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US election: The day after – What results say; what Harris, Trump are up to

US election: The day after – What results say; what Harris, Trump are up to

After months of campaigning in the United States, an election dropout, and assassination attempts, Americans have cast their ballots to decide who will take over the White House for the next four years. Election results have been called in 42 states and in Washington, DC, while several swing states still continue their vote count. Who is leading in the US election results so far? Former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump is leading against his Democratic counterpart, Vice President Kamala Harris. But the margin between them in several swing states remains razor-thin. With 246 Electoral College votes projected in his favour so far, Trump is inching towards the 270-mark that a candidate needs to win. Harris is projected to have won 214 Electoral College votes so far and has more than 63 million votes (47.3 percent of the popular vote) overall. Trump, by contrast, has won more than 68 million votes (51.2 percent of the popular vote) so far. The Associated Press (AP) has called 25 states for Trump, including solidly Republican states and the swing states of Georgia and North Carolina. Among all the red states called, Texas has the highest number of Electoral seats at 40. While Trump also won in Nebraska, the state’s Electoral College has been split between him and Harris. Seventeen states have been called for Harris, including California where she previously served as attorney general, and New York. She is also projected to win the District of Columbia, which is not a state but has three Electoral College votes. California has 54 Electoral College votes, the highest of any state. What was Election Day like? Voting proceeded smoothly in most areas, though some states saw long lines. There were software glitches in Pennsylvania, protests against US funding of Israel’s war in New York, and bomb threats in Georgia. The FBI deemed the threats, which delayed voting in some counties, to be not credible and likely the work of Russian election interference. Several states, including Georgia and Arizona, took extra security measures to protect voting places. Arab, Muslim, and progressive voters said they faced a tough choice between two candidates both seen as unsympathetic to Palestine. Even across the world, from Gaza to Iran, people watched the election intently. In Thulasendrapuram in southern India – a tiny village where Harris’s grandfather was born – residents gathered to pray for the Democratic candidate to become the first US leader with South Asian roots. What was Kamala Harris up to on Election Day? Both candidates spent Election Day urging their supporters to get in line, stay in line, and cast their ballots. Harris spent part of the day calling radio stations to encourage her supporters to vote. “We’ve got to get it done. Today is voting day, and people need to get out and be active,” CNN quoted Harris as telling one radio station in Georgia. She also visited the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC, where she held phone banks with volunteers. Harris talks on the phone at the DNC headquarters on Election Day [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters] What was Donald Trump up to on Election Day? Trump addressed the media after casting his ballot in Palm Beach, Florida, saying he feels “very confident” about his election odds. “It looks like Republicans have shown up in force,” Trump said. “We’ll see how it turns out”. He added, “I hear we’re doing very well.” Florida also voted on six constitutional amendments, including measures to legalise marijuana and protect abortion rights. When first asked how he voted on the state’s abortion measure, Trump deflected, saying he had done “a great job bringing it back to the states”. This referenced his appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices who in 2022 helped overturn Roe v Wade – which made abortion a right nationally. When pressed again, he snapped, telling the reporter to “stop talking about that”. It is now officially ELECTION DAY! This will be the most important day in American History. Voter enthusiasm is THROUGH THE ROOF because people want to Make America Great Again. That means lines are going to be long! I need you to deliver your vote no matter how long it takes.… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2024 His running mate JD Vance also voted in Cincinnati, Ohio, the same morning. “Look, I feel good. You never know until you know, but I feel good about this race,” Vance said after he and his wife cast their ballots. Vance said he would depart for Palm Beach, Florida, later in the day to be with Donald Trump as results come in. What’s next in the election? Eight states, including five battleground areas are yet to be called by AP while most official results are yet to be determined. But while there are as many as 21 routes for Trump to win the presidency, Harris’s pathways have dwindled significantly – down to just three. And all those remaining tracks require Harris to win one state: Pennsylvania, with its 19 Electoral College votes. As of early Wednesday morning, she was narrowly trailing Trump in the state. Adblock test (Why?)

Afghan opium cultivation bouncing back amid Taliban clampdown

Afghan opium cultivation bouncing back amid Taliban clampdown

Poppy planting remains far below pre-ban levels, United Nations reports, despite rise of 19 percent year on year. Afghanistan’s opium poppy cultivation grew in 2024 despite a Taliban-imposed ban, according to a United Nations report. Cultivation increased by an estimated 19 percent this year, the report published on Wednesday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said. Despite the increase, the cultivation of opium poppies – the source of the raw material for much of the world’s heroin – remains well below the levels reached before the Taliban clampdown in 2022. This year’s cultivation area amounted to just 12,800 hectares (31,629 acres), a sharp drop from the 232,000 hectares (573,284 acres) cultivated before the prohibition. The ban on narcotic cultivation in April 2022 saw a 95 percent drop in opium farming by 2023, according to the UNODC. “This is important further evidence that opium cultivation has indeed been reduced, and this will be welcomed by Afghanistan’s neighbours, the region and the world,” said Roza Otunbayeva, special representative of the secretary-general and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The report also notes that cultivation has moved away from its traditional southwest heartland to the northeastern provinces, where 59 percent of cultivation occurred in 2024. Cultivation surged by 381 percent in these provinces over 2023, particularly in Badakhshan, which accounted for most of the region’s opium production. Sustainable The report also notes that the ban has led to a spike in opium prices, meaning that poppy cultivation remains an enticing prospect for struggling Afghans. Prices have stabilised at about $730 per kg, up from pre-ban averages of about $100, and significantly higher than the “20-year peak” of $408 recorded in August 2023. Otunbayeva stressed that rural communities deprived of the key income source that opium poppies represented must be supported. “They desperately need international support if we want this transition to be sustainable,” she said. Many farmers in Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world, have been hit hard financially by the ban and have not been able to reap the same profit from alternative crops. Even legal crops are only a short-term solution, according to the International Crisis Group, which says a focus is needed on job creation in non-farm industries. In May, clashes between farmers and brigades sent to destroy their poppy fields resulted in several deaths in Badakhshan, a mountainous area that includes a stretch of the Hindu Kush and Afghanistan’s relatively short border with China. “With opium cultivation remaining at a low level in Afghanistan, we have the opportunity and responsibility to support Afghan farmers to develop sustainable sources of income free from illicit markets,” said UNODC Director Ghada Waly. Adblock test (Why?)

Trump vows to lead ‘golden age of America’ in victory speech: ‘Fix everything’

Trump vows to lead ‘golden age of America’ in victory speech: ‘Fix everything’

President-elect Donald Trump addressed his supporters in the nation early Wednesday morning after earning more than 270 electoral votes, vowing he will lead the “golden age of America” after launching the “greatest political movement of all time.”  “This was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time. There’s never been anything like this in this country, and maybe beyond. And now it’s going to reach a new level of importance because we’re going to help our country heal,” Trump said just before 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday.  “We’re going to help our country here. We have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly. We’re going to fix our borders. We’re going to fix everything about our country and we’ve made history for a reason tonight. And the reason is going to be just that. We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible,” he added to cheers from the crowd.  Trump took the stage after Fox News projected he would win the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, as well as Wisconsin, Georgia and North Carolina. He notched more than 270 electoral votes around 1:45 a.m., officially defeating Harris.  FOX NEWS PROJECTS TRUMP BEATS HARRIS IN WISCONSIN, FLIPPING ‘BLUE WALL’ STATE BACK TO RED Trump said that he will lead the “golden age of America” upon his inauguration.  “Every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future. Every single day, I will be fighting for you. And with every breath in my body, I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America. That’s what we have to have. This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again,” he said.  The Keystone State throughout the election cycle was seen as the state that would likely determine the overall outcome of the election, as both campaigns repeatedly traveled throughout the state to build support. Georgia was another hard-fought state for both campaigns, and where Trump was ultimately projected victorious on Tuesday evening.  Vice President-elect JD Vance also addressed the crowds on Wednesday morning, thanking Trump for an “incredible journey.” “I appreciate you allowing me to join you on this incredible journey. I thank you for the trust, the place to me. And I think that we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America. Okay. And under President Trump’s leadership, we’re never going to stop fighting for you, for your dreams, for the future of your children. And after the greatest political comeback in American history, we’re going to lead the greatest economic comeback in American history. Under Donald Trump’s leadership,” he said.  Trump was flanked by his family while addressing his supporters, including former first lady Melania Trump and son Barron Trump. The president-elect invited UFC CEO Dana White to speak on stage, and gave shout outs to Elon Musk, as well as professional golfer Bryson Dechambeau.  “We will make America safe, strong, prosperous, powerful and free again. And I’m asking every citizen all across our land to join me in this noble and righteous endeavor,” Trump said.  FOX NEWS PROJECTS TRUMP VICTORY OVER HARRIS IN PENNSYLVANIA The president-elect noted that after winning North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, he still has the opportunity to win other states such as Arizona and Michigan.  “In addition to having won the battleground states of North Carolina, and I love these places, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. We are now winning in Michigan, Arizona, Nevada and Alaska, which would result in us carrying at least 315 electoral votes,” he said.  “We also have won the popular vote,” he added.  Trump’s remarks followed the Harris-Walz campaign packed it up for the evening, with campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon encouraging supporters to go home “get some sleep” as votes began to show Trump in the lead. Harris skipped addressing her supporters, opting to instead speak to voters and the nation on Wednesday.  The campaign’s co-chair, Cedric Richmond, instead delivered brief remarks.  “We still have votes to count, we still have states that have not been called yet We will continue overnight to fight to make sure that every vote is counted, that every voice has spoken. So you won’t hear from the vice president tonight. But you will hear from her tomorrow,” Richmond said. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Proposition 36 overwhelmingly passes in California, reversing some Soros-backed soft-on-crime policies

Proposition 36 overwhelmingly passes in California, reversing some Soros-backed soft-on-crime policies

A ballot measure that will roll back some of California’s most controversial soft-on-crime policies has overwhelmingly passed in the deep blue state. Proposition 36, the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act, sought to undo portions of Proposition 47 by increasing penalties for some crimes.  When Proposition 47 passed in 2014, it downgraded most thefts from felonies to misdemeanors if the amount stolen was under $950, “unless the defendant had prior convictions of murder, rape, certain sex offenses, or certain gun crimes.”  HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS ELECTION RESULTS An overwhelming 71% of Californians supported Proposition 36, according to a September survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonpartisan think tank, despite a strong progressive rebuke of the proposition. But in the last several years, retail chains and mom-and-pop shops have been hit hard by theft, smash-and-grab robberies and organized retail crime gangs. Proposition 47 also reclassified some felony drug offenses as misdemeanors. Progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, backed by billionaire George Soros, helped author Proposition 47, and he may also lose his seat to Republican challenger Nathan Hochman. Gascón has sought to reform the criminal justice system through more progressive policies. DEMOCRAT ADAM SCHIFF WINS DIANNE FEINSTEIN’S FORMER SENATE SEAT Vice President Kamala Harris, projected to lose the presidential election, dodged a question Sunday about whether she voted in favor of Proposition 36.  San Francisco Mayor London Breed threw her support behind Proposition 36, calling it a “meaningful difference for cities across California.” But Gov. Gavin Newsom remained staunchly opposed to the effort, saying it “takes us back to the 1980s, mass incarceration.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan also joined the effort to partially repeal Proposition 47. The California District Attorneys Association, the Los Angeles Police Protective League and the California State Sheriffs’ Association all endorsed Proposition 36.