Democrats take control of another battleground state's House

Plus, Brazil raids and removes illegal miners from the Amazon.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

Pennsylvania Democrats secure the state's House in a key battleground state; Brazil launches a massive operation against illegal Amazon gold mining.   Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin. TOP NEWS Democrats take control of the Pennsylvania House Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Tuesday, Pennsylvania Democrats won three special elections, securing control of the state's House of Representatives for the first time in over a decade. [ Associated Press / Mark Scolforo] Joe McAndrew, Abigail Salisbury, and Matthew Gergely won Allegheny County races, handing Democrats more leverage to determine the state's budget and policy agenda. [Spotlight PA / Stephen Caruson] With the House majority, Democrats can also block Republican legislation that seeks to amend the constitutional right to an abortion in Pennsylvania. [New Republic / Tori Otten] Democrats won the seats in the November 2022 midterm elections, but two members assumed higher office and a long-serving member died, leaving control of the chamber to Republicans.  [CNN / Ethan Cohen and Greg Krieg] Though Democrats have only a one-seat majority, the Pennsylvania GOP now lacks the votes to override gubernatorial vetos. [New York Times / Neil Vigdor] 📍 If you read just one story Vox's Nicole Narea explains why one Pennsylvania county delaying certification of midterm elections has scary implications for 2024.  [Vox / Nicole Narea] Brazil drives illegal miners from the Amazon Brazilian authorities on Wednesday continued a massive operation to remove up to 20,000 illegal gold miners from Yanomami Indigenous territory in the Amazon. [NPR / Carrie Kahn] Since Monday, Brazil's environmental protection agency has arrested hundreds of miners, seized weapons, and destroyed aircraft used to further mining operations. [Reuters / Amanda Perobelli] Lax environmental policies during former President Jair Bolsonaro's administration allowed miners to flock to the area and pollute rivers in one of Brazil's largest Indigenous reserves. [Guardian / Tom Phillips] Brazil declared a public health emergency last month after the pollution led to widespread child malnutrition and disease among Yanomami children. [Al Jazeera] MISCELLANEOUS The death toll from this week's powerful earthquake in Turkey and Syria passed 11,000 people on Wednesday, as the region faces multiple humanitarian crises. [Vox / Jen Kirby] The recently recovered spy balloon belonged to a broader Chinese military operation that US intelligence officials claim has surveilled dozens of countries across five continents. [CNN] Vox staff presents five winners and two losers from President Joe Biden's 2023 State of the Union address. [Vox] The double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh was forced into recess Wednesday after someone called in a bomb threat to the South Carolina courthouse. [NBC News] Support our work   Reader gifts help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work with a gift today.  Give VERBATIM "When you're in the majority, you make those calls. You decide when a committee meeting is happening, you can decide what bills are running and decide what bills to get amended, which ones get to the floor. It's not as much fun in the passenger seat." [Republican state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, who previously served as GOP floor leader, on losing the House majority / Spotlight PA] LISTEN TO THIS Why we hiccup Listeners told us that eating baby carrots or telling lies can bring on the hiccups. Burping or kissing can make them stop. Um, what?   Listen now   ▶ Read more from Vox What really happened to AP African American studies Is the economy kind of good now? Google is scrambling to catch up to Bing, of all things Why Republicans heckled Joe Biden's State of the Union speech Oil company profits are at a record high. It won't last. This email was sent to edwardlorilla1986.paxforex@blogger.com. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe. 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 © 2023. All rights reserved.