History would tell US Democrats to brace for losses in midterm elections, but the majority party is riding high on a recent wave of legislative success.
Between massive healthcare and climate reform with the Inflation Reduction Act, expansion of veteran's protection with the Pact Act, and science and tech-focused Chips Act, the Democrats are banking on Americans responding with more "blue" votes.
"We have a message for the American people. The Republicans have a message of no, of opposition, of disruption," House majority leader Steny Hoyer said last week.
"I think there's going to be a very substantial assist to our candidates, to the President and to the American people."
"[Former president Donald] Trump and the Republicans have labelled us the 'do-nothing Democrats'," Alyssa Batchelor, director of political research for a Democratic company, told The National.
"And this summer, we have really shown that we're the 'do-something Democrats'.
"And I think that that will show and that will reflect in the midterms."
Democratic leadership quickly pushed the party to create sharp messages around the legislative wave.
In a memo to Congressional Democrats obtained by The National, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged party members to use their recent district working weeks to emphasise the Inflation Reduction Act to constituents.
Kyle Kondik is the managing editor of University of Virginia Centre for Politics’ non-partisan newsletter on American campaigns and elections.
Mr Kondik told The National that there was little evidence to suggest voters would be swayed in Democratic favour based on legislative victories.
Long lines at Georgia polls — in pictures
"Generally speaking, the passage of major legislation does not provide a major political boost to the party in power," he said.
"It can take years for the legislation to actually impact people’s lives and by then, it may be hard to connect the legislation to those who passed it."
But Republicans have insisted Americans will respond to the expansive legislative cycle at the polls, with rejection.
"I trust the American people. I know it is the people who will render the ultimate verdict on today’s actions," minority leader Kevin McCarthy said before the House passed the Inflation Reduction Act.
"And when they do, 87 days from now, my Democrat colleagues will have only themselves to blame."
Republicans have given record inflation, soaring gas prices and the chaos of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan as key reasons that could encourage Americans to vote "red".
On recent legislation, they have particularly emphasised the Inflation Reduction Act's billions-dollar emboldening of the US Internal Revenue Service and have intensified anti-government spending messages.
Republican candidates in highly competitive districts, such as Virginia's seventh candidate Yesli Vega — who is trying to unseat Democratic Rep Abigail Spanberger — quickly pounced on President Joe Biden's spending bill.
"Republicans may be able to make some headway with attacks about the money going to the Internal Revenue Service, given that the IRS is hardly a popular agency," Mr Kondik said.
But he said that Democrats could gain a slight boost with the US Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v Wade, with some emerging data supporting this theory.
US Congress members arrested during abortion protest — in pictures
In Kansas, which just voted whether to protect state abortion rights after the Supreme Court ruling, data from analytics group TargetSmart showed that 70 per cent of newly registered voters are women.
Data also showed that among Kansans who registered to vote on or after June 24, Democrats have an eight-point advantage.
Ms Batchelor acknowledged scepticism but insisted that in key races the sweeping reforms could make all the difference.
"It will come down to how quickly Americans are seeing the results," she said.
"But if they feel positive and optimistic that this could be a sign of turning the tide, we may be able to win back some of those seats that are in jeopardy and flip some of those seats that are on the margins."
As for voter response to actual legislation, Mr Kondik remained dubious of any meaningful effect.
"I think with everything else going on, there’s probably not going to be much impact either way," he said.
There are only seven primaries left in the US, the most notable occurring in Florida, New York, Massachusetts and Delaware, and voters go to the polls on November 8.
Congress by the numbers
The US Senate is effectively evenly split between the parties, with 48 Democrats, two left-leaning independents and 50 Republicans.
Fourteen Democratic seats and 21 Republican seats are up for grabs in the midterms.
Of those seats, only nine are considered solidly set for Democrats, and 16 are considered solidly for Republicans. That leaves 10 competitive races that could flip the Senate from blue to red in 2022.
The House, also controlled by the Democrats, has 34 races that are considered "toss-ups", which could turn either way, with many more races considered competitive.
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
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- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
LAST-16 FIXTURES
Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
The biog
Occupation: Key marker and auto electrician
Hometown: Ghazala, Syria
Date of arrival in Abu Dhabi: May 15, 1978
Family: 11 siblings, a wife, three sons and one daughter
Favourite place in UAE: Abu Dhabi
Favourite hobby: I like to do a mix of things, like listening to poetry for example.
Favourite Syrian artist: Sabah Fakhri, a tenor from Aleppo
Favourite food: fresh fish
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
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How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
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On sale: Now
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Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
