What A Day - Abortion Rights Wins Elections

Episode Date: November 8, 2023

Tuesday was Election Day in key battleground states. In Ohio, voters codified reproductive rights into the state’s constitution. And over in Kentucky, incumbent Democratic Governor Andy Beshear won reelection over Republican challenger Daniel Cameron. Heather Williams, interim president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, breaks down the results and gives insight on what might happen in next year’s general election.And in headlines: Israel said its troops have reached the heart of Gaza City, New Delhi is dealing with another year of severe air pollution, and scientists have discovered the oldest known black hole in space.Show Notes:Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee – https://dlcc.org/Vote Save America – votesaveamerica.comWhat A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastCrooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

it's wednesday november 8th i'm priyanka arabindi and i'm juanita toliver and this is what a day and yesterday was election day in a bunch of key battleground states on today's show we will also talk about how israeli forces have reached the heart of gaza city plus scientists have discovered the oldest known black hole in space. But first, we're going to recap last night's election results. We're recording this on Tuesday night at 9.30 p.m. Eastern, so some of the closer races weren't called by then. We'll follow up on them in Thursday's episode. Here's the breakdown of what we do know. Yes, it was a big win for abortion access in Ohio. Voters there approved issue one, a measure that codified reproductive rights into the state's constitution. Really

exciting. This is all because, as we've reported, abortion advocates in the state have been organizing tirelessly to protect Ohioans' right to choice. Republicans tried hard to sabotage activists ahead of the vote from changing the language of the measure itself to make it more confusing and taking thousands of voters off of the state's rolls just weeks before election day. They also held a last-minute special election in August to try and raise the voter threshold to amend the state's constitution. But in the end, they still lost. We prevailed. Issue one was approved. Really happy to see it. Voters also approved issue two in Ohio last night, which legalizes recreational marijuana. Meanwhile, over in Virginia, Democrats gained control of the

state's General Assembly, where all 140 seats were up for grabs. A GOP-led assembly would have cleared the way for Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin to further his conservative agenda, including a proposed 15-week abortion ban. Okay, I just got to give a shout out to all of the abortion rights advocates, organizers, and people who are on the ground in Ohio and Virginia and across the country, because y'all did that, especially in Ohio. Like they've been on the ground pounding the pavement since last summer. So I'm so happy with the result on issue one in Ohio. I know you were right, Juanita. We saw this as a motivating issue before and it still is. 100 percent. Yes.

To everyone who told us that it wouldn't be. You were wrong. I mean, plain and simple. Abortion protections win elections. Do not change a thing in 2024. Meanwhile, over in Kentucky, incumbent Democratic Governor Andy Beshear was projected to win reelection over Republican challenger Daniel Cameron. Cameron is the former attorney general of Kentucky and a staunch anti-abortion advocate.

He's also a protege of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. So safe to say we dodged a bullet there. He's also the dude that didn't get any accountability for Breonna Taylor's murder. Yep. That's the first thing I think of every time I hear that man's name and may that follow him around for the rest of his life. Yeah. And in Philadelphia, Democrat Sherelle Parker won her race to become the city's first female mayor, a huge accomplishment there. So there is a lot going on, a lot of exciting things to celebrate. And there's still more results slowly coming in, like in Mississippi, where Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brandon Presley successfully petitioned to keep polls open for an additional hour as election officials repeatedly ran out of ballots for voters in majority black

districts over the course of Election Day. As you were saying, Juanita, not a state that makes it easy, particularly to vote ahead of time, vote early. Pretty crucial that these polling places are stocked on Election Day, and they were not. So I'm glad his petition was successful. But that is what we were certain of as far as our recording time at 9.30 p.m. Tuesday night. We will, you know, keep you updated as we learn more. Yeah. The other thing about Mississippi is those polling locations had exactly the number of ballots that the Secretary of state wanted them to have. And that is all I'll say about that.

And it says it all. It really does. All right, we're going to unpack this now because how this off year election played out is going to give us some clues as to what might happen in next year's general election. Joining us to tell us more about all of this is Heather Williams, interim president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which works to elect Democrats to state legislatures. Heather, thanks so much for joining us. I'm so happy to be here. I love talking about this. So as I mentioned before we started recording, I've been refreshing VPAP. I'm sure I've contributed to it crashing, but I want to know which race outcome was the most exciting for you to watch yesterday. We are so excited that there is so much more attention on these races. And we, you know, feel so good about the Virginia Senate and are eerily awaiting results in the House. But I think being able to really stop an abortion ban in Virginia is great.

And are there any outcomes that give you a lot of pause and concern about 2024? You know, I don't think there's anything that's giving me pause and concern yet. We've got a lot to learn, a lot of underlying data that we're going to be looking at. But I think we in the states feel so great about the amount of attention that these races are getting and that people are really understanding the stakes in the states and how critically important they are to, you know, moving our shared agenda forward. Let's talk about how turnout looked between Election Day itself, early voting, mail-in. What was Democratic turnout like this time around? Oh, this is a great question and one that I still think we have some to learn from. It's interesting because these races in Virginia,

right, the legislature is at the top of the ticket. And so we're really excited to dig in to see what that means and what it means for how motivating these races really are and how connected people feel to the impact that the legislators and ultimately their legislature has on their lives. So more to follow on that. We're really excited to dig into that data. I know one of the data points also just off top of my head is that a lot of young people took advantage of that same day voter registration in Virginia and took the time to go register and submit their ballots today. Is that something you were encouraged by and hope to see more of in the future? Yeah, I mean, we love it when people vote, when they use the ability to same day register,

right? Like it's such an incredible thing. It really gives people flexibility and really allows them to engage. And we were talking earlier yesterday about the lines that were seen around the Virginia Tech area and just what that shows and how impactful same day registration is and why it's so important that it is a tool that is used right everywhere. Right. And just this past week, a New York Times poll showed that President Biden's popularity is lagging among people who should be supporting him. Did that have any effect

on the results in Democratic turnout? The president is the leader of our party, and certainly he's been engaged in the races in Virginia. He endorsed a number of candidates, GOTV weekend. It was really great. But what we know is that people care deeply about these state races and that they are showing up. They're motivated. We've seen Democratic performance plus 7%

in these special elections that we've had all year. We've seen good results. And we know that people are really connecting to the progress being made in the states and that polls are a snapshot in time. And they tell us a story, but there's still a lot of road ahead of us before we get to 2024.

Definitely. And on that note, 2024 is what so many of us are looking towards, especially now that Election Day has wrapped up. I'm wondering about the strategy for keeping progressive turnout high. What do you think will keep voters energized and engaged between now and then? And, you know, what do you think progressives and Democrats should be doing that they maybe aren't doing enough of at this point? So we've got more special elections to come before the actual November 2024 election happens.

There's lots of ways to get engaged. People can check out our website at dlcc.org to find out how to get involved and sort of what's happening. But what we know is that there are so many opportunities for Democrats and progressives to use their voices throughout the year all the time and not just on election day. And we want to make sure that we're really sharing those stories. We also go into right traditional legislative session time where we see a lot of these issues that we care so deeply about being addressed and progress being made in the states. And we're going to continue to see that as we move into, you know, January of next year. I mean, I think the thing that cannot be stressed enough from my perspective and our perspective here at JLCC is that these races are so impactful and that they have such an incredible impact on our lives.

And, you know, we need to absolutely care about the race for president and we need to care deeply, right, about what happens in Congress and the U.S. Senate. But we also need to care deeply about what's happening in our states. We're seeing, you know, not just the issue of abortion being addressed in states positively, of course, by Democrats, bans, right, you know, not just the issue of abortion being addressed in states positively, of course, by Democrats, bans, right, by Republicans, but we are seeing progress being made on all kinds of issues that we care so deeply about. And so getting more engagement and having people become more interested in what's happening in their states is really critically important, not just for us as an organization, right, but more broadly for our democracy and people's engagement in politics. So we really hope that there is a connection to hope and

possibility in the states and that people feel really motivated to, you know, not just ensure that President Biden is reelected in 2024, but that we are also really focused on what is happening in the states. You heard it here, folks. Get involved in your state and local elections because they fully matter. And Heather Williams, interim president for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, thanks so much for joining us. Thank you. Yesterday's election is just the beginning, y'all, because presidential primaries start in just weeks from now.

Seriously, January 15th. Too soon. Right. Buckle up because this is going to be a wild and early ride. Seriously, January 15th. It's too soon. Right. Buckle up because this is going to be a wild and early ride. Oh, yes. We'll need every vote to turn out. So remember to stay involved by heading to votesaveamerica.com. You'll be able to get more information, volunteer and more.

That's votesaveamerica.com. And that's the latest for now. We'll be back after some ads. Let's get to some headlines. Starting with an update on the latest in the Israel-Hamas war. We told you yesterday that Israeli forces said that they were closing in on Gaza City. And as of Tuesday night at 9.30 p.m. Eastern, Israel said its troops were pushing deeper into the city. The country's defense minister, Yoav Galant, said that troops had, quote, reached the heart of Gaza City and were, quote, tightening the noose. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this during an interview with ABC News when asked who should occupy Gaza when the war is over.

I think Israel will, for an indefinite period, will have the overall security responsibility because we've seen what happens when we don't have it. When we don't have that security responsibility because we've seen what happens when we don't have it. When we don't have that security responsibility, what we have is the eruption of Hamas terror on a scale that we couldn't imagine. In response, a White House spokesman told reporters yesterday, quote, we're having active discussions with our Israeli counterparts about what post-conflict Gaza looks like, adding that the president, quote, maintains his position that reoccupation by Israeli forces is not the right thing to do. So definitely at odds there. I'm sure they have much to discuss about this and many things at this point.

Meanwhile, stateside authorities are investigating the death of a 69-year-old Jewish man who died on Monday in Thousand Oaks, California, after sustaining a head injury at a protest over the Israel-Hamas war. It happened on Sunday when Paul Kessler fell backwards and hit his head on the ground during a confrontation. Kessler died early Monday at a hospital, and the Ventura County medical examiner deemed his death a homicide. According to officials, it remains unclear how the man died, and they have not yet determined whether the death will be treated as a hate crime. Meanwhile, officials are asking people to share any video footage they have of the altercation.

House lawmakers advanced legislation yesterday to censure Representative Rashida Tlaib over her criticism of the Israeli government, silencing the only Palestinian American member of Congress. Democrats tried to block the measure from moving forward with a motion to table the resolution, but Republicans used their narrow majority in the chamber to push it through. Tlaib has drawn the ire of her colleagues on both sides of the aisle over the past few weeks for condemning the Israeli government's bombing of Palestinians amid its war with Hamas and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution for Tlaib's censure accuses the representative of, quote, calling for the destruction of the state of Israel and defending terrorism.

Take a listen to what she had to say in response. It is important to separate people and governments, Mr. Chair. No government is beyond criticism. The idea that criticizing the government of Israel is anti-Semitic sets a very dangerous precedent, and it's being used to silence diverse voices speaking up for human rights across our nation. to close and work to stop as the Indian capital deals with another year of severe air pollution. According to India's main environmental monitoring agency, the air quality index was at hazardous levels yesterday. It was also the fifth day in a row of bad air for the region. In response, authorities are attempting to control the toxic smog with water sprinklers and anti-smog guns. They're also fining people they find using gasoline and diesel vehicles. In the meantime, doctors have asked residents to wear masks

and refrain from going outside as much as possible. Why does all of this sound too familiar? I am not liking the direction that our planet is heading in. Nearly every year, New Delhi is among the world's most polluted cities, and the air quality gets particularly bad in the winter when cooler temperatures trap in pollutants from crop residues burning nearby. This year, the smog has threatened the ongoing Cricket World Cup, and some residents worry that the pollution could get even worse ahead of the Vali,

the Hindu festival of lights, which is happening this weekend. I mean, I hope that this clears up for so many reasons. And just one of them is that Diwali seems very sorely needed this year in the face of everything going on in this world. Yeah. And finally, in out of this world science news, researchers have discovered the oldest black hole in space nasa released its findings about the cosmic giant on monday in the nature astronomy journal according to the study the black hole is 13.2 billion years old scientists say that it formed 470 million years after the big bang now i just need to know the formula they use to calculate this because wow. You need

to know and I'm just like, sorry, all of this over my head and straight back into the black hole. That's where it is. Not in my brain. And get this. The black hole is also 10 times bigger than the one in our Milky Way. And they believe it's a way anywhere from 10 to 100 of all the stars in the galaxy my mind is blown because it has a weight first and foremost yes like what who knew who knew yeah this is really so wild to comprehend that this is out there i mean i feel that way about like all space discoveries but the universe beyond us is so vast and probably full of aliens oh now that's a thought that's a take now all of this is a huge deal because until now the existence of super massive black holes at the dawn of the universe were just theories even crazier NASA researchers say they

may have already spotted a black hole that's 29 million years older than this one. Excuse me? That one has yet to be verified, right? So it's not confirmed yet. But one of the scholars from Yale University who participated in the study said, quote, we are expecting a new window to open in the universe. And I think this is the first crack. So wait, wait a second. A black hole as big as all the stars in the galaxy is considered a crack, Priyanka. And number two, this is giving interstellar. Like, I feel like somebody put this here in the universe, in our galaxy for us to find another place to live.

And you know who I think should go find it? You know, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk and all of them want to go explore. Do your thing. Pop off kings. We'll be right behind you. Don't worry. We're following. Yeah.

I don't want to participate in dropping the probe into the black hole, but I am curious to see what comes out. I am genuinely curious. And those are the headlines. One more thing before we go. The third and thankfully final GOP primary debate is happening tonight. Hallelujah. But no need to lose your brain cells watching it.

We will be covering it on tomorrow's episode ourselves. So stay tuned. We're doing the heavy lifting. We are sparing you. It's just a gift from us to you. And you can also catch tomorrow's Pod Save America episode for some sweet political analysis, everything you missed from the debate, and hear Election Day reactions from Dan,

Jon Favreau, and Tommy all in one place. New episodes of Pod Save America drop every Tuesday and Thursday. That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends to listen. And if you are into reading, What A Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at crooked.com slash subscribe.

I'm Priyanka Arabindi. And I'm Juanita Tolliver. What A Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Bill Lance. Our show's producer is Itzy Quintanilla. Raven Yamamoto and Natalie Bettendorf are our associate producers. And our showrunner is Leo Duran. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka.