Tuesday morning news: November 8, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington.

Election 1» Voters are heading to the polls across the country today--that is, those who didn’t already vote early. And in Georgia, that’s a record number of people. More than 2 million.

Republican Governor Brian Kemp says today is still crucial.

KEMP: We are targeting every voter in the state, including the suburbs, and a lot of other voters that traditionally haven’t voted Republican in the last cycle or two.

Kemp says the early turnout has shot holes in allegations of voter suppression by Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams. Kemp holds a comfortable 8-point lead in a final average of polls.

But the battle over a Senate seat in Georgia is much tighter. Incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock says he knows inflation is weighing heavy on the minds of voters.

WARNOCK: I have been sharply focused on economic issues from day-one.

The last several polls suggest Republican Herschel Walker holds a thin lead of less than 2 percentage points.

Election 2 » Meantime in Nevada, former President Bill Clinton campaigned for Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto on Monday.

CLINTON: She is a magnificent public servant. She has earned another term. And I hope every single one of you will vote, if you haven’t already, or talk to other people and vote.

But the final polls out of Nevada suggest Republican challenger Adam Laxalt has opened up a lead of at least 3 points over Masto.

Another key Senate battle to keep an eye on out west is in Arizona. According to the polls, it may be the tightest race of them all. It’s a dead heat between Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly … and GOP rival Blake Masters, who claimed Kelly hasn’t kept his promise to be an independent-minded Senator.

MASTERS: You know what? Mark Kelly votes like Bernie Sanders in the U.S. Senate. Here’s the difference between them. Bernie Sanders will look you in the eye and tell you what he is.

Election 3 » In Pennsylvania, Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz appears to hold a 1-to-2 point edge over Democrat John Fetterman.

Republicans need a net gain of one seat to reclaim control of the Senate.

Elections analysts at 538 give Republicans a 58 percent chance of winning control of the Senate … and an 84 percent chance of retaking the House.

Zelenskyy warns of more blackouts » Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week that about 4.5 million people were without electricity.

ZELENSKYY: SPEAKING UNKRAINIAN

And it could be a rough winter ahead. WORLD’s Anna Johansen Brown reports.

ANNA JOHANSEN BROWN, REPORTER: Zelenskyy called on Ukrainians to endure the hardships. He said, “We must get through this winter and be even stronger in the spring than now.”

Russian attacks have forced rolling blackouts nationwide.

The mayor of Kyiv is warning that residents must prepare for the worst this winter if Russia keeps striking the country's energy infrastructure. That could mean having no electricity, water, or heat in the freezing cold.

For WORLD, I’m Anna Johansen Brown.

Putin ally admits interference in US elections » A Russian businessman linked to the Kremlin admitted Monday that he interfered in U.S. elections would continue to do so.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said he’s simply saying out loud what the U.S. government has known for years.

PRICE: We have sanctioned this individual Yevgeny Prigozhin since 2018 for his interference with our election processes and institutions.

Prigozhin boasted on social media about interfering with US elections.

NoKo says missile tests were US/SoKo practice » North Korea’s military said Monday its recent barrage of missile tests was practice for possible future attacks against South Korea or the United States. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: Pyongyang said it was rehearsing to “mercilessly” strike key South Korean and U.S. targets like air bases and command systems including with nuclear-capable weapons.

Pyongyang has voiced anger over ongoing joint U.S. and South Korean military drills.

North Korea last week flew warplanes toward the sea and fired dozens of missiles.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

UN sec-general climate change » UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took aim at the United States and China over climate change Monday. He said those countries …

GUTERRES: Have a particular responsibility to join efforts to make this pact a reality. And this is our only hope of meeting our climate goals.

At the UN Climate Summit in Egypt, he called on the world’s two largest economies to pick up more of the tab for poorer countries to transition to cleaner energy.

And he called on all nations to tax the profits of fossil fuel companies and to redistribute that money to poorer countries that he says are disproportionately suffering from climate change.

He said—his words—“The clock is ticking” as greenhouse emissions keep growing.

GUTERRES: I am asking that all government tax the profits of fossil fuel companies. Let’s redirect that money to people struggling with rising food and energy prices.

I'm Kent Covington. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org.

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