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Democrat Katie Hobbs will win Arizona’s governor’s race, CNN projects, defeating one of the most prominent defenders of former President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election. Calling the 2020 election rigged, Republican Kari Lake had repeatedly said she would not have certified Joe Biden’s win in Arizona in 2020. Hobbs, as Arizona’s secretary of state, had rejected GOP lies about the election. Lake’s defeat follows the defeat of two other high-profile election deniers in the state – Republican Senate nominee Blake Masters and secretary of state nominee Mark Finchem. “Democracy is worth the wait,” Hobbs tweeted after the race was called Monday night. “Thank you, Arizona. I am so honored and so proud to be your next Governor.” Lake did not acknowledge Hobbs’ victory, instead tweet...

A US regulator says it is watching events at Twitter with "deep concern" after the platform's top privacy and compliance officers reportedly quit. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said new chief executive Elon Musk was "not above the law". Separately, Mr Musk reportedly told employees that bankruptcy is not out of the question for Twitter. The company has been in disarray since Mr Musk started firing thousands of employees last week. The ability for users to buy verified status as part of a new subscription has raised concerns that Twitter could be swamped with fake accounts. On Thursday, Yoel Roth, who had been Twitter's head of trust and safety, updated his profile on the social media platform to indicate that he was no longer in t...

An election-denying former journalist could be the next governor of Arizona. But does Kari Lake truly believe in what she's campaigned on - and will it matter when results of the razor-thin contest are finally called? It was 130 degrees, but Kari Lake was cool as a cucumber. Her immaculate hair-do and pristine make-up had somehow defied the sweaty ravages of the summer heat. Lake spent 22 years as a TV anchor on Arizona's local Fox 10 news channel before jumping into politics with a run for Arizona governor this year, and her poised on-air persona has been one of her most powerful political weapons. I met Lake this summer at a coffee morning hosted at a retirement community in Wickenburg, a couple of hours north of Phoenix. Lake had driven ou...

Ex-US President Donald Trump has lashed out at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, as the simmering rivalry between the two top Republicans boiled over. Mr Trump belittled his former political apprentice as an "average" governor, lacking in "loyalty". Mr DeSantis, 44, won re-election in a landslide in Tuesday's midterms, sealing his status as the Republican party's brightest rising star. He is widely expected to run for the party's 2024 White House nomination. But Mr Trump, 76, looks increasingly likely to stand in his way. The former president - who has a massive campaign war chest and remains hugely popular with the party's base - would be a formidable opponent for Mr DeSantis, or any other Republican who dares challenge him. ...

The path to the 2024 US presidential election begins almost as soon as midterm elections end - and several candidates are already waiting in the wings. Former president Donald Trump is currently favoured to win the party's nominating contest and go on to face President Joe Biden in a rematch of their 2020 race. But while Mr Trump remains hugely popular with Republican voters, he faces numerous legal challenges and will also be 78 years old in two years. That means he may be in for a stiff challenge from a coterie of Republican hopefuls, including some who once backed him. Ron DeSantis Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has worked hard to emulate Mr Trump and he is widely considered the candidate most likely to supplant him. At 44 y...