"We cannot lose our shared humanity" Tlaib says, as House leads towards censure In remarks on the House floor minutes after Democrats failed to block an effort to censure her for remarks her detractors say disparaged Israel, progressive Rashida Tlaib defended her criticism of the country and urged lawmakers to join in calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. “I will not be silenced and I will not let you distort my words,” Tlaib said. “No government is beyond criticism. The idea that criticizing the government of Israel is antisemitic sets a very dangerous precedent, and it’s been used to silence diverse voices speaking up for human rights across our nation.” Tlaib, who was first elected in 2018 and is a prominent member of “The Squad” of progressive female lawmakers, grew emotional as she said, “I can’t believe I have to say this, but Palestinian people are not disposable.” She continued by saying she was against attacks on both Israeli and Palestinian civilians alike: The cries of the Palestinian and Israeli children sound no different to me. What I don’t understand is why the cries of Palestinians sound different to you all. We cannot lose our shared humanity, Mr. Chair. I hear the voices of advocates in Israel and Palestine across America and around the world for peace. I’m inspired by … the courageous survivors in Israel who have lost loved ones, yet are calling for a ceasefire and the end to violence. I am grateful to the people in the streets for the peace movement with countless Jewish Americans across the country standing up and lovingly saying ‘not in our name’. We will continue to call for a ceasefire, Mr. Chair, for the immediate delivery of critical humanitarian aid to Gaza, for the release of all hostages and those arbitrarily detained and for every American to come home. We will continue to work for real, lasting peace that uphold human rights and dignity of all people and centers … peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians and censures no one – no one – and ensures that no person, no child has to suffer or live in fear of violence. The House will vote tomorrow on censuring Rashida Tlaib. The resolution was proposed by Georgia Republican Rich McCormick, and accuses Tlaib of “promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel”. Democrats today tried to table the resolution, which would block its passage, but failed when 212 Republicans and one Democrat voted against doing so. It’s unclear if that coalition will hold together tomorrow when the resolution itself is considered. There is evidence that some Democrats are uncomfortable with Tlaib’s statements, particularly her use of the slogan “from the river to the sea”, which the resolution explicitly condemns. From its text: Whereas, on November 3, 2023, Representative Tlaib published on social media a video containing the phrase “from the river to the sea”, which is widely recognized as a genocidal call to violence to destroy the state of Israel and its people to replace it with a Palestinian state extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea; Whereas Representative Tlaib doubled down on this call to violence by falsely describing “from the river to the sea” as “an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence” despite it clearly entailing Israel’s destruction and denial of its fundamental right to exist Earlier today, a group of House Democrats signed on to a statement that condemned usage of the term, without mentioning Tlaib specifically: We reject the use of the phrase “from the river to the sea” – a phrase used by many, including Hamas, as a rallying cry for the destruction of the State of Israel and genocide of the Jewish people. We all feel deep anguish for the human suffering caused by the war in Gaza.Hamas started this war with a barbaric terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, and neither the Palestinian nor Israeli people can have peace as long as Hamas still rules over Gaza and threatens Israel. This war is tragic and deeply painful for everyone, especially those who identify with the land and the people – Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike. Every civilian killed, every family torn apart, Palestinian and Israeli, is a tragedy. Every human being deserves dignity and respect, and each of us must do all we can to always see the humanity of the innocent people caught in the middle of this war. Illinois’s Brad Schneider was one of the organizers of the statement, and also the only Democrat to vote against tabling the resolution to censure Tlaib. Top House Democrat Jeffries decries "ad hominem attacks against colleagues" in statement on one-month anniversary of Hamas attack The House’s Democratic minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, has released a statement marking a month since Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel that also weighs in on the upcoming vote to censure Rashida Tlaib. Tlaib is the sole Palestinian American in the House, and has been outspoken against Israel’s retaliatory invasion of the Gaza Strip. Republicans have moved to censure Tlaib for comments they say promote the destruction of Israel, and which have also attracted criticism from some Democrats. Jeffries does not mention Tlaib specifically in the statement, but instead recommends that Democrats agree to disagree when it comes to Israel: As public officials serving in Congress, the words we choose matter. It is my strong belief that we must all take care to respect each other personally, even when strongly disagreeing on matters of policy or legislation. We should be able to agree to disagree on domestic or foreign policy issues, without being disagreeable with each other or the President of the United States. If the end goal following the defeat of Hamas and safe return of all hostages is a just and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinian people, as I believe it should be, ad hominem attacks against colleagues will never accomplish that objective. The searing moment of turbulence in our society and throughout the world calls for us to tackle the challenges we confront in a serious, sober and substantive manner. Let us all recommit to doing just that for the good of everyone. The day so far Voters in many states across the country are casting ballots in off-year elections that could serve as important bellwethers ahead of the 2024 presidential vote. There is no shortage of races to cover, but we’ll be paying particularly close attention to Virginia, where Republican governor Glenn Youngkin is hoping his allies take control of the legislature so he can enact an abortion ban, and Ohio, a Republican-leaning state where voters are deciding where to protect abortion rights in the state constitution. In red state Kentucky, Democratic governor Andy Beshear is fighting for a second term, while in Mississippi, voters are deciding whether to send Republican Tate Reeves to the governor’s mansion again, or replace him with Democrat Brandon Presley – a cousin of Elvis Presley. But that’s not all the news that has happened today: The House is moving forward with a resolution to censure progressive Democrat Rashida Tlaib over comments criticizing Israel and supporting the Palestinian cause. In a speech, Tlaib said she would continue calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing invasion of Gaza. David Weiss, the special counsel investigating Hunter Biden, defended his independence in an unusual behind-closed-doors appearance before the House judiciary committee. Iowa’s Republican governor Kim Reynolds endorsed her Florida counterpart Ron DeSantis for president, saying she does not think Donald Trump can win next year. Maryland’s Jamie Raskin led the Democratic defense in the just-concluded floor debate over censuring Rashida Tlaib. He argued that punishing Tlaib for her criticism of Israel would undercut speech freedom: The House just suspended its consideration of the resolution to censure Tlaib, and is expected to vote on it tomorrow. Here’s video of the first half of Rashida Tlaib’s speech on the House floor defending her comments on Israel’s invasion of Gaza: "We cannot lose our shared humanity" Tlaib says, as House leads towards censure In remarks on the House floor minutes after Democrats failed to block an effort to censure her for remarks her detractors say disparaged Israel, progressive Rashida Tlaib defended her criticism of the country and urged lawmakers to join in calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. “I will not be silenced and I will not let you distort my words,” Tlaib said. “No government is beyond criticism. The idea that criticizing the government of Israel is antisemitic sets a very dangerous precedent, and it’s been used to silence diverse voices speaking up for human rights across our nation.” Tlaib, who was first elected in 2018 and is a prominent member of “The Squad” of progressive female lawmakers, grew emotional as she said, “I can’t believe I have to say this, but Palestinian people are not disposable.” She continued by saying she was against attacks on both Israeli and Palestinian civilians alike: The cries of the Palestinian and Israeli children sound no different to me. What I don’t understand is why the cries of Palestinians sound different to you all. We cannot lose our shared humanity, Mr. Chair. I hear the voices of advocates in Israel and Palestine across America and around the world for peace. I’m inspired by … the courageous survivors in Israel who have lost loved ones, yet are calling for a ceasefire and the end to violence. I am grateful to the people in the streets for the peace movement with countless Jewish Americans across the country standing up and lovingly saying ‘not in our name’. We will continue to call for a ceasefire, Mr. Chair, for the immediate delivery of critical humanitarian aid to Gaza, for the release of all hostages and those arbitrarily detained and for every American to come home. We will continue to work for real, lasting peace that uphold human rights and dignity of all people and centers … peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians and censures no one – no one – and ensures that no person, no child has to suffer or live in fear of violence. Progressive Democrat Rashida Tlaib has long been outspoken against Israel’s policies towards Palestinians, but provoked a firestorm of criticism last week by defending the controversial slogan “from the river to the sea”: What makes that slogan so controversial? Here’s the Guardian’s Daniel Boffey with the answer: “We won’t rest until we have justice, until all people, Israelis and Palestinians, between the river and the sea can live in peaceful liberty,” said Andy McDonald, a Labour MP, at a protest in London organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign at the weekend. Three days later, McDonald was suspended from the party pending an investigation, leaving the former shadow cabinet minister sitting as an independent for now. Some feel the decision was heavy handed while others see it as a sign of strong leadership from Keir Starmer as the Labour leader tries to draw a clear line between himself and his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn. The key to understanding why the party reacted so strongly is six words from McDonald’s speech – and the context in with they were spoken. “Between the river and the sea” is a fragment from a slogan used since the 1960s by a variety of people with a host of purposes. And it is open to an array of interpretations, from the genocidal to the democratic. The full saying goes: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” – a reference to the land between the Jordan River, which borders eastern Israel, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. The question then is what that means for Israel and the Jewish people. House votes to move ahead with censuring progressive Democrat Rashida Tlaib over Israel comments The House of Representatives just rejected an attempt to block a resolution censuring progressive Democrat Rashida Tlaib over her criticism of Israel. The vote was 213 opposed to tabling the resolution, 208 in favor and one voting present. The resolution accuses Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, of “promoting false narratives” regarding Hamas’s 7 October terrorist attack against Israel, and “calling for destruction for the State of Israel.” The House is expected to vote later today on the passing the resolution. Lawmakers are currently on the floor debating Tlaib’s comments. Voters across Virginia are in the middle of casting ballots for state senate and assembly seats – all of which are up for grabs. Beyond just determining control of the legislature, today’s election could decide whether Republican governor Glenn Youngkin is able to pass a ban on abortion in one of the few southern states where accessing the procedure is still possible. Here’s more on today’s election, from the Guardian’s Joan E Greve: As he approached another door in Fredericksburg, walking past Halloween decorations and trees starting to lose their autumn leaves, Muhammad Khan prepared his pitch to voters. Over the past several weeks, Khan has spoken to many of his Virginia neighbors, stressing to them that the upcoming legislative elections will determine the future of their state. Addressing fellow union organizers on Friday morning, Khan said: “We really need to fight, and we need Virginia blue.” Members of Unite Here, a hospitality workers’ union, have knocked on 230,000 doors on behalf of Democratic candidates in Virginia ahead of Tuesday, when all 140 legislative seats in the battleground state will be up for grabs. Republicans are looking to maintain their narrow majority in the house of delegates and flip control of the state senate, which would clear the way for the governor, Glenn Youngkin, to enact his policy agenda. But Democrats warn that Republicans would use their legislative trifecta in Richmond to enact a 15-week abortion ban and roll back access to the ballot box. The results in Virginia carry national implications. Special counsel told Congress "I am ... the decision-maker" in Hunter Biden case - report In his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee today, David Weiss, the justice department special counsel handling the prosecution of Hunter Biden, assured lawmakers he has full control over the case, Politico reports. Republicans have alleged political interference in the investigation of the president’s son, which centers around allegations Biden failed to pay taxes on income from his overseas business dealings, and lied about using drugs on a background check to buy a firearm. Special prosecutors usually testify to Congress only after finishing their investigation, but the justice department and Weiss agreed to a behind-closed-doors session with the GOP-controlled committee. Among the many cities and states voting today is New York City, where voters are poised to send to the city council a man who was caught up in one of its most high-profile instances of wrongful convictions, the Associated Press reports: The exonerated “Central Park Five” member Yusef Salaam is poised to win a seat Tuesday on the New York City council, marking a stunning reversal of fortune for a political newcomer who was wrongly imprisoned as a teenager in the infamous rape case. Salaam, a Democrat, will represent a central Harlem district on the city council, having run unopposed for the seat in one of many local elections playing out across New York state on Tuesday. He won his primary election in a landslide. The victory will come more than two decades after DNA evidence was used to overturn the convictions of Salaam and four other Black and Latino men in the 1989 rape and beating of a white jogger in Central Park. Salaam was imprisoned for almost seven years. “For me, this means that we can really become our ancestors’ wildest dreams,” Salaam said in an interview before the election. Less than two weeks after 18 people were killed by a gunman in their small New England city, residents headed gingerly to polling places there today. The mood was somber. Several shooting survivors remained hospitalized, flags flew at half-staff, and funerals were being held this week for those who died in the attack, the Associated Press reports. “This is a necessity. We have to do this [vote]. So we can’t neglect it even though we’ve been through a terrible tragedy,” said James Scribner, 79, a retired teacher and Marine veteran, who was joined by his wife at local school that was transformed into a polling place. The shootings on October 25 at a bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, forced tens of thousands of residents to shelter in place for several days. Grocery stores, gas stations and restaurants were closed. The gunman was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a nearby town. Local candidates paused their campaigns for a week after the shootings, and campaigning was different when it resumed, said Jon Connor, a candidate for mayor. “When we restarted campaigning, I was knocking on doors to see how people are doing,” said Connor, who was greeting voters earlier today. “We’re meeting people where they are. We want to be respectful.” Lewiston voters were choosing a mayor and filling seven city council and eight school board seats. Some election workers stayed home, either out of safety concerns or to focus on mourning, city clerk Kathy Montejo said. Voter turnout appeared slow but steady. It seems a little quieter, a little more subdued, a little more somber,” Montejo said. Some voters overcame feelings of vulnerability to get to the polls. It still stays in the back of my mind. But I also can’t let one person make me stay in my house all by myself. I’m still sad. But I had to do my civic duty,” voter Lori Hallett said. The Iowa governor, Kim Reynolds, broke her neutrality in the Republican primary and endorsed Ron DeSantis for president on Monday, saying she does not believe Donald Trump can win the general election. “I believe he can’t win,” Reynolds said in an interview with NBC. “And I believe that Ron can.” The endorsement gives DeSantis the support of a deeply popular governor (she has an 81% approval rating among likely caucus-goers, according to a Des Moines Register/NBC poll). It also gives him fuel as he tries to close a significant gap with the former president in polling, both in Iowa and across the US. Trump is currently polling at 45.6% in Iowa, according to the FiveThirtyEight average of polls, while DeSantis is at 17.1%. The Florida governor is also trying to break away from Nikki Haley, with whom he is battling for second place in the race. DeSantis is betting his presidential campaign on a strong showing in Iowa, which will hold its caucuses for the GOP nomination on 15 January. Iowa has long held the first caucuses in the presidential nominating contests and its governors do not typically endorse candidates. Reynolds had previously told others, including Trump, she would stay neutral in the contest, the New York Times reported in July. She reversed that on Monday. “As a mother and as a grandmother and as an American, I just felt like I couldn’t stand on the sidelines any longer,” she said on Monday, according to the Des Moines Register. “We have too much at stake. Our country is in a world of hurt. The world is a powder keg. And I think it’s just really important that we put the right person in office.” Voters in Houston are heading to the polls today to elect the next mayor of the nation’s fourth largest city, choosing from a crowded field that includes US congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and state senator John Whitmire, two longtime Democratic lawmakers, the Associated Press writes. Jackson Lee and Whitmire have dominated an open mayoral race that drew 17 candidates to the ballot in the Texan metropolis and one write-in candidate, and that has been focused on issues of crime, crumbling infrastructure and potential budget shortfalls. If elected, Jackson Lee would be Houston’s first Black female mayor. Since 1995, she has represented Houston in Congress. Whitmire has spent five decades in the Texas legislature, where he has helped drive policies that were tough on crime while casting himself as a reformer. If no candidate manages to get more than half of the vote today, the top two will head to a runoff, which would be held December 9. Jackson Lee, 73, and Whitmire, 74, have touted their experience in a race to lead one of the youngest major cities in the US. About two weeks before the election, Jackson Lee’s campaign had to contend with the release of an unverified audio recording, which is purported to capture her berating staff members with a barrage of expletives. Booming growth over the last decade in Houston has caused municipal headaches but has also turned the area into an expanding stronghold for Texas Democrats. Although the mayoral race is nonpartisan, most of the candidates are Democrats. Whitmire and Jackson Lee are seeking to replace Mayor Sylvester Turner, who has served eight years and can’t run again because of term limits. Supreme court leans toward domestic-violence gun curbs US supreme court justices on today appeared inclined to uphold the legality of a federal law that makes it a crime for people under domestic violence restraining orders to have guns in the latest major case to test the willingness of its conservative majority to further expand gun rights, Reuters reports. The justices heard arguments in an appeal by Joe Biden’s administration of a lower court’s ruling striking down the law – intended to protect victims of domestic abuse - as a violation of the US constitution’s second amendment right to “keep and bear arms”. The New Orleans-based fifth US circuit court of appeals concluded that the measure failed a stringent test set by the supreme court in a 2022 ruling that required gun laws to be “consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation” in order to survive a Ssecond amendment challenge. Some of the conservative justices questioned the scope of the administration’s argument that, under the second amendment, people who are not law-abiding and responsible – categories that include domestic abusers – may be barred from possessing firearms. Some of their questions, however, signaled openness to a standard that would permit laws that disarm people deemed dangerous, as opposed to merely irresponsible. Chief justice John Roberts, who leans conservative, focused on the word “responsible”, suggesting that it was too broad. I mean, not taking your recycling to the curb on Thursdays, if it’s a serious problem it’s irresponsible,” Roberts said. He added that: What seems irresponsible to some people might seem like, well, it’s not a big deal to others.” He also cited examples of a person who gets in a fist fight at a sports event or drives a small amount over the speed limit. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, defending the law on behalf of the Biden administration, told Roberts that she was not using the term “not responsible” in a colloquial sense, instead asserting “the principle of responsibility as being intrinsically tied to the danger you would present if you had access to firearms”. And the reason that we use the term ‘not responsible’ is because it is the standard this court has articulated” in its three major gun rights rulings in the past 15 years, Prelogar said. Prelogar also told the justices that the law fits within the nation’s tradition of taking guns from people deemed dangerous, thus meeting the standard the court itself has established for withstanding a second amendment challenge. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty last month to three federal gun charges – in the politically fraught case that could go to trial in the heat of US president Joe Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign. Hunter Biden, 53, the first child of a sitting president to be criminally prosecuted, was arraigned at a court in Wilmington, Delaware, in early October, accused of unlawfully possessing a gun as an illegal drug user and lying about his drug use on a background check form when he bought a Colt Cobra revolver in 2018. The indictment was secured in September by the special counsel, David Weiss (see previous post), after a plea agreement between Biden and prosecutors collapsed in August. Under that deal, Biden had agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax violations and would avoid punishment on the gun charges if for two years he did not possess a firearm and refrained from using illegal drugs and alcohol. The US justice department has not said whether it will also bring an indictment over separate tax misdemeanour charges but the special counsel has indicated they could come in Washington or in California, where Hunter lives. In Congress, House Republicans – eager to divert attention from the multiple criminal indictments faced by Donald Trump – are seeking to link Hunter Biden’s dealings to his father’s through an impeachment inquiry. Republicans have been investigating Hunter since his father was Barack Obama’s vice-president. While questions have arisen about the ethics surrounding the Biden family’s international business, no evidence has emerged so far to prove that Biden, in his current or previous office, abused his role or accepted bribes. Hunter Biden prosecutor testifies before Congress in unique event The prosecutor overseeing the investigation into Hunter Biden, the son of US president Joe Biden, is testifying today, in a situation marking the first time a special counsel will appear before the US Congress in the middle of a case, the Associated Press reports. Special counsel David Weiss is appearing for a transcribed interview before members of the House Judiciary Committee as the US attorney battles Republican allegations that he did not have full authority in the years-long case into the younger Biden. Mr Weiss is prepared to take this unprecedented step of testifying before the conclusion of his investigation to make clear that he’s had and continues to have full authority over his investigation and to bring charges in any jurisdiction,” Wyn Hornbuckle, a spokesperson for Weiss, said in a statement issued yesterday. The rare move by the Justice Department to allow a special counsel or any federal prosecutor to face questioning before the conclusion of an investigation indicates just how seriously the department is taking accusations of interference. Weiss’ appearance comes after months of back-and-forth negotiations between Republicans on the Judiciary Committee and the Justice Department as lawmakers subpoenaed several investigators and attorneys involved in the Hunter Biden case. The interview today is expected to focus on testimony from an Internal Revenue Service agent who claimed that under Weiss, the investigation into the president’s son was “slow-walked” and mishandled. What information, if any, Weiss will be able to provide to Congress is unclear as under Justice Department policy and the law, he will be unable to address the specifics of his investigation. Some more background on this in our next post…. Millions are voting in almost 40 states across the country today, in the biggest election between now and the decision on the White House next November. Here in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the mayoral seat is up for grabs. Something else important is on the ballot in Ohio, too. Fierce fight in Kentucky gubernatorial contest. In the year since the US supreme court overturned Roe v Wade, a version of this conversation has played out across the country – and at the ballot box. In 2022, abortion rights supporters won every abortion-related referendums put to voters. This year, Ohio will become the first reliably red state to vote on whether to explicitly add abortion rights to the state constitution since the fall of Roe. Millions of dollars have flooded into Ohio in the last several weeks. Recent filings show that Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, a name for the coalition backing Issue 1, has reported bringing in nearly $30m since August, including $3.5m from a group linked to billionaire George Soros. That’s far more than the anti-abortion side has raised: Protect Women Ohio, a coalition that’s leading the charge against Issue 1, reported raising just shy of $10m. Money flowed into the coalition through its action fund, which received donations from the influential anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America and the Concord Fund, an organization linked to conservative power broker Leonard Leo. Issue 1 lawn signs are visible across the state, with “Vote Yes” signs often placed right beside signs urging people to “Vote No”. Ohio residents reported being bombarded with ads for one side or the other. But the barrage of information about the vote has also left many Ohioans bewildered. Some of the confusion stems from the fact that this is the second time Ohioans have gone to the polls this year to vote on an “Issue 1”. In August, Ohioans voted on a measure that would have made it harder to amend the state constitution. At that time, people who supported abortion rights were urged to vote “no”. Now, they have to vote “yes” to protect the procedure. Meanwhile, here is the Guardian’s piece, tracking where abortion laws stand in every state. Almost 17 months after Roe fell at the hands of a hard-right controlled Supreme Court, abortion is now nearly completely banned in 14 US states. The vote on Issue 1 in Ohio today will have both political and medical consequences that stretch beyond the state. Issue 1 is the only abortion-related referendum this year, and the results will indicate whether the backlash to the demise of Roe v Wade will continue to translate into wins at the ballot box. If Issue 1 fails, the Ohio state supreme court will be free to reinstate a six-week abortion ban, outlawing the procedure before many people even know they’re pregnant. Ohioans who want abortions will need to flee to other states for the procedure, contributing to pressure on abortion clinics throughout the country. Supporters of Issue 1 are cautiously optimistic: an October poll found that 58% of Ohio residents planned to vote yes. “You just start going through these doomsday scenarios of what happens if we have an abortion ban,” said Representative Emilia Sykes, a Democrat whose district includes Akron, Ohio. “We are going to prevail on Tuesday, and hopefully continue to send the message to leave us alone. Really, just leave us alone.” Over the last several weeks, Parinita Singh, 32, has spent roughly 30 hours canvassing houses in support of Issue 1. At one home, with a sign out front reading “Be a Patriot: VOTE PRO-LIFE”, she entered into a cordial but spirited verbal sparring match with a man in his 80s. The pair touched on seemingly every argument in the US abortion debate: is a fetus a person or a clump of cells? Can’t people just choose to give up their kids for adoption? Should men get a say? What about religion? The man, who declined to give his name to the Guardian, tried to press Bible pamphlets into Singh’s hands. “God doesn’t force his opinions on anybody,” he told her. “Sounds like he is, if he’s telling women not to have abortions,” Singh replied. In Ohio today, voters will decide whether to pass a constitutional amendment guaranteeing an individual right to abortion and other forms of reproductive healthcare, the Associated Press reports. Ohio is the only state to consider a statewide abortion-rights question this year, fueling tens of millions of dollars in campaign spending, boisterous rallies for and against the amendment, and months of advertising and social media messaging, some of it misleading. With a single spotlight on abortion rights this year, advocates on both sides of the issue are watching the outcome for signs of voter sentiment heading into 2024, when abortion-rights supporters are planning to put measures on the ballot in several other states, including Arizona, Missouri and Florida. Early voter turnout has also been robust. Public polling shows about two-thirds of Americans say abortion should generally be legal in the earliest stages of pregnancy, a sentiment that has been underscored in half a dozen states since the Supreme Court’s decision reversing Roe v. W