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The New York Times lists Emmy winners. The AP has an overview story here.

New York Times: “Hvaldimir, a beluga whale who had captured the public’s imagination since 2019 after he was spotted wearing a harness seemingly designed for a camera, was found dead on Saturday in Norway, according to a nonprofit that worked to protect the whale.... [Hvaldimir] was wearing a harness that identified it as “equipment” from St. Petersburg. There also appeared to be a camera mount. Some wondered if the whale was on a Russian reconnaissance mission. Russia has never claimed ownership of the whale. If Hvaldimir was a spy, he was an exceptionally friendly one. The whale showed signs of domestication, and was comfortable around people. He remained in busier waters than are typical for belugas....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, Lord, do not let Bobby Kennedy, Jr., near that carcass. ~~~

     ~~~ AP Update: “There’s no evidence that a well-known beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy was shot to death last month as claimed by animal rights groups, Norwegian police said Monday.... Police said that the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the animal, which was become known as 'Hvaldimir,' combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'There are no findings from the autopsy that indicate that Hvaldimir has been shot,' police said in a statement.”

New York Times: Botswana's “President Mokgweetsi Masisi grinned as he lifted the diamond, a 2,492-carat stone that is the biggest diamond unearthed in more than a century and the second-largest ever found, according to the Vancouver-based mining operator Lucara, which owns the mine where it was found. This exceptional discovery could bring back the luster of the natural diamond mining industry, mining companies and experts say. The diamond was discovered in the same relatively small mine in northeastern Botswana that has produced several of the largest such stones in living memory. Such gemstones typically surface as a result of volcanic activity.... The diamond will likely sell in the range of tens of millions of dollars....”

Click on photo to enlarge.

~~~ Guardian: "On a distant reef 16,000km from Paris, surfer Gabriel Medina has given Olympic viewers one of the most memorable images of the Games yet, with an airborne celebration so well poised it looked too good to be true. The Brazilian took off a thundering wave at Teahupo’o in Tahiti on Monday, emerging from a barrelling section before soaring into the air and appearing to settle on a Pacific cloud, pointing to the sky with biblical serenity, his movements mirrored precisely by his surfboard. The shot was taken by Agence France-Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet, who said “the conditions were perfect, the waves were taller than we expected”. He took the photo while aboard a boat nearby, capturing the surreal image with such accuracy that at first some suspected Photoshop or AI." 

Washington Post: “'Mary Cassatt at Work' is a large and mostly satisfying exhibition devoted to the career of the great American artist beloved for her sensitive and often sentimental views of family life. The 'at work' in the title of the Philadelphia Museum of Art show references the curators’ interest in Cassatt’s pioneering effort to establish herself as a professional artist within a male-dominated field. Throughout the show, which includes some 130 paintings, pastels, prints and drawings, the wall text and the art on view stresses Cassatt’s fixation on art as a career rather than a pastime.... Mary Cassatt at Work is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Sept. 8. philamuseum.org”

New York Times: “Bob Newhart, who died on Thursday at the age of 94, has been such a beloved giant of popular culture for so long that it’s easy to forget how unlikely it was that he became one of the founding fathers of stand-up comedy. Before basically inventing the hit stand-up special, with the 1960 Grammy-winning album 'The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart' — that doesn’t even count his pay-per-view event broadcast on Canadian television that some cite as the first filmed special — he was a soft-spoken accountant who had never done a set in a nightclub. That he made a classic with so little preparation is one of the great miracles in the history of comedy.... Bob Newhart holds up. In fact, it’s hard to think of a stand-up from that era who is a better argument against the commonplace idea that comedy does not age well.”

Washington Post: “An early Titian masterpiece — once looted by Napolean’s troops and a part of royal collections for centuries — caused a stir when it was stolen from the home of a British marquess in 1995. Seven years later, it was found inside an unassuming white and blue plastic bag at a bus stop in southwest London by an art detective, and returned. This week, the oil painting 'The Rest on the Flight into Egypt' sold for more than $22 million at Christie’s. It was a record for the Renaissance artist, whom museums describe as the greatest painter of 16th-century Venice. Ahead of the sale in April, the auction house billed it as 'the most important work by Titian to come to the auction market in more than a generation.'”

Washington Post: The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., which houses the world's largest collection of Shakespeare material, has undergone a major renovation. "The change to the building is pervasive, both subtle and transformational."

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Tuesday
Nov042014

Gubernatorial Race Results

Trip Gabriel of the New York Times: "Republicans won the two most intensely followed, high-stakes governor's races of the year as Rick Scott of Florida and Scott Walker of Wisconsin won re-election on Tuesday in states that both parties are looking to as a gauge of voter sentiment in the run-up to the 2016 presidential campaign. Their victories were part of a sweeping tide of Republican victories in governors' races. With Republican control of a majority of legislatures, the party was left in firm control of the nation's state capitals.... Surprise winners for the Republicans included Bruce Rauner, a money manager who defeated the Democratic incumbent, Pat Quinn, in Illinois, and Larry Hogan, who defeated the current Democratic lieutenant governor of Maryland, Anthony Brown. In Kansas, Gov. Sam Brownback, on the defensive because of the state's embattled fiscal situation, turned back his Democratic challenger, Paul Davis. In Maine, Gov. Paul R. LePage, a staunch conservative, defeated Mike Michaud, a Democrat. And in Massachusetts, Martha Coakley, the Democrat, lost a close race to Charles Baker, the Republican." ...

... The Times' interactive map is here.

States are listed in alpha order.

Alabama. Gov. Robert Bentley (R) has won re-election.

Arizona. Doug Ducey (R) has won the race.

Arkansas. Asa Hutchinson (R) has won the gubernatorial race. The current governor, Mike Beebe, is a Democrat.

California. Jerry Brown has been re-elected to his 4th term. ...

... Seema Mehta of the Los Angeles Times: "California voters decisively elected Gov. Jerry Brown to a historic fourth term Tuesday, a rare bright spot for Democrats on a night when Republicans celebrated huge victories in the rest of the nation. Brown handily defeated GOP challenger Neel Kashkari and voters also approved the two propositions that the incumbent championed -- a $7.5-billion water bond measure and a state rainy-day fund."

Colorado. Lauren French of Politico: "Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has been reelected, fending off GOP challenger Bob Beauprez, according to The Associated Press. The Democrat trailed Beauprez in the polls for most of Election Day, but eventually pulled ahead, earning 48.3 percent of the vote with 93.4 percent of precincts reporting. Beauprez trailed by only 1 percentage point."

Connecticut. Matthew Kauffman, et al., of the Hartford Courant: "Gov. Dan Malloy appeared poised to pull ahead of Republican challenger Tom Foley as Connecticut's neck-and-neck race for governor came to a close. Around 12:30 a.m., as registrars in Hartford, Bridgeport and elsewhere were still tallying votes, Malloy gave a rousing speech to supporters, telling them 'We are going to win this thing' -- while stopping short of declaring victory. Twenty minutes later, Foley in turn told supporters 'We probably have lost this race' -- while stopping short of conceding." ...

... Here's where the Connecticut race stands now.

Florida. Aargh! The NYT has called the race for Gov. Scott. Very bad for the working poor who need health insurance. ...

... Marc Caputo, et al., of the Miami Herald: "Bolstered by a $100 million campaign and a stronger economy, Gov. Rick Scott overcame his own political liabilities and a fierce challenge from Democrat Charlie Crist on Tuesday as he won a second term that solidified Republican control of the state. Polls showed the race would be tight, and it was. As Scott clung to a 1.4 percentage point lead, Crist conceded before 11:30 p.m." ...

... With 95 % of the vote in, Scott is about 120K votes ahead. ...

... Crist's early lead has evaporated @ 7:50 pm ET. ...

... Crist is asking for an emergency court order to keep the polls open an extra hour in -- wait for it -- Broward County, because of voting machine problems. Update: Crist's petition has been denied, but everyone in line in Broward County @ 7:00 pm will be allowed to vote. ...

... Crist (D) is ahead in early returns.

Georgia. Gov. Nathan Deal has retained his seat over challenger Jason Carter (D).

Kansas. Maybe the worst governor in the U.S., Sam Brownback (RTP), kept his job. ...

... Bryan Lowry & Suzanne Perez Tobias of the Wichita Eagle: "Gov. Sam Brownback triumphed over Democrat Paul Davis late Tuesday, collecting 50 percent of the vote in a hard-fought race."

Illinois. Bruce Rauner (R) has unseated Pat Quinn (D).

Maine. The horrid Gov. Paul LePage won in a three-way race. ...

... Steve Mistler of the Portland Press Herald: "Republican Gov. Paul LePage secured a second term early Wednesday morning, defeating Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud after a long, expensive and often bitter campaign. Michaud conceded defeat at 12:30 a.m. in a speech at the Port City Music Hall. LePage triumphantly took the stage at the Franco American Heritage Center in Lewiston before Michaud finished his speech."

Maryland. Larry Hogan (R) defeated Anthony Brown (D). ...

... John Wagner & Jenna Johnson of the Washington Post: "Republican businessman Larry Hogan pulled off a stunning upset in heavily Democratic Maryland on Tuesday, winning the governor's race against Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown by relentlessly promising to roll back tax increases and chart a new direction for the state."

Massachusetts. Charlie Baker (R) beat Martha Coakley (D) by a slim margin. (Thanks, Boston Globe!) ...

... Robert Scalese of the Boston Globe: "Democratic gubernatorial candidate Martha Coakley called Republican candidate Charlie Baker Wednesday morning to congratulate him on his victory. Coakley will address supporters at 11 a.m., according to multiple reports."

Michigan. Gov. Rick Snyder (R) has won re-election, per NBC News.

Minnesota. Gov. Mark Dayton (D) is the projected winner, per NBC News.

Nebraska. NBC News has called the race for Republican Pete Ricketts.

Nevada. Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) prevails.

New Hampshire. NBC News has called the race for Gov. Maggie Hassan (D).

New Mexico. NBC News projects Gov. Susana Martinez (R) has won re-election.

New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) retains his seat, per CNN.

Ohio. NBC News has called the Ohio race for Gov. John Kasich (R).

Oregon. The New York Times has called the race for Gov. John Kitzhaber (D). ....

... Laura Gunderson of the Oregonian: "Rep. Dennis Richardson refused to concede the governor's race on Tuesday night, saying the margin was too slim and that he planned to 'go to bed happy tonight.' About the same time Richardson spoke at his election party in Clackamas, Gov. John Kitzhaber thanked his supporters at the Democrats' function in downtown Portland for the "incredible honor" to serve another four years."

Pennsylvania. Democrat Tom Wolf defeats Gov. Tom Corbett.

Rhode Island. Gina Raimondo (D) won the race.

South Carolina. NBC News projects Gov. Nikki Haley (R) has won re-election.

South Dakota. Republican Dennis Daugaard has won re-election.

Tennessee. Gov. Bill Haslam (R) has won re-election.

Texas. CNN projects Greg Abbott (R) wins over Wendy Davis (D).

** Wisconsin. Scott Walker hangs onto his seat. ...

... Jason Stein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Republican Gov. Scott Walker defeated Democrat Mary Burke Tuesday, ensuring himself a second term in Madison and raising the prospect of a political future at the national level."

Wyoming. Gov. Matt Mead (R) has won re-election.

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