Democrats celebrate retaining control of Senate | First Thing

House control still undecided as Republicans lead and attention pivots to Florida, where Trump is expected to announce 2024 run. Plus, why we need to be a lot less hesitant about being kind

Good morning.

While the balance of power in the US House of Representatives remains unresolved, Democrats are celebrating the projection that they have won control of the Senate, marking a significant victory for Joe Biden, as Republicans backed by his presidential predecessor, Donald Trump, underperformed in key battleground states.

Have the US midterms finally loosened Trump's grip on the Republican party? Some in the party are ready to declare it so. Referring to Governor Ron DeSantis's victory in Florida, David Urban, a longtime Trump ally, told the Washington Post: It is clear the center of gravity of the Republican party is in the state of Florida, and I don't mean Mar-a-Lago."

What does the future of the Democrat party look like? From the first openly lesbian governors in the US and first Black governor of Maryland, to the first Generation Z member of Congress, as well as battle-hardened young politicians in critical swing states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania, a new slate of Democratic leaders is coming into view after Tuesday's elections.

Kherson fell quickly. Will Ukraine's progress east of the Dnipro River be as straightforward? Ukraine's success in Kherson - and make no mistake, forcing Russia out with minimal civilian casualties is a major achievement - was a victory achieved by smashing the Russian supply chain. But critical also was favourable geography - the isolated position of Kherson on the west of the Dnipro. Russia has more advantages to the east, which will make it harder.

What else is happening in Ukraine? Here's what we know on day 264 of the invasion.