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US midterms: Polls show Democrats ahead in battle for Congress

Democrats lead Republicans in national polling ahead of Tuesday's United States midterm elections, with new surveys showing the party gaining ground in several closely contested Senate races as voters express dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump's handling of the economy. With all 435 House of Representatives seats and 35 Senate seats on the ballot, the elections will determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress for the remaining two years of Trump's second term. A RealClearPolling average of surveys conducted through October 30 shows Democrats leading Republicans 52% to 43.1% on the generic congressional ballot, an 8.9-percentage-point advantage. An NBC News survey conducted October 28-30 found Democrats ahead 52% to 45%, while an Emerson College poll conducted October 24-26 put the gap at 10 points. The generic ballot measures nationwide preferences for congressional candidates rather than support in individual districts, meaning a nati...

Trump sacks portrait gallery director over DEI support

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he had fired the director of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., describing her as a supporter of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and saying she was inappropriate for the role. Trump did not cite any specific actions or comments by Kim Sajet that may have triggered her firing, which he announced in a brief social media post. Representatives for Sajet, the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian Institution, which owns the museum, did not immediately reply to requests for comment. "Upon the request and recommendation of many people, I am herby terminating the employment of Kim Sajet," Trump said in his post on Truth Social. https://ift.tt/NUB9q7k Sajet was the first woman to serve as director of the gallery, a landmark Washington institution that houses portraits of distinguished Americans, including every president. It contains over 26,000 works, according to its website. It was not immediately clear whether Trump had the legal authority to fire Sajet. The Smithsonian is technically independent of the federal government, despite receiving most of its budget from the US. Congress. Sajet's firing is the latest salvo in Trump's war against DEJ initiatives. It also comes as Trump seeks to reshape the capital's arts and culture scene, including by dismissing Kennedy Center board members and installing himself a s chairman. Trump's DEI actions have alarmed advocates, who say they effectively erase decades of hard-fought progress on leveling the playing field for marginalized communities. Trump's administration claims DEI initiatives are discriminatory and stifle merit. Sajet, a Nigerian-born art historian, has served as the gallery's director since 2013. In a 2015 interview with Washington Post, Sajet reflected on the gallery's efforts to examine issues of race and gender. "Where are all the women and African Americans?" Sajet told the Post of the gallery's collection. "We can't correct the ills of history. Women and men and women of color — their portraits weren't taken. How are we going to show the presence of absence?"

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/EHfJGVn

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