Pundits’ predictions of a drawn-out result in the US presidential election have come true as Donald Trump and Joe Biden remain neck and neck in key swing states this morning.
With millions of votes still being counted, Biden appears to have the edge in Wisconsin, while voting remains close in Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Both candidates still have a path to the White House, with Biden telling supporters late last night, “We are on track to win the election.”
Trump went a step further and claimed to have won the election despite votes still being counted. He also promised to launch a Supreme Court challenge, although it wasn’t clear why, and spoke of electoral “fraud”, but provided no evidence of such.
Trump’s speech came in for strong criticism, both from Biden’s camp and his own supporters , with several TV networks choosing to cut away from his baseless remarks and fact check them instead.
Trump continued to stoke fears about the election process this morning with a series of tweets about his vote advantage in key states “magically” disappearing. Both messages have since been hidden by Twitter.
A senior Republican official has told CNN, “We see no credible reports of fraud or anything improper.”
Meanwhile, the Democrats and Republicans are also still locked in a tight race for control of the Senate. The BBC reports five seats are yet to be decided, with the Democrats needing to make a net gain of four seats.
However, the Democrats are confident they will retain their majority in the House of Representatives.
The counting of votes continues today.
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Nurses slam MIQ facilities
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) says managed isolation and quarantine facilities are putting the whole country at risk .
It comes as two workers at the Sudima facility in Christchurch tested positive for Covid-19 this week.
The NZNO says their infections are a “symptom of systemic structural problems” and are calling for an urgent review of processes to understand where the pressure points are.
Earlier yesterday, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said there would be a thorough review into how the two healthcare workers contracted the virus after he confirmed the first case was genomically linked to five of the fishermen in quarantine at the Sudima.
And National party leader Judith Collins yesterday joined calls for a review into the Government’s wider handling of the pandemic .
She told TVNZ’s Breakfast that with the dust settling on the election, now was a good time to see how New Zealand’s performance could improve.
Jobless figures jump
The number of Kiwis without a job has risen by almost a third due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to new numbers released by Statistics New Zealand, the number of unemployed rose by 37,000 in the September 2020 quarter.
It’s the largest quarterly rise since records began in 1986 and puts the total unemployment rate at 5.3 per cent.
The stats also showed women and Māori and Pacific people were faring worse since the pandemic began.
However, the Government has painted a rosy picture of the numbers, with Finance Minister Grant Robertson saying they were “better than expected”.
Treasury had forecast an unemployment rate of 9.8 per cent in the Budget, while the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update had forecast 6.4 per cent.
He also pointed out the unemployment rate was higher in other countries like Australia, the US and Canada.
Dotcom’s legal battle continues
Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom's eight-year legal battle to avoid extradition to the US has been left unresolved by a Supreme Court ruling.
Yesterday’s ruling allows for a judicial review of the lower court’s 2015 decision on his deportation. But if that’s unsuccessful, the Supreme Court says Dotcom can still be extradited to face trial on copyright charges relating to his file sharing company Megaupload.
Police seek luxury car
Police are seeking sightings of a luxury Rolls Royce Wraith after extensive raids across Auckland yesterday relating to one of New Zealand's largest-ever money laundering investigations.
Seven people have been arrested and are expected to appear in court today.
Police have also seized bank accounts, six luxury vehicles, and eight properties across Auckland. They’re also looking for the Rolls Royce Wraith after recovering a key for it.
Other news of note this morning:
- Auckland commuters are being warned of high winds that could affect the Harbour Bridge today.
- A man is due to appear in the Manukau District Court in relation to a fatal car fire in Auckland yesterday.
- An author claims she has received hundreds of death threats after criticising Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta's moko kauae.
- Protests have greeted the arrival of one of the world's largest cattle ships in Timaru .
- The reclassification of medicines containing codeine takes effect from today, with the drugs now only available via prescription.
- Queensland pulled off an unlikely win over New South Wales in last night’s State of Origin opener.
- And the TAB has confirmed a Christchurch man has scored New Zealand’s biggest Melbourne Cup win, with a $30 bet returning $1.16 million .
And finally...
Ever wanted to live at the house made famous by Outrageous Fortune?
Well, now you can – although it’s going to look a bit different to Wolf and Cheryl West’s old stomping ground.
The two-storey, 1960s brick house in West Auckland has been on New Zealand’s TV screens for 15 years but is about to be bowled to make way for seven new homes.
While the house’s famous back lawn won’t be available for West family parties anymore, the new townhouse residents will have “plenty of privacy in your own courtyard”.
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