No “red wave" and other midterm takeaways

Plus, Brittney Griner is sent to a Russian prison. Democrats outperformed midterm expectations; Brittney Griner was taken to serve a sentence in a Russian penal colony. Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin. Editor's Note: You may have received a copy of our Recode newsletter in your inbox earlier today. We regret the programming error. If you enjoyed the email, though ... you can [subscribe here](!   TOP NEWS What to know about the 2022 midterms so far - Midterm votes are still being counted for many key races and Americans may not not know for weeks which party controls Congress, but here are some takeaways. [[Vox / Ben Jacobs](] - Republicans are likely to regain the House but likely won’t have a large majority. Democrats outperformed polls and historical expectations; there was no “red wave” of GOP victories. [[Vox / Andrew Prokop](] - Democratic candidate John Fetterman beat GOP challenger Dr. Mehmet Oz in the race for Pennsylvania Senate. Georgia’s Senate race will go to a December 6 runoff. Nevada's and Arizona’s Senate races are too close to call. [[Vox / Dylan Scott](] - Incumbent Democratic governors Gretchen Whitmer, Kathy Hochul, Laura Kelly, and Tony Evers kept their seats. The results of some major contests like the race between Republican Kari Lake and Democrat Katie Hobbs in Arizona are still outstanding. [[USA Today](] - Democrats flipped state legislatures in Minnesota and Michigan, providing a path forward for climate action and other Democratic priorities in both states. [[Vox / Rebecca Leber](] - Tuesday was also a huge night for ballot initiatives. Missouri and Maryland voted to legalize marijuana. However, voters in Arkansas and the Dakotas didn’t. [[Vox / Mary Jane Gibson](] 📍 If you read just one story Vox’s Zack Beauchamp explains why the 2022 midterms show US democracy won’t go down without a fight. [[Vox / Zack Beauchamp](] [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Brittney Griner sent to Russian prison - WNBA star Brittney Griner is on her way to a Russian penal colony. Her attorneys weren’t told where. [[BBC / Alex Binley](] - Russian authorities arrested Griner at a Moscow airport in February after finding cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage; the US calls the detention wrongful. [[Guardian](] - Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges and admitted to mistakenly packing the cartridges. In August, the two-time Olympic Gold medalist was sentenced to nine years incarceration. [[CNBC / Phil Helsel and Andrea Mitchell](] - US officials were not notified about where Griner would begin serving her sentence. It could take weeks for Griner’s lawyers to learn her final location. [[Associated Press](]   Support our journalism Reader contributions help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work with a one-time gift today. [Yes, I'll make a gift](   MISCELLANEOUS Tuesday, California voters rejected a ballot measure to tax the wealthy to make electric vehicles more affordable for low-income communities. [[Vox / Umair Irfan](] - Some states voted for ballot measures to expand medicaid and establish the right to abortion and collective bargaining. [[Vox](] - Wednesday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the social media company is laying off 11,000 employees. [[CNBC / Jonathan Vanian](] - Tuesday, Donald Trump warned Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis against running for president in 2024. [[New York Times / Maggie Haberman](] VERBATIM “If McCarthy’s hair was not already uniformly silver, it would be turning gray after this Election Day.” [[Ben Jacobs on the House midterm election results / Vox](]   LISTEN TO THIS No red wave The midterms weren’t a clear victory for Republicans, and it’s still too early to know who’ll control Congress. Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains. [Listen now ▶](   Read more from Vox [South Dakota voters decide to extend Medicaid coverage to 45,000 people]( [Egypt’s most prominent political prisoner is dying as world leaders arrive for UN climate summit]( [The ridiculous Twitter check mark situation just got more complicated]( [The unexpected climate wins of the midterms]( [9 noteworthy ballot measures from the 2022 elections]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=sentences). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved.