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Democratic sweep of Congress ushers in a new era as Trump acknowledges impact of the Iran war WASHINGTON (AP) — The midterm election blowout delivered a new era in Washington, with Democrats in Congress eager to meet voter demands for change while Republicans watched their majorities evaporate after a revolt against President Donald Trump and his party in power. https://apnews.com/article/congress-democratic-blue-wave-midterms-house-senate-9c5c4c5283f58b1ae0786e2f410c21a0? Vance blames war for GOP's catastrophic night Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Brandon Bell and U.S. Navy via Getty Images Opposition to the Iran war fueled the Democrats' "blue tsunami," Vice President Vance argued in a surprisingly blunt midterms postmortem today, Axios' Herb Scribner reports. Vance's comments effectively kick off the 2028 election cycle, with the vice president distancing himself from Trump's highly unpopular war. 🤳 Vance wrote on X: "The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night." "If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest." Vance argued that Republicans need to do four things to win voters back: End the Iran war, focus on inflation, "put America First," and "change our relationship to Israel." He wrote: "To the people who are just pissed at the results, you should be. Let's take that anger and get back to the work of saving our country." ⛽️ Trump said this afternoon that he agrees that the war "drove the gasoline up a little bit, short term." "But at the same time, if I had to do it again, I'd have to do it again because long term, it's the only answer," he added at an impromptu White House ballroom event. "You have no choice. You have to do it. You can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon." The intrigue: Donald Trump Jr. responded to Vance's post: "Every word of this is 💯💯💯." Neither the White House nor the vice president's office responded to Axios' requests for comment. Go deeper. ps:Lets blame anything else except those that are really to blame!!

Microsoft's Big Bet on 8GB PCs Is Finally Paying Off Windows 11 now runs surprisingly well on 8GB of RAM. I spoke with Microsoft execs and engineers about what changed. https://www.pcmag.com/news/microsofts-big-bet-on-8gb-pcs-is-finally-paying-off?

Secrets of the Negev Tombs South of the land of Israel during the biblical period was a vast, arid expanse known as the Negev. This imposing desert lay between populated regions, including Israel and Egypt, but also Arabian centers to the east and southeast. Consequently, during the first millennium BCE it was crisscrossed by trade routes that connected these far-flung centers and brought the distinctive riches of one area to the markets of another. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/secrets-of-negev-tombs/?

Abdul El-Sayed Wins Senate Seat With Pro-Palestine Campaign Abdul El-Sayed defeated Mike Rogers in the U.S. Senate race in Michigan early Wednesday, outlasting months of Islamophobic vitriol and offering a bright spot to progressives looking to test their message ahead of the 2028 presidential primary. https://theintercept.com/2026/11/03/michigan-senate-results-el-sayed-rogers/? Troy Jackson Ousts Susan Collins in Maine, Replacing 30-Year Republican Senator With a Progressive The 30-year Senate career of Maine Republican Susan Collins is coming to an end. https://theintercept.com/2026/11/03/maine-senate-results-jackson-collins/? “Offensive Driving”: ICE’s Deadly Weaponization of Vehicles Against Civilians As Miguel Parra Hernandez, a Mexican national, was fleeing from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement on foot last month, he turned into a parking lot. An unmarked government vehicle came screaming into the lot after him and struck him. https://theintercept.com/2026/11/02/ice-vehicles-cars-hit-weapon/? Democrats, Don’t Mess This Up For two years, Donald Trump’s Republican Party has worked to push the United States further and further into a state of fascist rule. Trump’s regime has turned the federal government against ideological enemies, enriched and entrenched the power of billionaire allies, and done its utmost to decimate any checks and balances on the actions of the despotic leader and his loyalists. https://theintercept.com/2026/11/04/midterm-election-results-democrats-blue-wave/? Anti-Trans Panic Couldn’t Save Republicans in Deep-Red Texas On an election night handing Republicans a beating in critical House and Senate races across the country, the GOP fell short even in once deep-red Texas after a campaign run on a go-to outrage tactic: fearmongering over the rights of transgender people. https://theintercept.com/2026/11/03/james-talarico-ken-paxton-texas-results-trans/? In California’s Central Valley, ICE Swung a Red District Blue In California’s Central Valley, some surprising voters lined up behind a progressive upstart: A law enforcement officer who calls for the abolition of ICE. A millennial who once voted for a Republican congressman. https://theintercept.com/2026/11/04/villegas-valadao-california-election-ice/? Fergie Chambers Faces Extradition to U.S. Despite Never Being Indicted, Says Lawyer The Trump administration’s extradition case against millionaire left-wing donor James “Fergie” Chambers, detained in Spain since July, ran into an apparent hurdle when two witnesses called before a federal grand jury announced their intention last week to refuse to testify. https://theintercept.com/2026/11/02/fergie-chambers-extradition-palestine-israel-protest/? Ashley Hinson’s Digital Chief Oversees Firm Paid Millions to Push Israeli Propaganda The person in charge of digital strategy for the Senate campaign of Iowa Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson helps run a company that received nearly $10 million to influence Americans with pro-Israel propaganda. https://theintercept.com/2026/11/03/ashley-hinson-israel-aipac/? Trump Scrambles to Halt Military Aid to Israel to Deprive El-Sayed of a Talking Point The United States will stop providing $4 billion in annual aid to Israel starting next year, President Donald Trump claimed in an Election Day interview. While the U.S. will continue to sell arms to its closest Middle East ally, Trump’s announcement — should it actually hold true — could represent a seismic shift in American foreign policy. https://theintercept.com/2026/11/03/trump-us-military-aid-israel-el-sayed/? If Democrats Win, Thank the Left Democrats are on the verge of reversing their political fortunes. The party is heading into the midterm elections Tuesday under the kind of conditions campaign consultants dream of, after two years wielding hardly more power than a strongly worded letter. https://theintercept.com/2026/11/03/democrats-voters-midterms-maine-michigan-texas/?

Donalds defeats Jolly, becoming Florida’s first Black governor Byron Donalds made history Tuesday by defeating Democrat David Jolly to become the nation’s first Black Republican governor, as well as the first Black person ever elected statewide in Florida. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/11/03/donalds-defeats-jolly-becoming-floridas-first-black-governor/? Moody defeats Nixon in US Senate race U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody won her third statewide election Tuesday as Republicans kept hold of the Florida seat to which Moody was appointed after President Donald Trump nominated Marco Rubio as secretary of state. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/11/03/moody-wins-senate-race-edging-nixon/? Florida Public Service Commission rejects Duke Energy’s data center plan The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) on Tuesday rejected Duke Energy Florida’s proposal to pay data center costs, 5-0. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/11/03/florida-public-service-commission-rejects-duke-energys-data-center-plan/? Democrats escape their superminority status in the Florida House Florida Democrats stepped out of the struggle of being in the superminority in the state House Tuesday. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/11/03/democrats-escape-their-superminority-status-in-the-florida-house/? Property tax slash crosses approval threshold on election night A far-reaching homestead property tax reduction proposed by the Legislature garnered the approval of more than 62% of the unofficial vote, besting the 60% approval required to be enshrined in the Florida Constitution. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/11/03/property-tax-slash-crosses-approval-threshold-on-election-night/?

👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. Comeback for the ages: The Jets were down 4-0 to the Canadiens with just 2:40 left in regulation… and ended up winning in overtime. Historic stuff. In today's edition: A trade of Gretzky proportions, CFP rankings revealed, the luckiest No. 1 in tennis, MLB's top free agents, Know Your History (new game!), Caleb's illicit cleats, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy, with contributions from Neil Paine and Dylan Dittrich. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 💔 Tragic losses: Pennsylvania native Rachel Apa, 24, died after collapsing during Sunday's NYC Marathon, reportedly from rhabdomyolysis; Spanish striker Jesús de Miguel, 30, died Tuesday after a brutal in-game collision with the opposing goalkeeper on Monday. ⚾️ MLB proposes delay: In the first major labor development of the offseason, MLB has proposed phasing in a salary cap and floor (one of its biggest demands) in 2028, rather than 2027. That could make it easier for teams to sign free agents this month ahead of an expected lockout. 🏀 Game 7 makes history: The Valkyries' title-clinching win over the Dream drew 3.3 million viewers on Halloween night, making it the most-watched WNBA playoff game ever and the fourth-most watched game in the history of the league. ⚽️ Champions League roundup: PSG crushed Villarreal, 6-0, in Tuesday's league phase action to stay perfect; Lamine Yamal became the competition's highest-scoring teenager ever (14 goals) in Barcelona's win over Aston Villa; Manchester United stormed back to beat Roma, 3-2, and win their first match in almost two months. ⚾️ Seattle's new skipper: The Mariners are hiring Cubs' director of player development Jason Kanzler as their next manager. Kanzler, 36, has no managerial experience at any level and will be the second-youngest skipper in the bigs, behind only Washington's Blake Butera, 34.   🏒 BLOCKBUSTER BREWING A TRADE OF GRETZKY PROPORTIONS? (Steven Ryan/NHLI via Getty Images) It's not every day that arguably the best offensive player in a sport becomes available. But that could soon be the case in professional hockey, after Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov requested a trade from the only NHL team he's ever known. Why it's a big deal: Kucherov has won two Stanley Cups and made 12 playoff appearances in 13 seasons with Tampa Bay. But he's more than just a winner: He's also arguably the NHL's most dangerous scorer — yes, even with Connor McDavid in the league. In fact, since the start of the 2023-24 season, it's Kucherov, not McDavid, who leads the league with 415 points. So why does he want out? Probably money — though Kucherov claims it's more about "poor communication and respect" in his interactions with the Bolts' front office. The Russian is in the final season of an eight-year, $76 million contract, and extension talks have reportedly broken down. Tampa Bay's response: Not so fast. "We unequivocally have no intention of trading Nikita," Lightning GM Julien BriseBois said in a statement. Another wrinkle: Kucherov has a partial no-trade clause, allowing him to submit a list of 10 approved destinations for any potential deal. How historic would a trade be? Almost unprecedented. Going back to the start of the NHL's Expansion Era in 1967, the only player who changed teams after a more productive 3-year stretch is literally Wayne Gretzky. Using Adjusted Points, which makes it possible to compare eras, Kucherov's 386-point total from 2024-26 would rank second among players in new sweaters, trailing only Gretzky's 452 before his blockbuster trade to Los Angeles. (Amazingly, Gretzky also makes the list for his subsequent move from St. Louis to New York. The Great One wasn't content with just one appearance in our chart.) Bottom line: If the Lightning do end up dealing their all-time points leader, it would be one of the biggest blockbusters in NHL history, at least in terms of recent scoring firepower — even if Kucherov (age 33 this season) is a bit older than Gretzky was (28) in his first season as a King.   🏈 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS TODAY, CHAOS TOMORROW (Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports) The College Football Playoff Selection Committee released its first rankings on Tuesday, providing — as always — plenty of controversy and fodder for debate. The biggest surprise? Notre Dame landed at No. 11, a whopping seven spots below its No. 4 ranking in the AP poll. "They don't have that signature win right now," said CFP chair Hunter Yurachek. That could change on Saturday, as could a lot of other résumés. Other teams that came in below their AP poll ranking include No. 8 UCLA (-3), No. 9 BYU (-2), No. 15 Texas Tech (-2), No. 16 Wake Forest (-2), No. 20 USC (-2) and No. 25 Boise State (-5). On the flip side, No. 4 Indiana (+2), No. 5 Alabama (+4), No. 6 Kentucky (+2), No. 7 Texas (+3), No. 10 Ole Miss (+2), No. 13 Tennessee (+3) and No. 23 Oregon (+4) were among those who did better in the CFP. (Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports) Coming up: If you're confused, annoyed or frustrated with the first set of CFP rankings, we have good news for you: Week 10 is going to provide a lot of clarity. No. 1 Miami at No. 11 Notre Dame No. 2 Georgia at No. 10 Ole Miss No. 3 Utah vs. No. 9 BYU No. 5 Alabama at No. 14 LSU No. 6 Kentucky vs. No. 13 Tennessee No. 7 Texas visits No. 18 Missouri Looking ahead: There's a very real chance that every two-loss team in the CFP's Top 10 (Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss) has three losses by Saturday night. Or, if you're a fan of chaos, we could have an even bigger morass of two-loss teams.   🎾 ATP RANKINGS THE LUCKIEST NO. 1 IN TENNIS (Helmut Fohringer/APA/AFP via Getty Images) Alexander Zverev officially took his spot atop the ATP rankings on Monday, becoming the 30th man ever to ascend to No. 1 in the world. The catch? He's kind of not having a great season. Ok, let's back up: That's not quite fair. The lanky German — who at 29 is the second-oldest man to debut at No. 1 — has had a season most players could only dream of, going 65-17 while winning his first two Grand Slams (French Open, US Open) and topping the money list with $15.1 million in on-court earnings. Yes, but: He's accomplished this largely in the absence of the actual two best players in the world, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who both missed extended periods of time with injuries. And when he did face the "Big Two" this season, he went 0-6. Zverev is also an unimpressive 3-3 against other players ranked inside the Top 10, with his latest defeat coming against No. 8 Alex de Minaur last week. He captured zero titles in 2026 outside of the aforementioned slams — and when you look at his path at those two majors, you see that he benefited from a literal luck of the draw. Consider this: Here are the world rankings of the players Zverev beat en route to his titles in Paris and New York, listed in descending order: 106, 95, 90, 89, 70, 52, 50, 43, 29, 28, 27, 22, 14 (Flavio Cobolli, French Open Final), 9 (Ben Shelton, US Open Final). Exclusive club: While 30 men have now assumed the tennis throne, just eight have done so in the last 22 years thanks to the historic dominance of the "Big Three" (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic) and "Big Two" (Sinner, Alcaraz). Since February 2004, the "Big Five" have held the top spot for an astonishing 1,108 of a possible 1,166 weeks (95%). Andy Murray (41 weeks), Daniil Medvedev (16) and now Zverev are the only others to reach No. 1 in that time.   ⚾️ AVAILABLE FOR HIRE MLB OFFSEASON: TOP FREE AGENTS (Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports) Buckle up, friends: A very odd free-agent season is coming. With the sport hurtling toward an elongated work stoppage and labor battle, the next few months project to be disjointed, chaotic and boring all at the same time. From Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman: When the existing collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, MLB will lurch into a transactional dead period. As team owners and the MLBPA bargain over the game's future, general managers, agents and players will, for the most part, be twiddling their thumbs and waiting around. That oncoming storm should precipitate a flurry of moves in the days and hours leading up to that Dec. 1 deadline, which is how things went five years ago during the 2021-22 lockout. This free agent class, however, is notably light on top-tier talent. That's particularly true on the position-player side, where, for the first time in a decade, no hitter is expected to receive a nine-figure contract. Still, there are a bevy of corner outfielders and more everyday second basemen than we can ever remember seeing on the open market. There's also a lot of starting pitching; 12 hurlers who started a postseason game in 2026 are set to become free agents. Top 10 free agents: SP Tarik Skubal (LAD) SP Freddy Peralta (TB) OF Seiya Suzuki (CHC) OF Randy Arozarena (SEA) SP Michael King (SD) 3B Teruaki Sato (Japan) RP Adrian Morejón (SD) SP Trevor Rogers (BAL) 1B Jake Bauers (MIL) C Ryan Jeffers (MIN) Trade targets? The lack of impact bats available in free agency could spark a friskier than normal trade market, though the lockout will surely stunt that to a certain degree. Nobody really knows how the labor showdown is going to play out. Full rankings: Top 50 free agents   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4 The new-look 76ers are firing on all cylinders eight games into the season. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) 🏀 NBA on ESPN The second-place Pistons host the first-place 76ers in the first leg of tonight's doubleheader (7pm ET). Then it's off to San Antonio, where the current title favorites host the Mavericks (9:30pm). Scoring leaders: Each of these teams has a player among the NBA's top 15 scorers, led by Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey (29.1 ppg), who ranks third. The rest: San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama (25.7), Dallas' Cooper Flagg (25.2) and Detroit's Cade Cunningham (23.7). More to watch: 🏒 NHL: Blackhawks at Panthers (7:30pm, TNT); Sharks at Kings (10pm, TNT) … Chicago (lost 3 straight), Florida (L1), San Jose (L2) and Los Angeles (L1) could all use a win. ⚽️ Champions League: Dortmund vs. Real Betis (3pm, Paramount+) … One of nine games across Europe today as Matchday 4 comes to a close. 🎾 ATP: Paris Masters (7am, Tennis) … Second-round matches for Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic and more. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.   ⚾ LET'S PLAY KNOW YOUR HISTORY This feels like a lifetime ago. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) 17 years ago today (Nov. 4, 2009), the Yankees won their record-extending 27th World Series, which remains their most recent championship. Question: Who did the Yankees beat in that World Series? Answer at the bottom.   🏈 ILLICIT CLEATS THE BEST MARKETING MONEY CAN'T BUY Top: Caleb Williams' Caddix cleats on October 18 (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images). Bottom: Caleb Williams’ Caddix blacked-out cleats on November 2 (Steph Chambers/Getty Images). From Dylan Dittrich, author of the Yahoo Sports Biz newsletter: After reportedly racking up nearly $36,000 in fines for wearing cleats with an unauthorized Caddix logo, Caleb Williams took the field on Monday night in a blacked-out, logo-less pair. Cool off: Williams is not endorsed by Caddix, choosing to wear the brand because he believes in the science behind its injury-reduction claims. Though both Caddix CEO Jack Rasmussen and longtime Caddix-wearer Joe Flacco offered to pay his fines, Williams voiced a desire to "calm things down" and minimize media distractions with the blacked-out pair. Bottom line: The continued attention remains better than any marketing Caddix could ever buy.   Trivia answer: Phillies

November 4, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. In a rebuke to President Trump, the Democrats flipped both the Senate and the House. A celebration of Senator Jon Ossoff’s re-election in Georgia. Nicole Craine for The New York Times A rout The midterms brought the blue wave that Democrats had hoped for and Republicans had feared. Democrats romped across the map as voters lamented high prices. They won right-leaning House districts, red-state governors’ races and Senate seats that haven’t been blue for generations. It was a dramatic turnaround from just two years ago, when President Trump stormed back to the White House thanks to voter dissatisfaction about, yes, prices. With majorities in both houses of Congress, Republicans have run Washington since 2024. That is over — and it is the beginning of the end of the Trump era, my colleague Peter Baker writes. The Senate vote. The New York Times Democrats originally feared yesterday’s election because so many of their senators in purple states were on the ballot. Instead, they performed beyond their expectations, winning races where they hadn’t even imagined they’d be competitive. Trump said last night that he was “absolutely willing” to accept the results and was prepared to work with Democrats. Here are the main takeaways. (And you can follow live results all day long. Our politics coverage is currently free to read in the app, even if you’re not a subscriber. Download it now.) Democrats take both chambers In the House, Democrats have won 228 seats so far, a majority that is expected to widen. The vote count is ongoing, but the party is on track to win the national House popular vote by 13 percentage points, according to our estimates. That would be the largest popular victory in the national congressional vote for either party in 50 years. The New York Times To retake the Senate, Democrats knew going into Election Day that they needed to flip four seats. It was clear by the evening that they’d hit their mark, as ordinarily safe Republican seats — like those in Texas and South Carolina — fell to Democrats. It was a night of firsts Winners include the first Muslim senator (Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan), the first Black female governor (Keisha Lance Bottoms of Georgia), the first openly gay male senator (Chris Pappas of New Hampshire), the first Hispanic governors elected in Texas (Gina Hinojosa) and California (Xavier Becerra), the first female governor of Ohio (Amy Acton), the first Black governors of Florida (Byron Donalds) and Wisconsin (David Crowley) and the first female Native American governor (Deb Haaland of New Mexico). If Democrats pick Hakeem Jeffries to lead them in the House, as they are expected to do, he’ll be the first Black speaker. How Democrats won High turnout shaped the outcome. In some places, turnout looked more like a presidential election. People likely cast about 10 million votes in Texas, a record for a midterm election there. Black voters and young voters swerved left. And across the country, counties with a majority of white working-class voters, a key component of Trump’s base, have swung about 14 points toward Democrats. Data as of 6:20 a.m. Eastern. Source: Times Voter Trends 2026 The New York Times Gerrymandering didn’t work. Republicans hoped to pick up as many as 15 House seats with redrawn maps in seven states. But they’ve lost most of the ones that had been called by this morning as the electorate lurched leftward. Money couldn’t save conservatives. Republicans outspent Democrats, and hundreds of millions of dollars flooded the political system. (These charts show how lopsided it was.) The huge spending advantage didn’t matter. Unforced errors hurt Republicans. In Texas and South Carolina primaries, Trump backed Republicans for Senate who turned out to be weak general-election candidates. The president also threatened to back someone in a primary against North Carolina’s Republican senator, who retired and was replaced by a Democrat last night. Two otherwise safe Republican representatives fell because one (Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey) vanished for several months and another (Max Miller of Ohio) was accused of abusing his ex-wife and daughter. Expect investigations in Washington Divided control of Washington will halt Trump’s legislative agenda. Democrats generally can’t pass laws without the president’s signature, but they plan to open investigations into many corners of his administration, such as the mass firings of his early months and the business deals that have enriched members of his family and his cabinet. With a Senate majority, Democrats can also block Trump’s judicial nominees, including for any possible Supreme Court vacancy. How did Trump respond? He spoke to The Times and other journalists and sounded resigned. But he stressed his veto power in an interview with Fox News. He also posted online: “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.” See photos from Election Day across the country. Meet some of the new stars of the Democratic Party. Listen to “The Daily” discuss the election. THE RESULTS In the Senate James Talarico Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times Texas: James Talarico, a state legislator and Christian seminarian, will become the state’s first Democratic senator in three decades. At 37, he’ll be the youngest member of the upper chamber. “We just showed that a politics of division is no match for a politics of love,” he said in his victory speech. Michigan: Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat, won in a bitter and expensive race against the Republican Mike Rogers. In his victory speech, he introduced himself using his full name — Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed — and celebrated that “America is big enough for all of us.” South Carolina: The Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, defeated Senator Darline Graham, the political novice whom Trump pushed to replace her late brother. Kansas: Adam Hamilton, a megachurch pastor, became the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in the state in nearly 100 years, ousting Roger Marshall, a freshman senator. Maine: Senator Susan Collins, New England’s sole Republican in Congress, lost her seat of three decades to Troy Jackson, a former Democratic state legislator. Ohio: Former Senator Sherrod Brown will again represent his state after ousting Senator Jon Husted, who was appointed to replace JD Vance. Iowa: Josh Turek, a Paralympian who is a Democratic state lawmaker, flipped an open Senate seat in a state Trump won three times. Florida: Senator Ashley Moody, a Republican, fended off a tougher-than-expected challenge from a democratic socialist for the seat once held by Marco Rubio. Mississippi: The Democratic candidate, Scott Colom, is leading by just a few votes. The state will take days to count provisional ballots that could decide the race. Votes are still being tallied in Alaska. It could be a long wait. In the House Texas: Bobby Pulido, a moderate Democrat and Tejano musician, ousted a Republican — a sign of deep Latino voter frustration. Iowa: A Democrat and minister, Sarah Trone Garriott, flipped a seat. New York: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won her fifth term. And Representative Mike Lawler, a Republican, conceded to his Democratic opponent, Cait Conley. (The Times has yet to call the race.) Virginia: A Democrat, Elaine Luria, won in a competitive district often seen as a national bellwether. (It has flipped party control five times since 2008.) Florida: Democrats — including Pia Dandiya, a former high school principal — won districts that Republicans redrew in their favor. Alabama: Representative Shomari Figures, a Democrat, held on to his seat despite Republican redistricting after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act. Governor races From left: Gina Hinojosa, Byron Donalds, Keisha Lance Bottoms and Xavier Becerra all made history with their wins. Ashley Landis/Associated Press, Rebecca Blackwell/Associated Press, Nicole Craine for The New York Times, Gabriela Bhaskar/For The New York Times Texas: In a tectonic upset, the Democrat Gina Hinojosa ousted the Republican governor, Greg Abbott, who was running for a fourth term. The decades of total Republican domination in Texas are over. Ohio: After a bitter race, Amy Acton, a Democrat, defeated Vivek Ramaswamy. His attack ad featuring her mother divided Republicans. California: A Democrat and former Biden administration official, Xavier Becerra, will succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who couldn’t run again because of term limits. Nevada: Aaron Ford, a Democrat, defeated the incumbent Republican governor in a critical swing state. Florida: Representative Byron Donalds maintained Republicans’ nearly three-decade hold on the governorship there. Minnesota: Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, will succeed Gov. Tim Walz, who suspended his campaign for a third term amid a scandal over social services fraud. Ballot measures Abortion: Missouri will retain abortion rights after voters decided not to restore a ban. But in Idaho, voters rejected a measure to repeal the state’s abortion ban. Gender: Nebraska voters approved a constitutional amendment that will require schools to designate sports teams as male, female or coeducational and prohibit male participation on female teams. Arizona voters approved a similar measure. Foie gras: Washington, D.C., banned the fatty goose or duck liver delicacy. Felons: Virginia restored the right of people convicted of felonies to vote after release from prison. Billionaires: It’s too soon to say whether California passed a one-time wealth tax on the superrich. Firearms: Idaho picked a state gun. COMMENTARY The midterms have proved that America’s democracy is not broken, the Times editorial board writes. The Wall Street Journal editorial board blamed Trump: “The president’s erratic and self-indulgent second-term governance has alienated much of the coalition he assembled in 2024.” Elon Musk, who spent about $500 million or so on the midterms, responded to his candidates’ losses: “Guess my election-interfering space lasers didn’t work this time,” he joked on X. “Decency won”: Ten Times Opinion columnists and contributors discuss the best and worst moments of the midterms. OTHER NEWS Trump said the United States would cut off the bulk of American aid to Israel, some $4 billion, “at the end of the year,” under an agreement reached months ago with Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel told U.S. officials that Iran was considering using chemical weapons. Some in the Trump administration thought Netanyahu wanted to draw Trump back into military action. Hours after a glide bomb attack by Russia killed at least 31 people at a school distributing humanitarian aid in Ukraine, the Trump administration said the United States and those two countries would resume peace talks early next week. A 24-year-old died in New York City this week while running her first marathon. The cause was rhabdomyolysis, a muscle condition that can be brought on by exertion, her father said. Morning readers, don’t miss The Midterms Sale on election coverage and more. What effect with the results have on the country? And on you? Stay informed with our best offer on The Times in full. Subscribe now. MORNING READS Illustration by Daniel Barreto A brain injury made one man a musical genius. Read his story. In Nigeria: An 80-cent plastic pouch is saving thousands of women from dying in childbirth. Your pick: The most clicked story in The Morning yesterday was about the pilots and passengers killed in a private jet crash in Florida. RECIPE OF THE DAY Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot. A new breakfast smoothie dropped: banana date. There’s plenty of protein from the Greek yogurt that sits at its base, and it’s better for you than a giant flavored latte from the fancy coffee shop near the office or, no doubt, my usual Coke at dawn. No added sugar! THE MORNING RECOMMENDS “Above the Clouds I,” by Georgia O’Keeffe. Georgia O'Keeffe Museum Take 10 minutes to look at Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting “Above the Clouds I.” It’s our latest focus challenge: What do you see? Cultivate a sense of hope. We’ve got four tips that’ll bring it to life. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were backlit, clickbait and tailback. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. This newsletter was compiled by Adam Kushner, Evan Gorelick, Lauren Jackson, Brent Lewis and Karl Russell. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren Deputy Editorial Director: Lauren Jackson

Democrats win back control of Congress In a sweeping victory, Democrats have taken back both the House of Representatives and the Senate. They capitalized on President Donald Trump’s historic unpopularity, and now the question is just how large their majorities in Congress will be. As the count stands, CNN projects Democrats will win 54 seats in the Senate, three more than the 51 needed for control. In the House, the party is projected to win at least 231 seats, comfortably clearing the 218-seat threshold. That number could grow considerably in the coming hours as Democrats continue to flip Republican-held districts across the country. President Trump told The New York Times he will accept the results, putting to rest — at least for now — questions about whether he might challenge the outcome. In a separate interview with Fox News, he said he didn’t see the GOP losses as a rebuke of his presidency, despite having urged voters to “pretend that I’m on the ballot.” Instead, Trump placed the blame on Republican candidates who failed to energize his base, sidestepping his own role in selecting some of them. Asked for his final message to Americans late Tuesday, the president offered a striking acknowledgment of his opponents’ success: “Congratulations to the Democrats,” Trump said. “They did a good job. They’ve been looking for this one for 11 years, and they finally got it.” + Live updates: Democrats ride massive blue wave to retake Congress + Video: Takeaways from the 2026 midterm elections 📈 CNN Sightline: Races in Mississippi and Alaska have yet to be called. Get a real-time look at the latest results The historic firsts of the 2026 election (AP/Getty Images/Reuters) Winners up and down the ballot will make history this year, breaking longstanding barriers and delivering a series of notable firsts. In the closely watched Michigan Senate race, CNN projects Democrat Abdul El-Sayed will defeat Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers and become the nation’s first Muslim senator. Other milestones include the nation’s first Black woman governor and the first openly gay male US senator. + Read more: See who made history + Plus: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries hopes to cement his place as the first Black speaker Texas turns blue Sen.-elect James Talarico and Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa toast with soft drinks at a Whataburger restaurant following Tuesday’s election. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Texas Democrats have waited since 1994 for a statewide victory, and on Tuesday, they finally broke through. James Talarico won the US Senate race, while Gina Hinojosa captured the governor’s mansion, marking a dramatic political shift in a longtime Republican stronghold. + Read more: Texas Democrats pull off the breakthrough they’ve chased for decades + Video: Democrats turn Texas blue Voters weigh in on key ballot measures Several closely watched ballot measures that could directly affect Americans’ lives are nearing a decision, with implications for taxes, reproductive rights, immigration and more. In California, a proposal to enact the nation’s first wealth tax — a one-time 5% levy on billionaires — remains too early to call. CNN also projects Maryland voters will approve a measure on congressional redistricting, while Missouri voters will reject a new congressional map. + Live updates: Ballot measure results + Video: ‘Billionaire tax’ divides voters in California The fears that fizzled The Trump administration’s aggressive hunt for voter fraud fueled widespread fears of federal election interference that ultimately never materialized on Election Day — thanks to resistance from local election officials and federal courts. Polling places across the country reported few problems, with no widespread disturbances involving federal monitors, ICE agents or mail-in ballots. + Read more: How Trump’s voter fraud crusade crashed into a blue wave + Debunked: Viral video of ballot handling explained

And to the woman [God] said, “I will greatly expand Your toil—and your pregnancies; In hardship shall you bear children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband, And his will shall prevail over yours.” Genesis 3:17 | The Sefaria Library

Collins Dictionary chooses ‘mogging’ as its 2026 word of the year LONDON (AP) — Collins Dictionary has named “mogging” — a slang word meaning to outshine someone or something — as its word of the year. https://apnews.com/article/collins-dictionary-2026-word-of-year-mogging-0f42c69049bb0912f5e9cecc13e00060?

Sorry for your loss!!

Tony Butala, co-founder of Lettermen vocal group known for ‘The Way You Look Tonight,’ dies at 87 https://apnews.com/article/tony-butala-dies-lettermen-028f24604e6a4bcb34286f5576220210?

European supermarket fridges got hacked. Again. Here’s what to know LONDON (AP) — Mysterious cyberattacks on European supermarket fridges have sent officials around the continent scrambling to figure out the cold, hard facts. https://apnews.com/article/supermarkets-europe-internet-cyberattack-food-fridges-hacked-b6abfab3f5cdd65c19476b9032eb7a9d?

Google will cut off search access for students at schools that reject AI Students using Google software in the classroom will not be allowed to access the company’s search engine unless their school system also opts in to using artificial intelligence, the tech giant said Tuesday. https://apnews.com/article/ai-schools-classroom-students-google-7ba4219e505db1c11d672f6eefe7155a?

No fraud found in Israel’s election, election commission says Israel’s election commission said Wednesday it has found no fraud in last week’s vote, dealing a blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to discredit the results. Read more. What to know: Netanyahu and his supporters have repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims that Arab-led parties had “stolen” the election, possibly with foreign assistance. The results showed Netanyahu's religious-nationalist bloc losing its parliamentary majority, while Arab-led parties made substantial gains. Israeli President Isaac Herzog accepted on Wednesday the certified results from last week’s vote and said he would begin consultations with party representatives regarding the formation of a new government. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ US will halt $4B in aid to Israel as the Mideast ally weans itself from American dependence US strikes in the Strait of Hormuz create more questions about what’s ahead

After midterm losses, Trump stares down the specter of Democratic probes and the race to succeed him For Donald Trump, his party’s resounding midterm losses pave the way for investigations and potential impeachments that will put the Republican president on the defensive in his final two years in office. Read more. Why this matters: Senior Democrats, as they anticipated a majority in at least one chamber of Congress, have been telegraphing what their top investigative targets would be: the Trump administration’s policies, the conduct of its personnel, and interactions between government officials and private corporations that have tried to wield influence with the White House. Among their priorities are the Trump family’s business dealings, the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and broader allegations of corporate corruption. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ How Trump and Republicans lost the 2026 midterm elections, according to The AP Voter Poll Voters back abortion rights and reject Trump’s redistricting in state ballot measures Analysis: Trump has defied political consequences for years. The midterms changed that FACT FOCUS: False accusations and unverified claims quickly spread about Election Day voting For more politics coverage, sign up for AP's Ground Game newsletter here

Democrats win US House, taking full control of Congress in a strong rebuke to Trump and Republicans Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, ushering in a new era of congressional resistance to President Donald Trump. Democrats routed their rivals across the map in Tuesday's midterm elections, flipping states that have voted Republican for decades and that Trump won by double digits just two years ago. Read more. What to know: The wins include James Talarico’s stunning Senate victory in Texas, where no Democrat had won statewide office in more than 30 years, and Annie Andrews’ upset victory over Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina. Trump had thrown his full weight behind both losing candidates. In Michigan, progressive Abdul El-Sayed — one of a crop of left-wing candidates who prevailed in Democratic primaries — topped Republican Mike Rogers. Even Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a battle-tested survivor of difficult elections, lost to Democrat Troy Jackson. While Trump has proven adept at steamrolling efforts to rein him in, Democratic control will profoundly reshape his final two years in office and hamstring his legislative agenda. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Live updates: Trump says he’ll accept election results but says ‘I don’t view it as a hit on me’ See complete election results Key races: Texas; South Carolina; Ohio; Maine; North Carolina; Michigan; Minnesota; Kansas; Alaska; Georgia Midterms bringing in wave of historic firsts for some states — and for the nation Takeaways: Voters punish Trump, and the GOP suffers historic losses

🏈 1 fun thing: College football reveal College Football Playoff via X Miami, Georgia, Utah and Indiana nabbed the top 4 spots in the first College Football Playoff rankings released last night, Axios' Donica Phifer writes. Why it matters: The final of six weekly rankings will determine the bracket for the 12-team playoff. UCLA — one of just three undefeated teams along with Miami and Utah — was ranked No. 8 because of a weak schedule. Ohio State (6-2) is the first team out of the playoffs. If the regular season ended today, No. 25 Boise State would make it in as the best team from a non-major conference. Go deeper.

📜 Election time capsule This morning's homepages.

🏛️ D.C. elects socialist mayor D.C. mayor-elect Janeese Lewis George votes at Ida B. Wells Middle School in Washington yesterday. Photo: Daniel Heuer/Reuters D.C.'s next mayor will be democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George, who swept her primary in June amid unhappiness with the city's direction and promises to expand affordable child care, Axios D.C.'s Cuneyt Dil reports. Lewis George's biggest task will be rebuilding the capital's economy, which has lost 45,600 jobs since President Trump returned to office. 🦆 Voters also overwhelmingly voted in favor of banning foie gras, a ballot initiative that invited fury from chefs like José Andrés and the owner of Butterworth's, a Capitol Hill French bistro popular among Trump's circle. Go deeper. Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman dances with supporters last night. Photo: Jae C. Hong/AP 🌴 In the Los Angeles mayoral race, democratic socialist Nithya Raman is running neck-and-neck with incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.

🍑 Night of historic firsts Georgia Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms embraces her daughter Lincoln at an election night party in Atlanta. Photo: Brynn Anderson/AP Yesterday's elections delivered a string of historic firsts, breaking barriers in governors' mansions and the Senate, Axios' Julianna Bragg writes. With her victory in Georgia, former Atlanta mayor and Biden aide Keisha Lance Bottoms will become the first Black woman governor in U.S. history. Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Crowley were elected the first Black governors in Florida and Wisconsin, respectively. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) won New Hampshire's open Senate seat, becoming the first openly gay man elected to the chamber. In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed will become the first Muslim to serve in the Senate. Deb Haaland (D) won New Mexico's governor's race, becoming the first Indigenous woman elected governor of a U.S. state. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D) became the first Indigenous woman elected to the Senate. More historic firsts.

🤖 AI loses everywhere Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios Voters showed deep distrust of the AI race, approving dozens of data center moratoriums and electing a raft of candidates who favor slowing a $10 trillion buildout, including in Texas — the epicenter of the boom, Axios' Maria Curi writes. Why it matters: The results were a warning shot to some of the nation's wealthiest and most powerful executives, many of whom are already working on ways to build a more palatable version of the revolution they are dead-set on winning. 🔬 Zoom in: All told, nearly two-thirds of 2028 data center capacity could face delays, although most political analysts don't see Democrats permanently blocking construction. Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa's surprise victory in the Texas governor's race fundamentally scrambles the math for the AI buildout. She campaigned on keeping a moratorium on data center construction in place until at least mid-2027. The state accounts for 41% of new U.S. capacity expected in 2028, according to the research firm SemiAnalysis. Via X Democrats also won gubernatorial races in Ohio, Georgia and Arizona — the three states expected to have the most new data center capacity after Texas. The winners in Ohio and Georgia favor restricting construction. Out of 41 data center measures on the ballot across 10 states, about two dozen proposals designed to restrict or block development appeared to have passed based on initial returns. 💰 The other side: In California, a measure that would've enacted a 5% wealth tax on individuals and trusts with more than $1 billion in assets appeared headed for defeat after facing heavy opposition from Silicon Valley.

⚡ Hakeem's dream majority House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is set to preside over a commanding Democratic majority after his party swept districts President Trump carried by double digits, Axios' Andrew Solender writes. Why it matters: Democrats' landslide win will make it much, much easier for the likely next speaker to secure the gavel without a sweat and ignore the demands of his progressive wing. It's a major partisan win for Democrats as a whole, but the party's centrist wing is also hailing the result as a much-needed strategic victory over the left. Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.), a leader of the center-left New Democrat Coalition, told Axios in an interview that Jeffries "now has the space to utilize his full talents as speaker." The size of Democrats' victory, Stanton said, "allows him to govern without worrying about being leveraged by anyone." 🔎 Zoom in: Progressives — particularly "The Bloc," a group made up of hard-charging leftists — had hoped to use a small majority to extract concessions from Jeffries. Many of them have declined to commit to supporting Jeffries as speaker and signaled they would use their votes as leverage to force votes on progressive legislation such as Medicare-for-All, defunding ICE and cutting aid to Israel. But the left's strategy is "going to look different from what it would have been with a smaller margin," one incoming House progressive told Axios, noting that "leaders have more flexibility when they have big majorities." 👓 Between the lines: Stanton noted that most of the incoming Democrats who won in purple and red districts were endorsed by the center-left New Dems — one of Jeffries' most reliable power bases in the caucus.

🤯 Biggest election shockers Sen.-elect James Talarico (D-Texas) and Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa (D) visit a Whataburger in Austin after winning last night. Photo: James Talarico via X Democrats racked up stunning margins in red states that President Trump carried in landslides just two years ago, Axios' Hans Nichols writes: 1. The Texas trifecta: Democrats won the races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, giving the party unified control of state government for the first time since 1995. 2. North Carolina was a bloodbath. The man in charge of steering House Republicans to victory — Rep. Richard Hudson, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee — lost his own seat. He'll join the ranks of other defeated party leaders who spent so much time trying to build a majority that they failed to protect themselves. 3. Hispanic voters swung back. Democrats are poised to control three congressional seats in the Rio Grande Valley that President Trump carried in 2024 — and the margins weren't even close. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) was leading Republican Tano Tijerina, 66% to 30%. Democrat Bobby Pulido was leading Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz, 62% to 38%. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) was leading Republican Eric Flores, 56% to 40%. Keep reading.

🥊 Susie Wiles: Foot on gas Via Truth Social White House chief of staff Susie Wiles made these remarks to senior staff gathered in her office last night, a person in the room tells me: "We're going to take a page out of President Trump's playbook and keep fighting for the American people. We will not stand by while radical Democrats try to undo the progress we've made by reopening our borders, making our communities less safe, and raising taxes on hardworking families. Anyone who thinks President Trump or this team is going to take our foot off the gas over the next two years is sorely mistaken. We know exactly what's at stake, we know what we're fighting for, and we have no intention of backing down. There is work left to do, and we intend to finish the job." Via Truth Social 📱President Trump told The New York Times in a phone interview shortly before 10:30 p.m. ET that he's "absolutely willing" to accept the results, and is prepared to work with Democrats: "We'll, you know, look forward to working with them ... We'll probably work something out." He called his decision to go to war with Iran a "very wise decision." On Republican Darline Graham's stunning loss of her Senate race in South Carolina, Trump said: "I'm just looking at these results as I'm talking ... I see that Darline lost. Wow, that's amazing." Referring to Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died in July, Trump added: "How do you think Lindsey would have done if he ran?"