The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Britain’s first prime minister of color

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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.* 

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.

NEWS THIS MORNING 

Third try’s a charm?:  

Rishi Sunak, 42, will become the U.K.’s next prime minister following the resignation of Liz Truss just six weeks into her tenure.

Yes, this is Britain’s third prime minister this year. 

Watch the announcement: From Bloomberg TV 

By the way: Sunak will become the first person of color and the first Hindu to serve as British prime minister.  

What about Boris Johnson?: The former prime minister pulled out of the race on Sunday. 

What to know about Sunak: From The Washington Post’s Adela Suliman and Karla Adam 

‘I TOLD YOU SO’: 
“Throughout the summer, Mr. Sunak, Britain’s former finance minister …  warned against the economic policies of Liz Truss as he competed with her for the nation’s top job, and then lost … For the past six weeks, Mr. Sunak has been lying low as his economic predictions have played out at a dizzying speed.” The full story from The New York Times’s Eshe Nelson 

TIDBIT: 
“Sky News reporter Mark Stone, who [was] on the flight with Boris Johnson back from the Dominican Republic to Gatwick, said that Johnson was booed by passengers as he boarded.” (Tweet from @NewJournal’s Harry Taylor)

It’s Monday — welcome back! I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.

🗳 On the campaign trail 

The gist — Dems may have peaked too early and they’re not happy about it: 

“As recently as a few weeks ago, Democrats were bullish about their chances of defying harsh historical and political headwinds, believing that voter anger over the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and lingering GOP concerns about the quality of Republican candidates might allow them to not only hold, but expand their paper-thin Senate majority.” 

But that appears to no longer be the case: “Recent polling has found Republicans regaining an edge on the so-called generic ballot, a survey question that asks voters which party they plan to vote for in November. Meanwhile, the data website FiveThirtyEight’s Senate forecast shows Democrats’ chances of holding the Senate dropping by 11 percent over the past month.” 

What issues Republicans are hammering: The economy, inflation and crime 

What issues Democrats are hammering: The risk of losing abortion rights and the future of democracy 

A quick primer on where the key battleground races stand, via The Hill’s Max Greenwood 

HERE IS FIVETHIRTYEIGHT’S LATEST SENATE FORECAST: 

The gist: “Democrats currently have about a 2-in-3 chance of holding onto the Senate and even an outside shot at picking up enough seats to eliminate the filibuster. However, Republicans have plenty of opportunities for pick-ups.” Forecast by state 

NEW NBC NEWS POLL — VOTERS ARE ANGRY ACROSS THE BOARD: 

“80% of Democrats and Republicans believe the political opposition poses a threat that, if not stopped, will destroy America as we know it.” 

Plus: “Two-thirds of reliable Democratic and Republican voters say they’d still support their party’s political candidate, even if that person had a moral failing that wasn’t consistent with their own values.” 

More takeaways from the poll, via NBC News’s Mark Murray

MIDTERM HEADLINES: 

‘Democrats are losing Latino voters as Republicans eye opportunities these midterms’: From NPR’s Kai McNamee 

‘Democrats locked in close contests with election deniers for key secretary of state posts’: From Politico’s Zach Montellaro 

In Congress 

How would Republicans handle inflation?:

Republicans are likely to win back control of the House in November. The Hill’s Aris Folley and Mychael Schnell explore what Republicans would do to curb inflation. 

For example: Pull back on spending and push for energy independence. 

The list of Republican policy focuses to counter inflation 

‘PELOSI TO MEET UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS IN CROATIA’: 

What we know

In the White House 

Biden knows his age is an issue:

Greg Nash

In an interview with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart, President Biden acknowledged that voter concerns about his age are a “legitimate thing.”  

In Biden’s words: “I think it’s a legitimate thing to be concerned about anyone’s age, including mine. I think that’s totally legitimate.” 

But Biden then followed up: “But I think the best way to make the judgment is to watch me. I’m a great respecter of fate. I could get a disease tomorrow. I could drop dead tomorrow. In terms of my energy level. In terms of how much I’m able to do, I think people should look and say, ‘Does he still have the same passion for what he’s doing?’ And if they think I do and I can do it, that’s fine. If they don’t, they should … encourage me not to go. But that’s not how I feel.” 

More from Biden’s MSNBC interview

🦠 Latest with COVID 

The symptoms of COVID-19 have changed a bit: 

New research suggests that the main COVID-19 symptoms have changed. 

“Researchers have found that for participants in all three groups — fully vaccinated, those who received just one dose, and unvaccinated — four of the five most commonly reported symptoms are the same: sore throat, runny nose, persistent cough, and headache.” 

Yes, but: “Their prevalences across the groups, however, vary, as does the fifth symptom. For those who are vaccinated, a blocked nose is the third-most frequently reported symptom. Among the partially vaccinated, it’s sneezing, and the unvaccinated, fever.” 

The list of commonly reported symptoms by level of vaccination, via Nexstar’s Addy Bink 

TIDBIT — BIDEN IS GETTING BOOSTED ON TUESDAY: 

President Biden will receive his updated COVID-19 booster shot on Tuesday.

➤ THE COVID-19 NUMBERS

Cases to date: 97 million 

Death toll: 1,065,152 

Current hospitalizations: 20,941 

Shots administered: 632 million 

Fully vaccinated: 68.2 percent of Americans 

CDC data here.

🐥Notable tweets 

Nothing phases me anymore in the Columbia Heights Target:

@WashProbs tweeted a video of a chicken on a leash in the Target in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of DC. See for yourself 

Wow: 

CBS News tweeted, “The Indian city of Ayodhya has retained its Guinness World Record by lighting over 1.5 million oil lamps and keeping them burning for 45 minutes, as part of the celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.” Watch

⏱On tap 

The House and Senate are out. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington, D.C. 

• 2:15 p.m.: President Biden and first lady Jill Biden participate in a tree planting ceremony. 

All times Eastern.

📺What to watch 

• 11 a.m.: First lady Jill Biden hosted a cancer moonshot event with the American Cancer Society. Watch 
• 1 p.m.: President Biden visits the Democratic National Committee headquarters and delivers remarks. Livestream 
• 3 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds a press briefing. Livestream 
• 5  p.m.: The Bidens host a reception to celebrate Diwali. Harris also attends. Livestream 

🥪 In lighter news 

Today is National Bologna Day. 

The lottery for the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony opens on Tuesday:

Getty Images

Via WJLA-TV, the lottery for free tickets to Nov. 30’s 100th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony runs Tuesday through Nov. 1. Details 

And to leave you with a smile, here’s a gorilla who is ecstatic to meet a baby.