Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
Today's top stories
Vice President Harris yesterday conceded the election, urging her supporters not to despair about her loss and to "never give up the fight for our democracy." Her 107-day campaign started with President Biden's dramatic exit from the race and ended with major setbacks for the Democratic party. How did it happen? Take a look at how Harris lost the election, and how Trump was able to win the presidency.
- 🎧 "I've been saying for some time now that we're in the middle of a political realignment in the country," NPR's Domenico Montanaro tells Up First. One of the most surprising exit poll findings is that the share of white voters in the electorate increased for the first time since 1992. But it wasn’t just white voters: Trump managed to secure 46% of Latinos, marking the best performance by a Republican candidate among this demographic in history. Many voters expressed that they felt better off financially under Trump’s presidency, making it difficult for Vice President Harris to separate herself from President Biden on issues related to the economy and immigration.
- ➡️ While Republicans have reclaimed control of the Senate, it will take days, if not longer, to determine control of the House. Several close races have not yet been called. Here's where the 2024 election stands as of Wednesday night.
Trump began this year facing federal indictments that could have led to prison time. However, he could conclude 2024 free from his most serious legal challenges. Special Counsel Jack Smith is taking steps to end both federal cases against Trump before he takes office, according to a source familiar with Justice Department deliberations.
- 🎧 Attorney General Bill Barr says people have considered the allegations of election interference against Trump and voters have decisively rejected them, NPR's Carrie Johnson reports. It remains unclear how much progress Smith has made on his report of findings and whether the current administration will release any part of it before Inauguration Day.
Trump has made promises throughout his campaign that would reshape the economy. He's said he would lower income taxes, increase taxes on imports called tariffs, and enact mass deportations, including on people who work in the U.S. Here's what a second Trump presidency could mean for the U.S. economy.
- 🎧 Trump has remarked that his tariffs would generate enough revenue to fund other aspects of his agenda, NPR’s Scott Horsley says. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that Trump’s overall economic plans could add nearly $8 trillion to the federal debt over the next decade. Economists have also noted that some of his policies, such as the deportation of immigrant farm workers, could lead to higher prices on things like groceries.
- ➡️ Take a look at what the first 100 days of Trump's second term could look like. And, here's how U.S. health care and climate policy could change under his leadership.
Life advice
There is an art and science to finding missing items. Life Kit asked visual search scientists, a metal-detecting enthusiast and a detective to share effective methods for locating lost objects. Here are some useful techniques:
- 🔍 Identify what makes your object stand out, such as its size, color, texture or shape. Then, search based on that feature.
- 🔍 Recreate how the object would move in the area where you last saw it. Observing how the object falls, lands, or moves can offer insights into where it might be.
- 🔍 Scan the environment in 360 degrees. That means “looking down, looking up, looking left and right, crouching down to change your perspective, turning around to view things that weren't visible to you when you first approached them,” says Michael Hout, a cognitive psychologist.
- 🔍 Look in weird and unexpected places where you wouldn’t usually put the items.
Click here for the full list of techniques for finding lost objects.
Picture Show
In the independent documentary project Rainbow Girls, photographer Julia Gunther highlights the experiences of protection and prejudice faced by a group of South African lesbian women. The project consists of images taken at the Miss Lesbian pageant, showcasing portraits of lesbian activists, filmmakers and everyday women celebrating and advocating for LGBTQ rights in Cape Town. These portraits were captured 10 years apart.
- 📷 See photos from the project, hear from the women showcased in the images and learn more about LGBTQ rights in South Africa.
3 things to know before you go
- Amazon workers at an Alabama warehouse will have a third chance to vote on unionizing thanks to a federal labor judge’s ruling.
- Bernie Marcus, who co-founded Home Depot, died on Monday at 95. He became a prolific philanthropist after the home improvement chain’s success.
- Australian breakdancer Raygun, who faced backlash for her performance at the Paris Olympics, is retiring from competition.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
Copyright 2024 NPR