Hi Dip Fam,
After a looong election night, here’s where things stand: midterm results flip control of Congress, voters weigh in on taxes and abortion at the ballot box, and more.
Today’s estimated reading time is 3 minutes and 45 seconds.
- The Daily Dip Editor
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On this day in 1872, which women’s rights leader cast an illegal ballot in Rochester?(answer revealed below!)
(hint: dollar coin)
In today’s issue:
Democrats winthe House and Senate. 🏛️Voters weigh inon dozens of ballot measures. 📜Pardoned J6er chargedwith threatening judges. ⚖️
Plus, take ** today’s poll** and check out the
Democrats won control of the House and Senate in Tuesday’s midterms. They secured at least 54 Senate seats, with races in Alaska and Mississippi still uncalled as of Wednesday evening.
In the House, Democrats are projected to finish with at least 245 seats and are on track to win the popular vote by about 13 points, the widest margin for either party since at least 1976.
**Some notable wins:**In Texas, James Talarico beat Ken Paxton for Senate and Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott, the state’s first Democratic wins for those offices in 38 and 36 years, respectively. In Michigan, progressive Abdul El-Sayed became the first Muslim elected to the Senate.
Tuesday’s ballot measures gave voters a direct say on taxes, abortion and voting rules. Some passed comfortably, while others failed or remained undecided.
**What passed:**Nevada and Virginia approved constitutional abortion protections. Tennessee banned state-level property taxes, leaving local ones intact. Kentucky restricted governors’ pardons from 60 days before a gubernatorial election through inauguration. Five states approved citizen-only voting measures, and Arizona restricted transgender girls’ participation in girls’ school sports.**What failed or remained undecided:**Missouri rejected a proposal to repeal its abortion protections, while Idaho rejected a measure establishing reproductive healthcare rights, including abortion. California voters rejected a voter ID requirement. A proposed one-time billionaire tax was still trailing as counting continued.
:📈
Today’s Poll:Ballot BreakdownBallot measures are often long and full of legal language, and voters decided dozens of them this week.
How do you usually decide how to vote on a ballot measure?
Cleveland Meredith Jr., a Jan. 6 defendant pardoned by President Trump, was arrested Monday and charged with making interstate threats. Prosecutors cited a Facebook post saying federal judges overseeing Jan. 6 cases would be executed.
Meredith drove from Colorado to D.C. around Jan. 6 with guns and 2,500 rounds of ammunition, then threatened Nancy Pelosi. After his mother alerted police, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 28 months in prison. Trump pardoned him on Jan. 20, 2025, as part of his sweeping clemency for Jan. 6-related offenses.
**The case:**Some violent rhetoric is protected by the First Amendment, but prosecutors argue that Meredith’s post constituted a true threat, citing its wording and his history of threatening messages. They also accuse him of threatening people online for 16 months.
📜 History: After the failed Gunpowder Plot, an English law required churches to hold a thanksgiving service every Nov. 5, and it stayed on the books until 1859. Attendance required, penalties not included.
🧪 Inventions: Gunpowder was likely discovered by accident by Chinese alchemists who were trying to make an elixir for eternal life. It turned out to do the opposite.
🎆 Science: Blue is the hardest firework color to make, because the copper compound behind it only glows blue in a narrow temperature range. Too hot, and the blue disappears.
🤯 WTF: Warner Bros. owns the rights to the V for Vendetta Guy Fawkes mask, so it reportedly earns a fee on every sale, even when the mask is worn at anti-corporate protests. Even the rebellion pays royalties.
TODAY’S QUIZ ANSWER:
Susan B. Anthony
Anthony and more than a dozen other women voted in the presidential election after local inspectors accepted their ballots. She was arrested two weeks later, convicted and fined $100, which she refused to pay. Women nationwide didn’t win the right to vote until the 19th Amendment in 1920.
Did you take ** today’s poll**?
Looking for more specific details on each story? ** Click here** for the full show notes for yesterday’s PDS episode.
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