Senator Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving female US senator in history, has died at the age of 90. She was a Democrat and a vocal advocate of gun control measures who was known for trying to find common ground with Republicans during her three decades in the Senate. Her death hands California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom the power to appoint a lawmaker to serve out the rest of Feinstein’s term, keeping the Democratic majority in the chamber through early January 2025. Newsom has publicly pledged to appoint a Black woman if Feinstein were to vacate her office.