How the AP counts the vote and declares winners in US elections
Instead of relying on crowd-sourcing or vulnerable technology, our 50-state network of local reporters have first-hand knowledge of their territories and trusted relationships with county clerks and other local officials. These stringers collect votes at a local level. We also gather results from state or county websites and electronic data feeds from states. On election night, race callers in each state are armed with a wealth of additional detailed information from our election research team, including demographics, the number of absentee ballots, and political issues that may affect the outcome of races they must call. Race callers are part of AP’s Decision Team, which declared winners in more than 7,000 races in the 2020 general election. The process 1. Collect the votes Our vote count reporters collect votes at a local level from county clerks throughout the night. They also monitor government web…
Trump and DeSantis meet to make peace and discuss fundraising for the former president’s campaign
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump met privately with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the weekend, marking a détente between the former rivals after a brutal Republican primary contest marked by insults and bruised egos, according to three people familiar with the discussion. The meeting, which lasted three hours, was organized to help the men bury the hatchet and discuss potential joint fundraising efforts, according to one of the people, who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity to share details of the private get-together. The governor, during the conversation, committed to helping Trump as he faces President Joe Biden in the general election, said the person. It ended with the two shaking hands, said another. The meeting, which was first reported by The Washington Post, was orchestrated by Florida real estate investor Steve Witkoff, and took place at his Shell Bay Club in Hollywood, Florida. Witkoff did not immediately respond to…
News anchor Poppy Harlow announces departure from CNN
ATLANTA (AP) — Anchor Poppy Harlow is leaving CNN, according to the network. Harlow, who joined CNN in 2008 and most recently co-hosted “CNN This Morning,” announced her parting from the cable news giant in an email to colleagues. She called her time at CNN “a gift.” “I have been inspired by you and learned so much from you – who are (and will remain) dear friends,” Harlow wrote. “This place has shaped me as a leader, taught me resilience, shown me the value of perspective and how to make hard decisions.” At CNN, Harlow reported on the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and the 2015 Paris terror attacks, among other stories. “I got to experience what makes this country great,” Harlow wrote in her email. “I sat with people in their best moments and in their hardest. They taught me about the human condition and what binds us.” Earlier this…
Why judges use gag orders in high-profile cases like the Idaho student killings
A coalition of media organizations and the father of a murder victim are set to come to an Idaho court on Friday with the same goal in mind: challenging a gag order.
Two separate hearings are scheduled in the criminal case against Bryan Kohberger, the criminology graduate student at Washington State University accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students in their off-campus home. A not guilty plea has been entered on his behalf, and the trial is set for October.
Cultural Exploration
C-U-L-T-U-R-E. The word culture is a short seven-letter word, but it’s so dense and fulfilling. Through culture, we understand who we are, where we belong, and where we are going. Culture hides within itself a world hidden from plain sight. It is through a culture that we know to boil the fever bush or that using salt on everything