The Red Wave That Wasn’t
From Our Own Correspondent
BBC
4.4 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 12 November 2022
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Kate Adie presents dispatches from the US, Australia, Egypt, Portugal and Slovenia
The predicted “giant red wave” of Republican support did not materialise in this week’s midterm elections – though they are still poised to regain control of the House of Representatives and could still seize full control of Congress. John Sudworth weighs what the outcome means for Donald Trump's Republicans
The death of a 15-year-old Aboriginal boy in Western Australia has triggered a public outcry. Last month, Cassius Turvey was walking home from school with friends, when they were allegedly attacked. Cassius was beaten up and later died in hospital. His death has posed hard questions, about pervasive racism in the country, says Shaimaa Khalil
The Egyptian beach resort of Sharm El-Sheikh is this week hosting the UN Climate Change summit. The gathering is often criticised for its lack of progress on climate change targets and its heavy carbon footprint. But Justin Rowlatt says there’s a new proposal, which is gaining traction – led by the Prime Minister of Barbados.
Portugal's golden visa scheme, which rewarded wealthy foreign investors with citizenship, has pushed house prices up over the last ten years. The government recently announced it plans to end the scheme - but it may be too late for many young people who’re still unable to get a foot on the housing ladder, says Natasha Fernandez.
In Slovenia, Nick Hunt follows the 'Walk of Peace' trail amid trenches and memorials to fallen soldiers in the First World War. He hears from locals how forest fires last Summer wreaked fresh devastation on the region.
Producers: Serena Tarling and Ellie House
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Coordinator: Iona Hammond
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts |
| 0:06.0 | Good morning. Today, the death of an Aboriginal boy on his way home from school has reignited |
| 0:12.6 | a national conversation on racism in Australia. We're in the Red Sea Resort of Charmel |
| 0:18.8 | Shake, where world leaders are gathered for the Climate Change Summit, in one case, with |
| 0:24.3 | a mini-rain forest in tow. Lisbon's property market may be booming, but we hear how young |
| 0:31.4 | people have been missing out, thanks to Portugal's golden visa scheme. And we're in the forests |
| 0:38.1 | of Slovenia, on a walking trail where Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops once fought some |
| 0:44.6 | of the fiercest battles of World War One. First, Democrats in the US have expressed relief |
| 0:51.5 | that the heavily-predicted, giant red wave of Republican support did not materialise in this |
| 0:57.6 | week's midterm elections. President Joe Biden described the outcome as a good day for democracy, |
| 1:04.2 | though the Republican Party is still poised to regain control of the House of Representatives, |
| 1:10.2 | and could seize full control of Congress if they edge ahead in the Senate elections, too. |
| 1:16.8 | The midterms have widely been seen as both a referendum on the Supreme Court's abortion |
| 1:21.9 | ruling earlier this year and on Donald Trump's legacy and continued influence on the Republican |
| 1:28.1 | Party. John Sudworth considers how the results might affect plans for a second term bid by the |
| 1:35.2 | former president. I heard it everywhere in the run-up to this week's election, a feeling from |
| 1:41.4 | voters of all persuasions that the very essence of America was under threat. Almost two years |
| 1:47.6 | after Donald Trump left office, his myth of the stolen election has penetrated deeply. |
| 1:53.6 | Despite the total absence of any evidence of fraud, many Trump supporters really do still believe |
| 1:59.2 | that Joe Biden cheated his way to the White House in 2020. As a result, the other side has deep |
| 2:05.6 | concerns, too. Democrats point to the Trump-backed candidates vying for elected positions with the |
| 2:11.7 | power to determine which votes count. One such candidate in Arizona, the Republican Mark Finchum, |
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