Era of the New Majority

[KingSweden]

Virginia Congressional Map for 2020



CD 1: O 67-31 (Safe D) (43% Black, 44% White - Minority-Plurality)
CD 2: M 49.9-49.3 (Tossup/Tilt R)
CD 3: O 64-35 (Safe D) (44% Black, 45% White - Minority-Plurality)
CD 4: M 54-44 (Safe R)
CD 5: M 56-42 (Safe R)
CD 6: M 56-42 (Safe R)
CD 7: M 51-48 (Lean R)
CD 8: O 67-41 (Safe D)
CD 9: M 58-40 (Safe R)
CD 10: O 50-49 (Tossup/Tilt D)
CD 11: O 59-39 (Safe D)
CD 12: O 58-40 (Safe D)

Kenny Alexander (1) and Don McEachin's (3) districts remain minority-plurality and safe. Will Sessoms' district becomes slightly friendlier to the Republican (R-2). Robert Hurt's (4) district is now considerably safer without Charlottesville. Rick Morris is drawn into McEachin's district, leaving a potential opening in CD 5. Goodlatte (6) and Griffith (9) both stay in safe districts with little change. Wittman's district is, on paper, more competitive (7). Don Beyer ( and Gerry Connolly (11) effectively swap districts based on where the lines are drawn - Connolly's home is just inside the 8th. Jennifer Wexton's (10) seat is slightly less Republican, but still very competitive as it encircles most of NoVA (demographic changes and growth in Loudoun and Stafford County can only help her). A totally open 12th district emerges in the remainder of Fairfax and all of Prince William/Manassas to be filled by a Democrat.

Just curious, why do you believe CD 10 is toss up tilt dem?

Mostly because of Loudoun's D trend and growth cancelling out GOP votes in the other counties, including Stafford, which is also growing at a decent pace. This would probably be one of the more vulnerable Democratic seats with a Democratic incumbent in the country and very competitive every election, both with Presidential and midterm turnout.

[KingSweden]

My take on North Carolina (D Governor, non-supermajority R legislature). Obviously, this is not a map that would likely pass in real life. Anyone with a superior suggestion is welcome to present it.



CD1: O 54-45 (Tossup/Tilt R, I imagine, based on this region's trend away from Democrats)
CD2: M 56-42 (Safe R)
CD3: O 55-44 (Leans D, minority-plurality; 44% white, 32% black)
CD4: O 57-41 (Safe D)
CD5: M 50-49 (Likely R)
CD6: O 65-34 (Safe D)
CD7: O 53-45 (Lean D)
CD8: M 53-45 (Safe R)
CD9: M 51-47 (Likely R without a Heath Shuler of a candidate)
CD10: O 60-38 (Safe D)
CD11: O 51-48 (Tossup/Tilt R)
CD12: M 53-45 (Likely R)
CD13: M 62-36 (Safe R)
CD14: M 62-36 (Safe R)

In a neutral environment, this map then yields a 5-9 D-R split. Even in a Republican wave, most of the Democratic base seats are probably safe outside of CD7, and Democrats could hit 7 seats in good conditions, possibly 8 or 9 depending on how big a wave it is and if the trend in eastern North Carolina away from Democrats continues.

(Someone more knowledgeable about NC politics is welcome to correct me if I'm wrong).

[KingSweden]

Here's Nevada, based roughly on Muon2's projections and estimates.



CD1: M 48.9-48.7 (Lean R)
CD2: O 59-39 (Safe D)
CD3: O 57-40 (Likely D)
CD4: O 57-40 (Likely D)

I made 3 and 4 "likely' only because of the 2014 wipeout showing that in Nevada, you have no idea what the hell kind of turnout you're going to see. In all, though, this map is much better for Democrats than the current one, with Heck's seat considerably more vulnerable, Amodei probably facing more of a challenge even in his fairly Republican area and Kihuen and Horsford safer. In all, the map doesn't change much, just concentrating the seats ever further towards the Vegas metro area.

[/]

You put me in a safe R district

But anyway great TL!

[KingSweden]

You put me in a safe R district

But anyway great TL!

My apologies! Where in NC are you located?

[/]

You put me in a safe R district

But anyway great TL!

My apologies! Where in NC are you located?

Wilmington, the new 2nd Congressional District. The detail in your maps is amazing, I would expect the politicians to gerrymander a little bit more, but I really appreciate how hard you have worked to make such an interesting timeline

[KingSweden]

You put me in a safe R district

But anyway great TL!

My apologies! Where in NC are you located?

Wilmington, the new 2nd Congressional District. The detail in your maps is amazing, I would expect the politicians to gerrymander a little bit more, but I really appreciate how hard you have worked to make such an interesting timeline

Thank you! For NC in particular I doubt a map like this would pass, though I'm sure Republicans would accept something like this, actually. It's the CBC that would be more frustrated without a 50% Minority-Majority district anymore.

[KingSweden]

And now for Colorado. This is based roughly on an idea I got from rpryor that turned out to fairly roughly mimic what Muon2 came up with for CO.



CD1: O 75-32 (Safe D)
CD2: O 63-34 (Safe D)
CD3: M 50-48 (Likely R)
CD4: M 56-41 (Safe R)
CD5: O 53-45 (Leans D)
CD6: M 58-39 (Safe R)
CD7: O 54-44 (Leans D)
CD8: O 54-43 (Leans D)

Two safe seats for each party and a string of lean/likely seats skewed 3-1 to the Democrats, though as Mike Coffman has demonstrated, a good candidate can outdo PVI time and time again in Colorado, the ultimate swing state. Rick Lopez is excited to lose Pueblo in CD3 even though its a competitive district on paper, which Democrats are ecstatic about a favorable draw in the Denver suburbs.

A zoom of Denver, for good measure:

[/]

You put me in a safe R district

But anyway great TL!

My apologies! Where in NC are you located?

Wilmington, the new 2nd Congressional District. The detail in your maps is amazing, I would expect the politicians to gerrymander a little bit more, but I really appreciate how hard you have worked to make such an interesting timeline

Thank you! For NC in particular I doubt a map like this would pass, though I'm sure Republicans would accept something like this, actually. It's the CBC that would be more frustrated without a 50% Minority-Majority district anymore.

Good point. Butterfield might do what he did last time again if he feels he needs to.

Anyway once more this is a great timeline and I can't wait to see what comes next!

[KingSweden]

February 2022: Enough Republicans join Democrats to prevent a talking filibuster by Ted Cruz on Friedland's nomination. When she reaches the floor, she is confirmed by the Senate 56-43, with only Cruz refusing to vote and Lindsey Graham, Jeff Flake and Jon Huntsman crossing the floor to support her appointment. Friendland is seated later in the month and the court now has a 5-4 liberal majority, though Friedland is expected to be well to the right of her other Democratic-appointed colleagues. In New York, Governor Preet Bharara surprises many when he appoints US Rep. Svante Myrick to Gillibrand's Senate seat. NYC Democrats protest again, and Bharara explains in an interview that he wanted to maintain the upstate/NYC balance and appoint someone young like the 34-year old Myrick who can accumulate seniority. Rumors emerge that Bharara had zero intention of considering any NYC Democrats after their protests over his CleaNY initiative. Heinrich gives his first state of the union, declaring, "Tonight I say with confidence that in the face of the challenges we face today at home and abroad, the state of our union has never been stronger."

February 2022: Mixed reports start emerging out of North Korea about whether or not Kim Jong-Un is still in power. China continues to ramp up its naval presence in the South China Sea. Two Israeli fighters are shot down over Syria, with both pilots killed. Turkey's Kurds strike a deal with Ankara that they will not seek an independence referendum regardless of what happens in neighboring Iraq in return for further devolution of powers to their region and integration of Kurds into Turkish political life. The Sunni militias declare a "Republic of Anbar" that crosses into Syria's Deir ez-Zor, roughly similar to the Islamic State's borders.

And now, for Sports: The Pittsburgh Steelers blow out the Atlanta Falcons, defeating them 41-17 in Miami. Cornerback Jason Williams is named MVP after intercepting two passes and defending seven others, including one that he returns for a 64-yard touchdown. UEFA awards the 2028 Euros to Turkey.

[windjammer]

My take on North Carolina (D Governor, non-supermajority R legislature). Obviously, this is not a map that would likely pass in real life. Anyone with a superior suggestion is welcome to present it.



CD1: O 54-45 (Tossup/Tilt R, I imagine, based on this region's trend away from Democrats)
CD2: M 56-42 (Safe R)
CD3: O 55-44 (Leans D, minority-plurality; 44% white, 32% black)
CD4: O 57-41 (Safe D)
CD5: M 50-49 (Likely R)
CD6: O 65-34 (Safe D)
CD7: O 53-45 (Lean D)
CD8: M 53-45 (Safe R)
CD9: M 51-47 (Likely R without a Heath Shuler of a candidate)
CD10: O 60-38 (Safe D)
CD11: O 51-48 (Tossup/Tilt R)
CD12: M 53-45 (Likely R)
CD13: M 62-36 (Safe R)
CD14: M 62-36 (Safe R)

In a neutral environment, this map then yields a 5-9 D-R split. Even in a Republican wave, most of the Democratic base seats are probably safe outside of CD7, and Democrats could hit 7 seats in good conditions, possibly 8 or 9 depending on how big a wave it is and if the trend in eastern North Carolina away from Democrats continues.

(Someone more knowledgeable about NC politics is welcome to correct me if I'm wrong).

KingSweden, the governor can't veto a redictricting map in NC if I recall correctly. So republicans would still draw a bad gerrymander.

[KingSweden]

And here is my take on Pennsylvania. I actually made an effort here to do a "de-gerrymandered" version of the current map - the district numbers flow from Philadelphia westwards and roughly mirror the current map. It would still retain a slight Republican advantage, with some GOP seats or tossup seats vulnerable to Democrats in wave years.




CD1: O 90-9 (50% black, 29% white) Safe D
CD2: O 78-21 (40% white, 37% black) Safe D
CD3: O 59-39 Safe D
CD4: O 54-45 Lean D
CD5: O 60-38 Safe D
CD6: O 53-45 Lean D
CD7: M 53-45 Safe R
CD8: O 55-43 Lean D
CD9: M 54-44 Safe R
CD10: M 54-44 Safe R
CD11: M 51-47 Likely R
CD12: O 52-46 Lean D
CD13: M 61-37 Safe R
CD14: M 56-42 Safe R
CD15: O 63-35 Safe D
CD16: M 50-48 Tilt/Likely R
CD17: O 50-48 Tossup/Tilt R

It is SWPA that once again has to lose influence as the seats shift further and further east. Marino and Barletta's districts are now much more competitive, and Marino and Cartwright are drawn together into one district (except not really, since Cartwright is running for Governor, hence why his district in declining Scranton was deconstructed to make up for the loss of a seat. Philadelphia now has two whole districts and large parts of two other districts within its borders. In a neutral year, this map should yield a 9D, 8R map. In all likelihood, it will skew more along the lines of 9-10 Republican seats in typical years, and up to 11 or 12 Democratic seats in a Democratic wave election.

[KingSweden]

My take on North Carolina (D Governor, non-supermajority R legislature). Obviously, this is not a map that would likely pass in real life. Anyone with a superior suggestion is welcome to present it.



CD1: O 54-45 (Tossup/Tilt R, I imagine, based on this region's trend away from Democrats)
CD2: M 56-42 (Safe R)
CD3: O 55-44 (Leans D, minority-plurality; 44% white, 32% black)
CD4: O 57-41 (Safe D)
CD5: M 50-49 (Likely R)
CD6: O 65-34 (Safe D)
CD7: O 53-45 (Lean D)
CD8: M 53-45 (Safe R)
CD9: M 51-47 (Likely R without a Heath Shuler of a candidate)
CD10: O 60-38 (Safe D)
CD11: O 51-48 (Tossup/Tilt R)
CD12: M 53-45 (Likely R)
CD13: M 62-36 (Safe R)
CD14: M 62-36 (Safe R)

In a neutral environment, this map then yields a 5-9 D-R split. Even in a Republican wave, most of the Democratic base seats are probably safe outside of CD7, and Democrats could hit 7 seats in good conditions, possibly 8 or 9 depending on how big a wave it is and if the trend in eastern North Carolina away from Democrats continues.

(Someone more knowledgeable about NC politics is welcome to correct me if I'm wrong).

KingSweden, the governor can't veto a redictricting map in NC if I recall correctly. So republicans would still draw a bad gerrymander.

That may very well be the case. My understanding of the 2011 redistricting in NC was that conservadems teamed up with the GOP to pass the maps over Bev Perdue's veto.

[windjammer]

My take on North Carolina (D Governor, non-supermajority R legislature). Obviously, this is not a map that would likely pass in real life. Anyone with a superior suggestion is welcome to present it.



CD1: O 54-45 (Tossup/Tilt R, I imagine, based on this region's trend away from Democrats)
CD2: M 56-42 (Safe R)
CD3: O 55-44 (Leans D, minority-plurality; 44% white, 32% black)
CD4: O 57-41 (Safe D)
CD5: M 50-49 (Likely R)
CD6: O 65-34 (Safe D)
CD7: O 53-45 (Lean D)
CD8: M 53-45 (Safe R)
CD9: M 51-47 (Likely R without a Heath Shuler of a candidate)
CD10: O 60-38 (Safe D)
CD11: O 51-48 (Tossup/Tilt R)
CD12: M 53-45 (Likely R)
CD13: M 62-36 (Safe R)
CD14: M 62-36 (Safe R)

In a neutral environment, this map then yields a 5-9 D-R split. Even in a Republican wave, most of the Democratic base seats are probably safe outside of CD7, and Democrats could hit 7 seats in good conditions, possibly 8 or 9 depending on how big a wave it is and if the trend in eastern North Carolina away from Democrats continues.

(Someone more knowledgeable about NC politics is welcome to correct me if I'm wrong).

KingSweden, the governor can't veto a redictricting map in NC if I recall correctly. So republicans would still draw a bad gerrymander.

That may very well be the case. My understanding of the 2011 redistricting in NC was that conservadems teamed up with the GOP to pass the maps over Bev Perdue's veto.

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[KingSweden]

Well, poop. If I could retroactively chalk it up to some court case throwing out gerrymandered maps, maybe I could keep my NC take... well, like I said earlier, this is not a map that would likely pass in real life.

I'm excited to see what you think of my take on Michigan, windjammer.

[KingSweden]

Michigan



CD1: O 50-38 (Lean R)
CD2: M 51-47 (Likely R)
CD3: M 49-49 (in fact, McCain only won this district by a whopping 17 votes) (Lean R)
CD4: O 53-44 (Tossup)
CD5: O 61-37 (Safe D)
CD6: O 51-47 (Tossup/Tilt R)
CD7: O 62-36 (Safe D)
CD8: O 55-43 (Lean D)
CD9: M 53-45 (Safe R)
CD10: O 56-42 (Likely D)
CD11: O 60-38 (Safe D)
CD12: O 65-33 (Safe D)
CD13: O 90-9 (Laughably, Hilariously Safe D) (79% black. This might be the safest Democratic seat in the country).

In all, this map is drawn by a D House and Governor and an R Senate. A deal is cut to gerrymander the Senate for the GOP, make a fair-fight House map and a D gerrymander for the State House. Republicans in a neutral year should have at minimum five seats, Democrats should have 5-6 seats and the remainder are roughly split. In an R wave, they can hit up to 8, whereas a D wave could yield 10-11 Democratic seats, with the last two being very, very tenuous.

[KingSweden]

2022 Winter Olympics - Almaty, Kazakhstan

The United States wins the medal count for the second Winter Olympiad in a row. In a major upset, the Finnish men's ice hockey team upsets Canada - winner of three straight gold medals - in the semifinal and then defeats the favored Russian team in the final 3-0 to win the country's first Olympic gold medal. There are pro-democracy protests throughout the city during the Olympics, marring the festivities for the host strongman Nursultan Nazarbayev. One positive aspect about these Olympics are their low cost and legacy - despite being in an oil-rich, fairly autocratic state, Kazakh officials use mostly existing or renovated venues in a city that has already hosted many winter events and invest heavily in public transit, particularly a subway and new bus system, and expand the airport, while building an Olympic Village that will be converted to workforce housing after the Games.

[KingSweden]

March 2022: After the fairly easy confirmation of Michelle Freidland to the court and a rapid pace of judicial approvals throughout Clinton's term, conservatives start to panic about their "judge problem," with nearly three-fourths of all active judges appointed by a Democrat and most courts in the country, outside of the famously conservative 5th Circuit, having a liberal majority. With both Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas starting to show their age and poor health, conservatives fear a 7-2 liberal Supreme Court awaiting the next Republican President. A fairly warm winter allows for steady but unspectacular job growth, and economists project at minimum 1.5% GDP growth for the first quarter, the first time in over a decade that Q1 has not seen a sharp slowdown. The warm winter, however, bodes ill for water supplies in the coming summer. President Heinrich zeroes in on climate change as his signature policy, highlighting higher CAFE standards that have come with improving gas mileage, lightweight cars and a revolution in the technology used to make electric car batteries, which greatly cheapen the cost and make the battery last ten times as long, increasing their utility. Two very different men pass away - Al Sharpton dies after a prolonged illness at the age of 67, while 87-year old Alabama Senator Dick Shelby dies in Tuscaloosa after a major stroke. Bharara sets a special election to fill Myrick's House seat for early June, and Martha Roby is appointed to fill out the rest of Shelby's term with the option to run for his seat in her own right.

March 2022 (continued): China continues to negotiate with Vietnam and the Philippines over the South China Sea after coming to an arrangement with Indonesia about a common border. Osborne, riding high in the polls at just the right time, dissolves Parliament in anticipation of a general election. Jubilation in Erbil as a referendum on independence passes decisively, and the Republic of Kurdistan is declared. The Shiite junta threatens invasion, but Iran, with its large, fairly assimilated Kurdish minority, quietly signals its recognition of Kurdistan and implies that it will serve as a benefactor. Thousands of Turkish Kurds start the process of moving to the new independent homeland. North Korea continues to destabilize, with rumors of a coup and counter-coup swirling. Kim Jong-Un is believed to have fled the country. South Korea's forces and their American advisers go on alert, with 20,000 extra Marines dispatched by Heinrich to North Korea at the end of the month. China warns that such a move is a provocation with everything going on in the South China Sea.

[KingSweden]

April 2022: A major bomb attack in central Jerusalem shakes the Middle East just days after Sunni militias launch an invasion of the Golan Heights and southern Lebanon from Syria, seeking to take out Hezbollah and distract Israel from its air campaign all in one fell swoop. Jordan mobilizes soldiers in its northern provinces in response. President Heinrich addresses the nation to announce that the United States will begin stepping up coordinated actions along with Jordan and the Lebanese government to protect "the borders and integrity of sovereign states." A President known for his lukewarm attitude towards foreign involvement is quickly getting sucked into the morass of foreign policy both in Asia and in the Mideast. Former Reagan AG Edwin Meese passes away at 90. Growth in Q1 comes in at 0.9%, lower than expected, in conjunction with a measly jobs report of only 14,000 new positions. The economy in the US and around the world continues to teeter precariously on the brink of recession.

April 2022 (continued): Good news from Russia, where the instability of 2021 gives way under the Lavrov administration, which passes a handful of small-ball constitutional reforms to liberalize society. Lavrov offers Medvedev, now a full-blown dissident in hiding in London, a chance to come home. North Korean refugees start to flee into South Korea and China as the country teeters on the brink of collapse. Heinrich travels to Beijing with Feingold and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi to consult with President Xi on the problems going on there. South Korean President Ahn Cheol-soo gives an angry press conference during a trade conference in Busan the same day, demanding to know why he wasn't invited to such crucial talks. It is a massive headache for Heinrich, who quickly zips over to Seoul two days later to soothe Ahn's concerns.

And now, for Sports: The Virginia Cavaliers win the Final Four, defeating the Indiana Hoosiers in double overtime. It is the third straight year that a team wins its first-ever national championship. The Hoos defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels in the semifinal, while the Hoosiers advance over the Michigan State Spartans.

[KingSweden]

French Presidential election, 2022

First Round:

Francois Fillon (The Republicans) 40%
Arnaud Montebourg (Socialist Party) 24%
Marine Le Pen (National Front) 22%

The Republicans' success in hoovering up smaller center right parties help them build a solid lead, as does Fillon's savvy, inclusive campaign. Montebourg energizes the left but fails to build bridges to centrist French voters, who defect en masse to Fillon after Montebourg's defeat of Manuel Valls in the PS primary. The success of Marine Le Pen does not translate like in 2017, as her party is marred by infighting between her and her 32 year old niece throughout the campaign. Still, she nearly manages to claim the second runoff slot.

Second Round:

Francois Fillon 55%
Arnaud Montebourg 45%

Fillon - spoken about on the French right as "France's Ronald Reagan" - coasts to an easy win, with FN voters splitting roughly evenly between the two candidates. Fillon's election victory makes him the first French President to be reelected since Chirac in 2002 and suggests stability in volatile French politics.

[KingSweden]

United Kingdom general election, 2022

George Osborne enters the election campaign riding high - Britain's economy is performing better than that of the US or the Eurozone, he is lauded as a strong leader after his Christmas Day Crisis address (now known as the "Christmas Speech") and his brand of liberal conservatism is a marked departure from Tory administrations of the past. In remarkably un-Thatcherite fashion, he has devolved considerable authority to localities throughout England to decentralize government functions, which in tandem with his efforts to allow modest development on green belt regions have sparked a massive construction boom throughout England and Wales. Despite concerns in Scotland and Northern Ireland, he is widely expected to win a majority, to the chagrin of Chuka Umunna, who led in polls for three straight years until the disasters of 2021 and gaffes in the leadership debates caught up to him. The SNP's core supporters are energized, but many soft nationalists, particularly younger and more left-leaning ones, are turned off by it's brazen right turn on the independence issue post-CDC.

The results:

Conservative: 351 (+58)
Labour: 240 (-30)
SNP: 17 (-3)
Liberal Democrat: 9 (-7)
DUP: 8 (+0)
Green: 8 (+5)
Plaid Cymru 7 (+4)
SDLP: 6 (+2)
UKIP: 3 (-29)
Sinn Fein: 1 (-2)

It is a rousing success for Osborne's Tories. While Labour takes back seats in Scotland from the SNP, it loses heavily in central and Southern England as well as Wales, losing not only to Tory candidates but also to Plaid Cymru and Green MPs. The Lib Dems continue their death spiral and UKIP loses nearly its entire parliamentary caucus. Osborne's decision not to empower the UKIP is considered prescient in hindsight, especially as most of UKIP's seats are retaken by the resurgent Tories. It is one of the biggest gains for a sitting government in history and cements Osborne's place in history.

[KingSweden]

May 2022: Conservatives, still furious about the apparent ease with which Kennedy was replaced with Freidland, attempt to topple Thune when Ted Cruz announces in a surprise press conference that he will demand his caucus convene to elect a Senate leader, stating, "John Thune cannot be trusted to pursue the policy goals of conservatives anymore." Though Ben Sasse and Stephen Fincher signal an openness to backing Cruz, Thune calls the Texan's bluff by holding a closed-door conference of his caucus and holding a vote. Based on leaks from within the conference, Thune smokes Cruz, winning every vote but Ben Sasse's. Though Thune refuses to comment on the caucus election publicly, several other GOP Senators rip into Cruz, angry that he would pull a stunt like trying to start a leadership coup six months before the midterms. The Wall Street Journal editorial sharply suggests, "If Mr. Cruz, by all accounts one of the smartest men in the Senate, cannot use his clear intellect and rhetorical skills to build the conservative movement rather than build his fundraising lists, he should do the people of Texas and the country a service and resign."

Heinrich's headaches continue to pile up. The spat with President Ahn continues to reverberate in the media, unemployment is creeping back well over 6% after another weak jobs report, and the rate of student loan defaults is rising after a brief lull in the late 2010s. Good news arrives with a study that shows the number of deaths from cancer has declined sharply as treatments continue to improve, with fewer people dying of cancer in the last four years combined than in every single year of the 2000s taken alone.

May 2022: George Osborne continues his victory lap after winning his stunning reelection, promising to address the concerns of Scots but saying that independence is "off the table, forever." Protests begin in Edinburgh after the election, with claims of electoral fraud that are unsubstantiated. Protests ratchet up in Catalonia again after a period of quiet, and Spain's nasty recession continues to deepen. Hannelore Kraft solemnly announces at the end of the month that Germany saw only 0.2% growth in the first quarter after a revision. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, held to the LDP rules that only allow five years in the leader's seat, resigns her office and is replaced by her trusted deputy and longtime Minister of Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida.

And now, for Sports: Manchester United wins the UEFA Champions League after penalty shots against Bayern Munich following a 0-0 game at the Eurostadium in Brussels. It is United's 4th European Cup and first since 2008. In winning the League Cup as well, Manchester United earns a double, failing to net a treble as they place third in the Premier League, behind Arsenal and winner Liverpool, who also take the FA Cup for a double of their own. Liverpool's side has the most points in the history of the Premier League, losing only one game and drawing two. England continues its soccer renaissance as Tottenham Hotspur wins its second Europa League in three years, defeating Juventus in added time.

For other domestic competitions, Roma wins the Serie A while Juventus takes the Coppa Italia; Bayern Munich takes the Bundesliga while losing the DFB Cup final to Borussia Dortmund; PSG takes both the Coupe de France and Ligue 1, continuing their dominance in France; Atletico Madrid wins La Liga as Valencia wins the Copa del Rey in an upset over Real Madrid on the road.

[KingSweden]

June 2022: Heinrich scuttles the TTIP after eight years of work, declaring in a press conference in Ohio that "no free trade agreements will ever receive my signature." Republicans rip into him while anti-trade Democrats applaud him. Heinrich's approvals continue to bob just above 50% as his goodwill continues to ease away after his first six months. An effort by Heinrich, Rand Paul and Ron Wyden to drastically reform the NSA with major Freedom Act and Patriot Act provisions expiring fails after it is insufficiently conservative to pass the House and fails to be ambitious enough to earn teh support of Heinrich with a flood of amendments, led mostly by Tom Cotton. The post-Freidland fallout on the right continues after a major ruling in Adams v. Mississippi overturns the state's strict abortion laws and reaffirms Roe, the nightmare scenario for a generation of conservative activists. In an interview, Ted Cruz states, "Because pretend conservatives in the Senate failed to block Michelle Freidland, everything that Ronald Reagan worked to build will be undone by the activist judges in this country's courts." Joyous liberals announce their intention to begin challenges to voter ID laws, rulings that struck down affirmative action, corporate personhood provisions and the big fish, Citizens United. Contributions to Senate and gubernatorial candidates on both sides of the aisle spike post-Adams.

June 2022 (continued): After suffering years of depression and currency volatility, the Cuban economy completes collapses, with a sovereign default long after Venezuelan oil ran out and the government ran out of emergency measures. With Raul Castro on his deathbed and the government of Miguel Diaz-Canel failing to reconcile their efforts to stay in control with the openness of the post-Obama years, Cuba starts to teeter as street protests expand and a younger, anti-communist generation marches for free elections in what is jokingly called the "Mojito Revolution." World leaders express support for Cuban protesters, and there are concerns a similar program to the clandestine support for Venezuelan rebels will emerge in Cuba. North Korean refugees continue to flee famine and fighting between various military officials, and it is confirmed at last that Kim Jong-un has fled to Russia. Heinrich sends an additional 50,000 soldiers to South Korea along with 10,000 British Marines to coordinate with the Japanese and South Korean militaries on the refugee crisis. Cables from China indicate that Xi is satisfied with no longer having to deal with the erratic and unpredictable isolated state.

In Europe, Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond are both arrested in Barcelona at a rally in which the SNP leaders participate to show solidarity with the Catalonian cause. SNP supporters protest in front of Westminster demanding that Osborne get their leaders released - Osborne remarks on this during PMQ, stating before a whistling and howling opposition that, "As private citizens, leaders of the Scottish Nationalists put themselves in a position I am sure they now regret."

And now, for Sports: The Milwaukee Bucks win the NBA Finals over regular season MVP Amir Ramsey and the Portland Trail Blazers in six games, with Jabari Parker winning Finals MVP after nearly averaging a triple-double. It is Milwaukee's first championship since 1971 and their second-straight trip to the Finals. The Detroit Red Wings win their second Stanley Cup in three years, sweeping defending champions Edmonton.

[KingSweden]

2022 FIFA World Cup

Group A

Australia
Paraguay
Portugal
Senegal

At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australian pop megastar Iggy Azalea debuts the official anthem of the Australian World Cup during the opening ceremony. The song is universally reviled. The opening game, meanwhile, is played before 100,000 screaming Australian fans, pitting the Socceroos against Senegal, appearing in their first World Cup since 2002. The game is an historic blowout, with star Massimo Luongo scoring twice (11', 27') and Chris Ikonomidis (45'), Cameron Joice (70') and Jake Robinson (76') each adding another score in a 5-0 wipeout.

In the other match in Newcastle, Portugal and Paraguay draw 1-1, with Portugal striker Bruma scoring at 20' only to see Derlis González score the equalizer at 87' in what is a rugged defensive match with multiple yellow cards.

In Australia's next match, this time in Perth, the Socceroos only manage to draw 0-0 with Portugal, with a potential score by Joice getting flagged offside. In the other tie, Senegal draws Paraguay, with Senegalese star Mamadou Thiam equalizing only two minutes after Paraguay captain Oscar Romero earns a penalty kick at 67'.

The final  group day sees Australia face Paraguay in Adelaide. Australia's Luongo scores at 70' after a scoreless game, but once again Paraguay's Gonzalez scores a late equalizer to play spoiler, needing a draw and a draw in the other game to potentially advance on goal differentials. No such luck for Paraguay, though, as Portugal wins 2-1 in Canberra, with Thiam opening scoring for the last-ditch Senegal efforts at 50' but Bruma knocks a goal in at 61' and Estrela scoring at 77' to power Portugal into the knockout round for the first time since 2010. It is only their fourth trip out of the group stage, and they are behind Australia on goal differentials, which takes the top spot in the group.

Standings:

Australia 5
Portugal 5
Paraguay 3
Senegal 1

Goalscorers:

Luongo (Australia) 3
Bruma (Portugal) 2
Gonzalez (Paraguay) 2
Thiam (Senegal) 2
Joice (Australia) 1
Ikonomides (Australia) 1
Robinson (Australia) 1
Estrela (Portugal) 1
Romero (Paraguay) 1

[KingSweden]

Is Jimmy Carter dead yet?

Yes, Jimmy Carter passed away in early 2021.