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Trump-backed redistricting plan fails in midterms At the urging of President Donald Trump, Republicans in eight states redrew the boundaries of dozens of congressional districts over the past year while angling for an edge that could help them hold onto a slim House majority in a tough midterm election. Ultimately, it didn't work. Read more. Why this matters: The redistricting plan fell flat in Alabama, Florida and Texas. It got scuttled by courts in Missouri and then firmly defeated by its voters Tuesday. And it got offset in California, where a retaliatory Democratic redistricting flipped all five of the Republican-held seats it targeted. What started as a Republican redistricting effort could become a Democratic redistricting movement ahead of the presidential election. Maryland voters on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment that will make it easier for the state’s Democratic-led General Assembly to redraw districts to the party’s advantage. Democrats who made gains in numerous state legislatures Tuesday also could use that power for redistricting — most notably in Wisconsin, where districts were tilted toward Republicans. And Democratic lawmakers in New York already have taken an initial step toward congressional redistricting before the 2028 elections. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Which Senate, governors races are still uncalled by The Associated Press Democrat Hakeem Jeffries poised to make history as the first Black speaker of the House Young voters led a sharp shift toward Democrats in the 2026 midterms, The AP Voter Poll finds FACT FOCUS: False claims of rigged elections are limited as midterm vote heavily favors Democrats

Inflation, tariffs and a voter revolt: The midterm verdict on Trump’s economy President Donald Trump was publicly humbled by inflation in Tuesday’s midterm elections, as rising prices provoked a blistering set of losses for Republicans in House, Senate and gubernatorial races. Read more. What to know: Most voters said that Trump’s own policies had smothered growth and drove costs even higher, according to The AP Voter Poll. Consumer prices are up 3.7% over the past 12 months, compared to an inflation rate of 3% when Trump began his second term. The president told reporters on Wednesday that the Iran war “drove the gasoline up a little bit short-term,” but he felt the choice to fight Iran was worth it because of its push for nuclear weapons. “If I had to do it again, I’d have to do it again,” he said. Nationwide, about 7 in 10 voters said the economy favors the wealthy, while only about 3 in 10 said it’s fair to everyday Americans. About 4 in 10 households with 2025 household incomes above $200,000 said that democracy was their top issue, putting the issue about even with the economy. Voters in most lower-income categories, on the other hand, clearly prioritized the economy. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump brags about his White House ballroom and seeks to deflect blame for GOP midterm drubbing Vance tries to distance himself from Iran war after GOP’s deep losses Trump’s lawyers to appear before appeals court as he fights hush money conviction Iranians celebrate setback for Trump in US election

Big Tech Lost The Election. Now Comes The Gaslighting. As Democrats prepare to investigate Silicon Valley, its liberal-branded lobby is scrambling to erase voters’ resounding rejection of Big Tech. https://www.levernews.com/big-tech-lost-the-election-now-comes-the-gaslighting/? ps:What a waste of time, if that's what they're going to spend time doing!!!!!

THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 5 1941 The order is given: Bomb Pearl Harbor The Combined Japanese Fleet receive Top-Secret Order No. 1, instructing them to bomb Pearl Harbor, Malaya (now known as Malaysia), the Dutch East Indies and the Philippines in just over a month’s time. Read More Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Arts & Entertainment 2007 Writers strike stalls production of TV shows, movies Asian History 1556 Mughal victory assures Akbar’s ascension Civil War 1862 Lincoln removes General McClellan from Army of the Potomac Crime 2009 Army major kills 13 people in Fort Hood mass shooting European History 1605 King James learns of Gunpowder Plot LGBTQ+ History 2024 First openly transgender member of Congress elected Native American History 1862 Dakota Indian trials conclude, with more than 300 sentenced to hang Sports 1994 George Foreman becomes oldest heavyweight champ U.S. Presidents 1912 Woodrow Wilson wins landslide victory 1940 FDR reelected for a third term 1968 Richard Nixon elected president 1994 Ronald Reagan announces Alzheimer’s diagnosis 2024 Donald Trump becomes second president elected to a nonconsecutive term 1977 George W. Bush marries Laura Welch in Midland, Texas Women’s History 1872 Susan B. Anthony casts a vote, prompting arrest

🏗️ 1 for the road: Inside the ballroom Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times Roughly 12 hours after a devastating midterm loss, President Trump toured the new White House ballroom and signed the final steel beam before it was raised into place. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP Above: The new East Colonnade under construction at the White House.

How Senate votes moved from '24 The blue arrows in these New York Times maps show how counties shifted toward Democrats on Tuesday compared with the 2024 presidential election: Detailed results aren't available yet for Maine, which also flipped Democratic. Maps: The New York Times More graphics (gift link).

📊 Polls underestimated the wave Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Democrats' midterm tsunami obscured a major polling miss: Surveys correctly anticipated a blue wave, but failed to capture its full force, Axios' Neal Rothschild writes. Why it matters: Pollsters appear to have underestimated Democrats by a wider margin than they underestimated Republicans in 2016 or 2024 — even if they got the headline outcome right this time. 🧮 By the numbers: Democrats are on track to win the national House popular vote by roughly 13 points, compared with a final Silver Bulletin polling average of 8.9 points, according to an initial analysis by The Argument's Lakshya Jain. That roughly 4-point gap is similar to the 2020 polling miss that underestimated Republicans. It's larger than the average errors in 2016 and 2024, though comparisons to presidential years are imperfect. Keep reading.

🇮🇷 Trump's bad options in Iran Photo illustration: Allie Carl/Axios. Photo: Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images Post-election, President Trump must decide whether to cut his losses on the Iran war and get a deal — or double down and go back to bombing, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. Why it matters: His options are bad. Going back to war would be highly unpopular, exacerbating the energy crisis while probably not yielding a better military result. But a deal with Iran remains elusive. If the Iranians refuse to make concessions — or, sensing weakness after the president's political loss, even toughen their demands — Trump will have a hard time reaching an agreement. One of his former advisers told Axios: "It's one thing to lose the midterms. But Trump doesn't want to look like a loser twice." That's why some Trump advisers think he could ultimately decide to strike Iran again. Keep reading.

AI's new charm offensive Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios The AI industry is scrambling to repackage a $10 trillion infrastructure buildout to appease a hostile electorate that overwhelmingly voted to restrict data center construction in ballot measures across the country, Axios' Maria Curi writes. Why it matters: Tuesday's election made clear voters won't tolerate unchecked data center growth. To prevent an existential threat, the world's biggest companies are working on a rebrand. Restrictive ballot measures went 43-1 across 10 states, with an average of 75% of voters favoring limits. Analysts expect the backlash to slow — but not stop — the buildout. 🔬 Zoom in: Beyond OpenAI's attempt to rebrand AI data centers as "compute campuses," companies are offering communities real money, including dividends, benefits for schools or cities, environmental concessions and labor protections. Amazon allocated $1 billion to invest in data center communities over five years. Microsoft has a Datacenter Community Pledge. OpenAI today unveiled a Compute Campus Policy Blueprint and outlined tens of millions of dollars in commitments for free school lunches, parks, first responders and other priorities. See OpenAI's new plan ...

📈 Surprise election rally Data: FactSet. Chart: Axios/Matt Phillips Some of the largest data center operators led a post-election stock rally yesterday — the day after voters delivered a resounding rebuke to data centers themselves, Axios' Emily Peck and Matt Phillips write. Microsoft rose 6.7%, Amazon 6.1%, and Alphabet 3.3%. The big picture: Wall Street is increasingly betting that a slower AI race — and a forced slowdown in spending on the data center buildout — could be good for Big Tech. Keep reading ...

🚨 Dem gains could sideline Electoral College Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios Democrats' sweeping statehouse gains have opened a path to effectively replacing the Electoral College with a national popular vote in time for the 2028 presidential election — without needing to amend the Constitution. Why it matters: The results could give Democrats the legislative power to fundamentally change how America picks its president, potentially ending the possibility of winning the White House while losing the national popular vote, Axios' Andrew Pantazi writes. Democrats have won control of the governorship and both legislative chambers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin and Nevada — enough to push an agreement called the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact beyond the 270-vote threshold required to take effect. The compact has been enacted by 18 states and D.C. since launching in 2006, representing 222 electoral votes so far. The agreement only kicks in when participating states collectively control at least 270 electoral votes. The five new Democratic trifectas could bring the total to 283. 🔧 How it works: Americans don't directly elect the president. Instead, they actually cast ballots to choose electors, whose votes determine the winner every four years. Nearly every state awards all its electoral votes to the statewide winner. Maine and Nebraska also award electors based on congressional district results. But the Constitution explicitly gives states power to appoint electors "in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct." Under the compact, participating states would instead award their electoral votes to the national popular-vote winner once the agreement reaches 270 electoral votes. Yes, but: The five states would still need to enact the compact. It's unclear whether it will be a priority for the new Democratic states. The Electoral College would formally remain in place, and the compact could face constitutional challenges, including over whether congressional approval is required. Michigan failed to enact it during its previous Democratic trifecta from 2023 to 2024, and Nevada's then-Democratic governor vetoed the compact in 2019, warning it could diminish his state's influence over presidential elections. Notre Dame law professor Derek Muller has argued that the compact would be unconstitutional without congressional approval, which he contends is required under the Constitution's Compact Clause. 🔮 What to watch: Whether and how legislators in the new trifecta states move forward. Lawmakers in all five states have previously introduced legislation to join the compact.

Hegseth on "thin ice" Photo illustration: Allie Carl/Axios. Photos via Getty Images It's a de facto motto in the Trump White House: "Somebody's gotta take the fall." Lately, that person looks like Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Axios' Marc Caputo and Alex Isenstadt write. Why it matters: From the unpopular war in Iran to his bad bipartisan relations with members of Congress, Hegseth's record has made him the most vulnerable member of Trump's Cabinet after Tuesday night's midterm shellacking. "Hegseth is definitely on thin ice," a Trump adviser told Axios. "It doesn't mean the president forces him out. But there are complications." As early as next week, the House could impeach Hegseth for allegedly defying Congress and illegally continuing the U.S. war in Iran. The measure is sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a vociferous critic of Israel and foreign wars. 🔭 Zoom in: Iran is at the center of both Hegseth's possible impeachment and Republicans' midterm collapse. Before Trump attacked Iran on Feb. 28, Hegseth was the most gung-ho about the conflict. Hegseth gave the rosiest projections about how quickly and easily it would be resolved, according to sources familiar with the discussions. By August, a senior administration official said, U.S. Central Command was reportedly soliciting new approaches to pressure Iran, suggesting that military leaders were still reassessing how to achieve strategic results. Trump stood by Hegseth yesterday, telling reporters the secretary is "doing a very good job." 👓 Between the lines: Trump has been known to praise an embattled Cabinet secretary, only to seek their ouster shortly thereafter. Go deeper: 4 factors weighing on Trump.

Vance's MAGA power play Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Tom Brenner/Getty Images Vice President Vance stepped out of President Trump's shadow yesterday, seizing on the GOP's midterm catastrophe to begin the explosive task of claiming MAGA as his own, Axios' Zachary Basu, Marc Caputo and Alex Isenstadt write. "The reason we lost is the war," Vance wrote in an extraordinary 600-word postmortem on X, blaming Trump's Iran campaign for Republicans' historic collapse. Why it matters: Vance's presidential ambitions are entangled in the wreckage of a war he privately opposed but publicly defended. His path to 2028 demands a delicate political calculation. Vance must convince MAGA's disillusioned voters that he understands their sense of betrayal, even as he remains a central figure in the administration responsible for the Iran war. "Today, JD Vance became president — or acted like he wanted to become one," a source close to the administration told Axios. 🥊 Vance argued that defections from Trump's 2024 coalition — not lack of turnout — drove the GOP's collapse in Tuesday's midterms. Citing polling of disaffected Trump voters, he identified four demands: "End the war." "Focus on cost of living/inflation." "Put America First." "Change our relationship to Israel." 💡 Between the lines: Those happen to be the four hottest topics among top MAGA podcasters and activists. So Vance is aligning with those leaders on topics where MAGA anger with Trump is raging. Behind the scenes: Vance's commentary caught some in the White House by surprise. But insiders said the vice president worked with senior administration officials on the post. "These were his words and thoughts," one insider said. "He's leading." Said another: "It pains me to say this, but Tuesday showed the emperor had no clothes, and Vance knew he should just state the obvious. There are going to be a lot of other Republicans putting a lot more distance between them and the president." One Republican consultant representing a potential rival in the 2028 presidential race offered a blunter assessment: "The VP had to show he's not a dead man walking out there." Data: The New York Times. Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Zoom out: Trump's second term has been riven by a bitter ideological feud between MAGA's anti-interventionist wing and the pro-Israel hawks who championed the Iran war. Vance privately questioned the war's objectives and duration, then publicly defended the campaign and led peace negotiations with Iran. His postmortem now puts him squarely in the anti-interventionists' camp. It also gives Vance an opening against more hawkish Republicans, particularly Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. If Cruz runs in 2028, as many expect, and argues that it's time for the party to move on from Trump administration figures, Vance could try to argue that Cruz was on the wrong side of the issue that helped cost Republicans the midterms. 👀 What to watch: Trump has yet to anoint Vance as his successor, and the Republican collapse is already exposing the contours of a potential succession fight. Asked yesterday whether he had discussed a presidential run with Vance, Trump said the two talk about "a lot of things," before adding: "Maybe he won't run. I don't know who's going to run."

Multiple flights in Europe diverted because of bomb threats November 05, 2026 Finnair said that Flight 1761 from Helsinki to Rome was targeted by a bomb threat on Thursday. But Finnish broadcaster Yle reported that nothing out of the ordinary was found on the plane after it landed normally in the Italian capital. Three Ryanair flights bound for Bulgarian capital Sofia had to make emergency landings because of bomb threats on board. They all landed safely.

> President Donald Trump reportedly floats possibility of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with advisers following Tuesday's electoral losses, anticipated congressional action over Iran war; Trump publicly denies considering the move (More) > Montenegro is on track to become the EU's next member by 2028, European Commission says, leading a pack of nine candidates including Albania, Moldova (More) | How do countries join the EU? (More) > Russia and Ukraine confirm they will send delegations to Abu Dhabi early next week to engage in US-mediated peace talks (More) | See war updates (More)

> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +1.6%, Dow +3.0%, Nasdaq +1.4%) as Brent crude oil prices dip below $95 per barrel to hit their lowest point in two months (More) > Trade deficit decreases by 0.7% to $105B; imports and exports of capital goods like computers and civilian aircraft rise to all-time highs of $158B and $73.3B, respectively, per Commerce Department data (More) > Duolingo shares soar 26% after language-learning app reports 64.9 million daily active users in third quarter, a 29% year-over-year increase (More) | How Duolingo turned a free app into a nearly $8B business (More via YouTube)

> Roughly 35% of infants diagnosed with peanut allergies show no reaction during supervised oral food challenges, shedding light on the importance of confirming a diagnosis before long-term allergy treatment (More) > Cyberattack on several French blood banks is thwarted before it can raise temperatures to levels that would compromise blood samples; report follows news of cyberattack on European supermarket freezers earlier this week (More) > United Kingdom launches novel trial investigating whether simple blood tests can help primary care doctors detect cancer in early stages (More) | US health advisers endorsed separate cancer-detecting blood test in September (More)

Humankind: Texas school district names new elementary school in honor of beloved school custodian of 39 years; watch her reaction.

> Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz stand trial on fraud charges related to rigging pitches for gamblers in an alleged betting scheme (More) > "Wicked" star Cynthia Erivo will play Tupac Shakur's mother, Afeni, in Snoop Dogg biopic releasing in August (More) | Who will portray Snoop, Dr. Dre, and the Notorious BIG? (More, w/photos) > John Frieda, the British hairstylist who worked with Princess Diana, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Madonna, and more stars before building a global empire of styling products, dies at age 75 (More) | See photos of his work and clients (More)

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong sentenced to 10 more years in prison HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court sentenced prominent activist Joshua Wong to 10 more years in prison Thursday under a Beijing-imposed national security law, in a case that critics say underscores the crackdown on the city’s once-thriving pro-democracy movement. https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-joshua-wong-sentencing-national-security-f4b08dd23bab9912569e5cabd990c1ef?

🤼 Epic power struggle House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks at a news conference today after the midterm elections, with DCCC leaders Reps. Suzan DelBene (from left), Katherine Clark, Ted Lieu and Pete Aguilar. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images House Democrats channeled anti-Trump fury into last night's landslide. Now comes the hard part: Figuring out what to do with their huge majority. Why it matters: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has called for "dramatic change" next year. But the Democrats' ideological factions have contradictory visions about what that looks like. "Last night was a rebuke of the status quo," progressive Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) told us. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), a centrist, said it was a "gigantic night for the middle ground," and the mandate is far more modest. The big picture: House Democrats are on track to win more than 250 seats. That blows up the plans of a cohort of incoming progressives known as the "Bloc" to demand leadership concessions. The left is hopefully eyeing the "Bernie Dogs": Populist candidates from working-class backgrounds who won red districts with support from both progressives and centrists. They are also taking a close look at the "wave babies": Candidates who won upset victories in districts not on the party's radar and whose politics are largely unknown on Capitol Hill. What they're saying: Former Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said she is "100% down" for the items on Jeffries' 100-days agenda, but "I just don't think there's any way we can stop there. ... We have to pass a living wage bill, we have to pass universal child care." "Americans delivered a demand for bold change, and progressives are excited to deliver it," CPC Chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) told us in an interview. The other side: Rep. Adam Gray (D-Calif.), a leader of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, told us, "The most extreme elements ... want to do messaging bills and yell and scream and point the finger." Jeffries ally Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) said the results were a "victory for common sense, not any extremist ideology." — Andrew Solender

‼️ Schumer's high-wire act Photo illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer plans to use his new majority to confront President Trump when he wants to — and cooperate with him when he needs to. Why it matters: It's a high-wire act made a little easier by a majority that could grow to 56 seats. It's made a lot easier by the absence of a clear challenger for the top job, though Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has called for an "open and honest discussion" about who should lead the Senate. Schumer, 75, is eager to demonstrate he has plenty of fight left. Zoom in: At a late-morning press conference, an energized Schumer seemed to acknowledge the risk Democrats could squander their new majority by focusing more on confronting Trump than delivering for voters. "These voters did not give us the majority so we can do whatever we want. They entrusted us with the majority to do what they, the American people, want." Zoom out: Schumer's success will depend on buy-in from his Democratic colleagues — including an ambitious class of 2028 presidential hopefuls — for his two-track approach. He'll also need to reach an understanding with Trump that aggressive congressional investigations into the president, his family and his Cabinet can be kept separate from the routine business of divided government. The first test will come before a stopgap government funding measure expires Dec. 11. Schumer also wants to use Congress' power of the purse to prevent Trump from restarting military action in Iran. "We are going to end the war. We have some Republicans already who have joined us in ending the war," Schumer said. — Hans Nichols

😭 Next GOP nightmare Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Republicans woke up "in shock" this morning after they got hit with the biggest midterms wave in 50 years. Within hours, it turned into rage and despair. Why it matters: House Republicans are savaging their leaders and each other, while Senate Republicans are questioning what they can get done before Democrats take power next year. They'll have four days to grieve before going back to work in Washington. 🏛️ In the House, every GOP leader lost reelection, stepped aside or faces a challenger in next week's leadership elections. Within minutes this morning, Speaker Mike Johnson said he'll step aside, Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said they'll run for minority leader, and Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) picked up a challenge from Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas). Not to be outdone, Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) picked up a challenge tonight from Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.). McClain says 35 members have already endorsed her. There's no love lost: "Please do us all a favor and step aside so new leadership can take a truly conservative direction," Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) posted on X today about House GOP "Leadership." 😭 In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune is on a glide path to retain his party leadership job on Tuesday. But he'll be leading a conference that's lost the wind in its sails. Just two weeks ago, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) vowed to work on a MAGA megabill to end all megabills if Republicans lost both chambers. The GOP's nightmare election scenario has given Democrats little reason to cooperate with Republican demands. Multiple Republican sources questioned whether they'll pass anything beyond a short-term CR to avoid a government shutdown in December. The intrigue: Sources expect a bipartisan permitting-reform effort to move forward, but that's dependent on Democratic goodwill. Some conservatives will push for a Hail Mary reconciliation package or another swing at the SAVE Act voter-ID bill. But don't expect those to gain traction. The bottom line: House GOP leaders could have a whale of a problem motivating the dozens of lawmakers who lost to come back for the lame duck. — Kate Santaliz and Stef Kight

How Trump and Republicans lost the 2026 midterm elections, according to The AP Voter Poll After more than a decade with Donald Trump at the epicenter of U.S. politics, most voters appear exhausted and exasperated by him, according to The AP Voter Poll, a survey of midterm voters in all 50 states. Read More.

Democratic sweep of Congress ushers in a new era as Trump acknowledges impact of the Iran war 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. Read More. Photos show Trump touring White House ballroom construction after crushing Republican election loss President Donald Trump spent the day after his party’s major election defeat touring his new White House ballroom, where he signed the final steel beam before it was raised into place Wednesday. He also touted other projects underway in what has been a remaking of the city. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. Read More.