Democrats seal control of Senate after Cortez Masto defeats Laxalt in Nevada
Democrats will keep control of the U.S. Senate after Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto — once considered the most vulnerable Democratic senator in the midterms — fended off a challenge from Republican Adam Laxalt after days of vote counting. The nation’s first Latina senator, Cortez Masto was targeted by national Republicans as their best chance to flip a seat. And because Democrats only control the 50-50 Senate because of Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking votes, Republicans only needed a net gain of one seat to take the chamber. But with her seat secured, Democrats are guaranteed control no matter the outcome of a Dec. 6 runoff in Georgia between incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker.
👉 More updates and midterm election results.
Customs and Border Protection chief Chris Magnus resigns
The head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection has resigned from his job leading the nation’s largest law enforcement agency as agents encounter record numbers of migrants entering the U.S. from Mexico. The Associated Press reported Chris Magnus was told to resign or be fired, and he submitted his resignation to President Joe Biden on Saturday, saying it had been “a privilege and honor” to be part of the administration. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden had accepted Magnus’ resignation. Magnus’s removal is part of a larger shakeup expected at Homeland Security as it struggles to manage migrants coming from a wider range of countries, including Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. This comes as Republicans are likely to take control of the House in January and are expected to launch investigations into the border.
Real quick:
Deadly explosion on popular Istanbul street leaves six dead, dozens wounded
Six people were killed and dozens wounded after a bomb exploded on a popular tourist destination in Istanbul on Sunday. Footage from the scene on Istiklal Avenue’s shopping strip showed people fleeing from flames moments after the pedestrian street, typically crowded with tourists and locals alike, was bombed. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that perpetrators would be punished. Istanbul’s governor reported 53 people wounded. In the past, Turkey’s Supreme Council of Radio and Television restricted news outlets and social media users from spreading close-up images of blasts and the aftermath of explosions in reports, which the country’s media watchdog has imposed again. Businesses were shuttered and the avenue closed down after the bombing.
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving’s suspension extended
The suspension of Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has been extended. On Saturday, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn confirmed that Irving will sit out at least one more game and will not return to the lineup when Brooklyn takes on the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Vaughn did not provide a timeline for Irving’s return. Irving was suspended at least five games by the Nets earlier this month for his failure to disavow antisemitism after sharing a controversial documentary containing antisemitic material on his Twitter account.
After long occupation, Ukraine city ‘a humanitarian catastrophe,’ official says
Ukrainian police officers returned Saturday, along with TV and radio services, to the southern city of Kherson following the withdrawal of Russian troops, part of fast but cautious efforts to make the only regional capital captured by Russia livable after months of occupation. Yet one official still described the city as “a humanitarian catastrophe.” People across Ukraine awoke from a night of jubilant celebrating after the Kremlin announced its troops had withdrawn to the other side of the Dnieper River from Kherson. The Ukrainian military said it was overseeing “stabilization measures” around the city to make sure it was safe.
The Russian retreat represented a significant setback for the Kremlin some six weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed the Kherson region and three other provinces in southern and eastern Ukraine in breach of international law and declared them Russian territory. 👉 The latest updates from Ukraine.
College football: Alabama quiets doubters
There’s good news and there’s bad news for No. 11 Alabama. After last week’s loss to No. 8 LSU put a crippling dent in any chance of returning to the College Football Playoff, Alabama bounced back to beat No. 9 Mississippi 30-24 and avoid the sort of result that would’ve raised serious alarm bells over the Crimson Tide’s precipitous drop out of the top tier of the SEC. In the face of more of the same from Alabama’s predictably mediocre offensive line, quarterback Bryce Young completed 63.6% of his throws for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Unfortunately, Alabama’s win hands the SEC West to LSU, which pulled off an ugly win at Arkansas and will represent the division in the conference championship game by virtue of head-to-head tiebreakers against the Tide and Rebels. More college football winners and losers.
Like this roundup of stories? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here or text messages here!
Contributing: Associated Press
