The Hill's Morning Report — Midterm miracles?; takeaways from big debates
Political analysts agree that Senate control next year will turn on the results of contests in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. To keep things interesting, The Hill’s Alexander Bolton asked Senate watchers in both parties to identify sleeper races. They point to North Carolina, Washington and Colorado as states that could deliver potential surprises. “There’s no question the North Carolina Senate race is the sleeper of the cycle,” said Morgan Jackson, a Democratic strategist based in N
Read MoreSome Democrats think Pelosi stays if Democrats win
As questions swirl around the future of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Democrats on Capitol Hill say the Speaker's fate might hinge directly on the party’s success in next month's elections. Pelosi, 82, had promised to bow out of her leadership spot at the end of this term, and many Democrats expect she’ll follow through, particularly if Republicans flip control of the lower chamber, as is widely expected. But if Democrats defy the odds and keep their House majority — a feat that would be virtually impossible without Pelosi’s prodigious fundraising — then the calculus
Read MoreMarijuana use is becoming a new normal among young adults
Story at a glance More than two-fifths of young men and women now use cannabis at least on occasion. Young women are a big part of the growth as a gender gap on the use of marijuana closes. Across the entire adult population, marijuana use may have hit an all-time
Read MoreThe four sleeper races that may decide the Senate majority
High-profile election battles in states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada have dominated talk about which party wins the Senate majority but strategists on both sides are eyeing sleeper races in second and third tier states such as North Carolina, Colorado and Washington that could unexpectedly tip the balance of power. A couple of Senate races that were expected to be top-tier races have faded in the background, such as Arizona, where incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly (D) has pulled well ahead of his Republican rival in the polls and fundraising, and New Hampshire, where
Read MoreBiden embraces Trump's Title 42 with expansion to Venezuela
In expanding Title 42 to include Venezuelans, advocates say the Biden administration has taken on a new level of ownership over the Trump-era policy that blocks migrants from seeking asylum. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week announced it would use Title 42 to turn away Venezuelans that present at the border, nixing asylum for a nationality that has become one of the largest populations to seek refuge in the U.S. following years of instability in that country. “The Biden administration is embracing the Trump playbook,” Eleanor Acer,
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