friday against state election officials. The app and portal had been down for part of the morning and the state's election hotline also briefly experienced issues. In Columbus County, election officials allegedly were harassed by an “observer following one-stop workers” and photographing or filming the workers, it said.

☆ Live Results: Voters in 5 states had abortion access on the ballot. Here's where it's winning.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Of the five states, voters in California, Michigan, Kentucky, and Vermont signaled overwhelming support for abortion rights. CaliforniaCalifornia will enshrine abortion rights into its state constitution after voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved Proposition 1. Currently, there are three lawsuits challenging the abortion law in Kentucky, each of which asserts that the state's constitution provides a right to abortions. VermontMore than three-fourths of voters in Vermont said "yes" to Vermont's Proposal 5, which will amend the state's constitution to add language that protects reproductive freedom, including abortion. Currently, the state of Vermont has no restriction on abortion access and allows for abortions throughout pregnancy.

☆ Kentucky rejects anti-abortion constitutional amendment in surprise victory for reproductive rights
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

\In a surprise victory for reproductive rights, voters in conservative Kentucky have rejected a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would have protected the state's abortion ban from legal challenge, NBC News projects. The defeat of the amendment in Kentucky is another indication that there are limits to anti-abortion politics even in conservative states. Kentucky's abortion ban makes performing the medical procedure a crime punishable by up to 5 years in prison. The defeat of the anti-abortion ballot measure in Kentucky is the second surprise victory for abortion rights in a conservative state since the Supreme Court overturned Roe over the summer. In August, voters in Kansas resoundingly rejected a measure that sought to strip abortion rights from the state constitution.

The first election to put abortion rights to the test after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade appears unlikely to reshape the map of abortion access — at least not overnight. States that protect abortion access Mixed results New protections Existing protections Results pending States that restrict abortion access Results pending New restrictions likely Mixed results Existing restrictionsResults pending in races affecting abortion Arizona Montana Nebraska PennsylvaniaMany of the most competitive state-level races with consequences for abortion were too close to call on Wednesday. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel, both Democrats who pledged to protect abortion rights, won re-election. But two candidates for the State Supreme Court who were backed by anti-abortion groups did not win their races. Mr. Cooper, a Democrat, opposes abortion restrictions, and Republicans failed to secure a supermajority in the Legislature that would have allowed them to override his veto.

☆ Analysis: Abortion, Trump dashed Republican hopes for 'red wave'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

They wanted to protect abortion rights and stop candidates beholden to Republican former president Donald Trump. That surprised Democratic Party strategists and pollsters, who had expected inflation would trump everything, including concerns about the loss of abortion rights. Michigan voters approved a ballot issue that gave abortion state constitutional protection and re-elected Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who had vowed to “fight like hell” to protect abortion rights. Sydney Wright, an 18-year-old student at the University of Nevada, Reno, said she counts herself as a conservative but voted Democratic because of abortion. THE TRUMP FACTORLike Wright, Nyasha Riley, 37, a registered Republican in Phoenix, voted for Democrats because of abortion rights and Trump.

☆ Analysis: Abortion, Trump dash Republican hopes for 'red wave'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/8] Voters fill out ballots at a polling station during the 2022 U.S. midterm election in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S., November 8, 2022. With voting underway, U.S. officials said they did not see a "specific or credible threat" to disrupt election infrastructure. I blame the current administration for that," said Bethany Hadelman, who said she voted for Republican candidates in Alpharetta, Georgia. A Republican Senate would hold sway over Biden's judicial nominations, including any Supreme Court vacancy, intensifying the spotlight on the increasingly conservative court. Reuters GraphicsINFLATION AND ABORTIONThe Supreme Court's June decision to overturn the nationwide right to abortion had galvanized Democratic voters around the country, temporarily raising the party's hopes they could defy history.

☆ Republican Sen. Rand Paul faces off against Democrat Charles Booker in Kentucky's US Senate election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Explore more race results below. Sen. Rand Paul is running against Democrat Charles Booker to represent Kentucky in the US Senate. Booker is the first Black person to be a major party nominee for US Senate in Kentucky. Kentucky's Senate race candidatesElected to the US Senate in 2010, Paul is vying for his 3rd term to represent Kentucky. Prior to his election to the Senate, Paul worked as an ophthalmologist in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

☆ Abortion rights are on the ballot in these states. Here's what you need to know for the midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Michigan is poised to become a safe haven of constitutionally protected abortion rights in the Midwest, where access is shrinking. Democrats have made abortion rights central to their campaign to maintain control of Congress and expand their majorities in the midterms. This means reinstating abortion rights at the federal level is unlikely in the near term. Kansas, which is also a very conservative state, resoundingly rejected a ballot measure in August that would have stripped abortion rights from its state constitution. MichiganIn Michigan, voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution to protect not just abortion but reproductive rights broadly.

☆ Powerball jackpot rolls up to record $1.9 billion for Monday drawing
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Powerball jackpot now stands at a record $1.9 billion when it rolled Saturday night, after no ticket matched all six drawn numbers — white balls 28, 45, 53, 56, 69 and red Powerball 20. The record jackpot has narrowly edged out the previous high, a $1.586 billion prize won by three ticketholders in 2016. Despite there being no jackpot-winning ticket, more than 10.9 million tickets won cash prizes totaling $102.2 million in the Saturday, Nov. 5 drawing. Monday’s drawing will be the 41st Powerball drawing since the jackpot was last won on Aug. 3 in Pennsylvania. The only other Powerball jackpot run to reach 41 consecutive drawings ended on Oct. 4, 2021, with a $699.8 million winner in California.

In reversing the half-century precedent, the court left the power to limit or grant abortion rights to the states. In August, a judge temporarily blocked enforcement of the anti-abortion law, which had been inactive in the decades that Roe v. Wade stood. Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic incumbent, has been a champion for abortion rights, but she is fending off a challenge from Republican candidate Tudor Dixon, who called the abortion ballot proposition “radical” in a debate with her. Voters will determine whether to alter the state constitution to explicitly say it does not protect a right to abortion or abortion funding. Abortion rights advocates are challenging those laws.

We selected Capital One 360, Synovus Bank, Regions Bank, Delta Community Credit Union, and Credit Union of Atlanta as the best banks and credit unions in Georgia. These financial institutions have savings account rates that are lower than the average savings account. Delta Community Credit Union members will need to open the Delta Community Credit Union Personal Savings Account. Robins Financial Credit Union (Federally insured by the NCUA): Robins Financial Credit Union has a free checking account, but our top credit union has lower minimum opening deposits. We reviewed the 10 biggest banks and credit unions in the state, plus any financial institutions featured in our Black-owned banks and credit unions guide and Hispanic American-owned banks and credit unions guide.

☆ U.S. labor market unwavering despite stiff interest rates hikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

But annual revisions to the data showed productivity much stronger in 2020 and 2021 than previously reported. Unit labor costs - the price of labor per single unit of output - increased at a 3.5% rate after accelerating at a pace of 8.9% in the second quarter. Unit labor costs advanced at a 6.1% rate from a year ago. Growth in unit labor costs was much slower than previously estimated in 2020 and 2021. Labor costs"Both productivity growth and labor cost growth may be understated," said Conrad DeQuadros, senior economic advisor at Brean Capital in New York.

☆ Amendment 2: Kentucky voters could establish that citizens don't have the right to abortion
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kentucky's Amendment 3 will change the constitution to clarify that the right to abortion does not exist. Opponents argue that it will make it more difficult to pass future abortion rights legislation. Currently, there are three lawsuits challenging abortion law in Kentucky, all of which assert that the state's constitution provides a right to abortions. Those in support argue that the amendment is necessary to remove future legal challenges to the state's abortion law. Those opposed say the amendment will make it harder to pass abortion rights legislation in the state or argue that a person's right to abortion is protected.

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Among the violations “confirmed” by state investigators from the Kentucky Cabinet were improper use of restraints and aggression by staff members. As of Oct. 20, 32 children who are in state custody remained in Brooklawn’s care, according to the facility. Police and state officials say they are still investigating Ja’Ceon’s death, and no charges have been filed. Brooklawn said the facility has implemented new safety measures and increased training for staffers who provide direct care to children. This type of incident should never be allowed to happen again.”Some child advocates say Ja’Ceon’s death should prompt systemic change.

With the release of director Chinonye Chukwu’s “Till,” the conversation of the nation’s racist history and violence toward Black people is being revisited. Deadwyler told NBC News that the telling of Till’s story today is just as important as it was decades ago. “In the United States, we tend to think of our history in romantic terms,” Glaude told NBC News. The Senate passed a bill in January posthumously awarding Till and his mother the Congressional Gold Medal. But, Glaude said, even with these initiatives, without a racially just America, Till “died in vain.”“We can never forget,” he added.

☆ Factbox: Threats and attacks on members of Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Oct 28 (Reuters) - The assault on U.S. businessman Paul Pelosi, the husband of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in their San Francisco home early on Friday morning comes amid a rising number of reported threats against members of Congress. According to data provided by the United States Capitol Police, a law enforcement agency charged with protecting members of Congress, cases related to "concerning statements and threats" jumped from 3,939 in 2017 to 9,625 in 2021. Aug. 29, 2022 - A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty to threatening to shoot and kill an unnamed member of Congress, federal prosecutors said. Four of the people who stormed the Capitol died on the day of the attack. June 14, 2017 - U.S. Republican Representative Steve Scalise, then-Majority Whip, was shot in the hip and taken to the hospital after a gunman opened fire on Republican members of Congress at a baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, for their annual congressional charity game with Democratic members.

☆ Battery-recycling startup Ascend Elements just pulled in $800 million in funding. Here's why investors are betting on it to beat out rivals like Redwood Materials.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ascend Elements wants to lead in the crucial EV-battery-recycling space. The burgeoning battery-recycling startup Ascend Elements is sitting on a fresh $800 million — and its CEO plans to spend it on beating out rivals like Redwood Materials. Redwood Materials, arguably the most-known player in the industry, saw a whopping $700 million Series C last year. Correction: October 26, 2022 — An earlier version of this story misstated the breakdown of Ascend Element's funding. The $50 million strategic investment from SK is part of the $200 million in equity funding, not in addition to it.

☆ Ford unveils 2023 Escape to sell alongside Bronco Sport in highly competitive compact SUV segment
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

DETROIT — Ford Motor is updating its popular Escape as part of a two-pronged sales strategy alongside the newer, more rugged Bronco Sport in the highly competitive compact SUV segment. The starting price for the 2023 Escape ranges from roughly $29,000 for an entry-level model to $40,000 for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The 2023 Escape is expected to begin arriving in dealer showrooms early next year. U.S. sales of the Escape outsold the Bronco Sport by roughly 30,000 units through the third quarter of this year. The Escape retains its powertrain options, including a traditional hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

Bottone’s protest highlighted the hypocrisy of fetal personhood logic that gives fetuses rights in cases of abortion but not in other contexts. To end abortion in all instances, with no exceptions for rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormalities, or the life of the mother. Kansas had one as well, but voters there overwhelmingly voted to preserve abortion rights in their state in August. Wendy Davis, a Texas state senator at the time, speaks during her 13-hour filibuster of an abortion bill in Austin, Texas, in 2013. What might the penalties be if a pregnant person consumes alcohol or uses drugs while pregnant?

Fischer is also the author of Kentucky’s 2019 “trigger” law, which went into effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June and makes most abortions illegal in the state. This year, with 84 seats up for election in state supreme court races nationwide – the highest number in recent years, according to election tracking organization Ballotpedia – these down-ballot races are taking on a heightened significance and scrutiny. Four out of seven of Kentucky’s state Supreme Court seats are up on Nov. 8, with three of those races contested. But if the amendment loses, a legal challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood attempting to overturn the ban would move forward before the state Supreme Court. A ‘new frontier’In Montana, Republicans have accused the seven-member state Supreme Court of holding a “liberal bias,” particularly while Democratic governors filled court vacancies in recent years.

☆ Former Kentucky appeals court judge dies in house fire after helping wife escape
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

EDMONTON, Ky. — Tom Emberton, once a Republican candidate for Kentucky governor and later chief judge of the state Court of Appeals, died Thursday in a house fire, officials said. Emberton helped get his wife away from the home but then he went back inside and didn’t make it out, Wilson said. Kentucky Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. announced Emberton’s death during his State of the Judiciary, spokesperson Leigh Anne Hiatt said. Emberton, a lawyer from Metcalfe County, ran for governor in 1971 and was appointed to the Court of Appeals in 1987. ”Emberton is also survived by his children, Laura Emberton Owens and Tom Emberton Jr.

☆ Photos show the Mississippi River is so low that it's grounding barges, disrupting the supply chain, and revealing a 19th-century shipwreck
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Mississippi River is receding to historic lows amid drought across the Midwest. A barge tow floats past the exposed banks of the Mississippi River in Vicksburg, Louisiana, on October 11, 2022. Drought is drying the Mississippi River to record lowsA passenger paddle wheeler passes between the river bridges in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on October 11, 2022. Rogelio V. Solis/AP PhotoJust a few months ago, the Mississippi River basin was flooding. In early October, low water levels revealed the old sunken ship along the banks of the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

☆ BMW plans to invest $1.7 billion in U.S. to produce electric vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BMW Group plans to invest $1.7 billion in its U.S. operations to build electric vehicles and batteries, the company announced Wednesday. The German automaker expects to produce at least six fully electric models in the U.S. by 2030. The Spartanburg facility, where the investment announcement took place, currently produces BMW "X" SUVs and lithium-ion battery modules for its two plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. "Going forward, it will also be a major driver for our electrification strategy, and we will produce at least six fully electric BMW X models here by 2030," BMW Chair Oliver Zipse said in a release. In April, the company announced plans to spend $2 billion to build a second U.S. plant in Kentucky.

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