Why the Virginia governor's race matters

The Virginia governor’s race could offer hints for next year’s midterm elections; nations pledge to end deforestation and slash methane emissions.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

What Virginia's close governor's race could mean

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

• Virginian voters are heading to the polls Tuesday to decide a close governor’s race between Terry McAuliffe (D) and Glenn Youngkin (R) that could offer a  glimpse of how voters feel about President Joe Biden and Democrats ahead of next year's midterm elections. [Washington Post / Teo Armus]
• McAuliffe, who previously served as governor from 2014 to 2018, has repeatedly attempted to link Youngkin, a former private-sector executive, to Donald Trump. Youngkin has used controversies over trans rights, Covid-19 protocols, and teaching about race in schools to try to rally the Republican base. [CNN / Stephen Collinson]
• Polls have tightened in the state Biden won by 10 percentage points, and Youngkin has perhaps gained a slight edge. A win would energize the Republican Party ahead of the 2022 elections — and perhaps spell trouble for Democrats. [New York Times / Nate Cohn]
• Voters will also elect 100 members of Virginia’s House of Delegates and attorney general; in the race for lieutenant governor, either Democrat Hala Ayala or Republican Winsome Sears will become the first woman of color to hold statewide office. [Washingtonian / Damare Baker]
• Six other states are also holding statewide elections Tuesday. New Jersey is choosing its next governor and mayoral races are happening in New York City, Minneapolis, and Boston. Tensions between progressives and moderates over issues including policing have flared up in some local city races. [NYT / Maggie Astor and Neil Vigdor]
• For local election info, visit your elections website. You can find a nationwide overview of races and ballot initiatives at What's on the Ballot.com, compiled by the journalist and political scientist Daniel Nichanian. [What's on the Ballot]

Over 100 nations pledge to cut methane and deforestation

• World leaders pledged methane emissions reductions and an end to deforestation at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday. [AP / Frank Jordans and Jill Lawless]
• With close to $20 billion in public and private support, 100 leaders responsible for 85 percent of the Earth’s forests agreed to halt deforestation by 2030 in what could be a major win in the fight against global warming: Nearly a quarter of planet-warming emissions come from clearing forests and other land use changes. [Washington Post / Tik Root and Maxine Joselow] 
• The US announced its Environmental Protection Agency will monitor and enforce new regulations to curb leaks of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from the oil and gas industry. The US and European Union have encouraged about 100 countries to sign onto the Global Methane Pledge to slash emissions worldwide 30 percent by 2030. [CNN / Ella Nilsen]
• “Cutting back on methane emissions is one of the most effective things we can do to reduce near-term global warming and keep 1.5 degrees Celsius. It is the lowest-hanging fruit,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, told the summit on Tuesday. [BBC / Matt McGrath]

Facebook announced that it will end its facial recognition program, amid mounting criticism of its policies, in a blog post on Tuesday. [CNBC / Salvador Rodriguez]

• More than 2,000 New York City firefighters called out sick on Monday as the Covid-19 vaccine mandate for city workers took effect. [CBS / Megan Cerullo]
• China is urging families to stock up on essentials as the country imposes restrictions to stop a surge in coronavirus cases ahead of the holiday season.  [NYT / Alexandra Stevenson] 
• The Houston Astros will try to stay alive against the Atlanta Braves in Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday night. [CBS Sports / Dayne Perry]

“Our sense is that the race has been moving toward Youngkin in large part because of the political environment. McAuliffe’s Trump-centric campaign also just doesn’t seem as potent in a non-federal race with the former president no longer in the White House.”

[The Trump-sympathetic editorial board of the New York Post, in an editorial calling on Trump to stop challenging the 2020 election / NY Post]

Sean Illing talks with John McWhorter, linguist, New York Times columnist, and author of Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America about the societal implications of the way we talk — and don’t talk — about racism. [Spotify]

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