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🤼 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.

Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz called 'cheaters' at fraud trial Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were described by a prosecutor Wednesday as “cheaters” during opening statements at a New York criminal fraud trial that has cast a spotlight on the threat gamblers pose to America's pastime. Read More. Scientist who brought frog embryos to Boston for cancer research is cleared of smuggling charges U.S. prosecutors have dropped all criminal charges against a Russian scientist who was tossed into an immigration jail last year after she landed at a Boston airport with frog embryos intended for her cancer research at Harvard Medical School. Read More.

Midterm elections crack open political map, putting conservative states back in play For a decade, the political map has been largely stagnant, locked into the same half-dozen or so political backgrounds, reflecting a polarized, evenly divided country. On Tuesday, voters took a wrecking ball to that map, electing Democrats in states that were long considered reliably Republican. Read More.

At What Cost? (Matt Ramey / AP)   View in browser Democrats were jubilant last night, and for good reason: Few midterms in modern American history have produced such a thorough repudiation of a party as the Republicans experienced in this election. But celebrations have a pesky way of being followed by hangovers. For Democrats, the cause of their morning-after headache is affordability. Across the country, Democratic candidates campaigned and won by railing against Donald Trump’s handling of the economy. When they take control of Congress in January, however, they’ll find themselves with few direct levers to bring down prices. We don’t need to guess what happens to politicians who campaign on affordability and don’t deliver. We saw it last night. Democrats can hardly be blamed for placing affordability concerns at the center of their campaign, alongside discussion of rampant corruption. This was good electoral politics—you want to run against your opponents’ weakness—and also good republican politics: It’s healthy for candidates to respond to voters’ concerns. The price of orange juice is up nearly 25 percent since Trump returned to office. The price of the candy that trick-or-treaters received on Halloween has risen 71 percent in five years. The average national price of a gallon of gas was more than $4 on Election Day for the first time in history. These price increases are a drag on many Americans’ budgets. Real wages—the difference between nominal wage growth and inflation—have declined over the past year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers released this week. For the Democrats, this has been a perverse political godsend. Long the undisputed party of workers, the Democratic Party has recently developed a reputation among voters for caring more about elites and cultural issues than basic economics. Trump demonstrated the power of focusing on inflation in 2024, when he assailed President Biden and Vice President Harris over rising prices. Trump never demonstrated any sort of plan for how he’d bring prices down, but his emphasis on the matter—along with Democrats’ muddled messaging about it—helped him overcome voters’ deep hesitations about his character. Since taking office, though, his lack of any vision for whipping inflation has been obvious. He has not pursued policies to fight high costs. He has demanded, in vain, that the Federal Reserve lower interest rates, which would be inflationary. He has mocked and dismissed the concept of affordability as a “hoax.” And although presidents typically have very limited short-term power to affect an economy, he found a way to make inflation worse by launching an ill-advised war in Iran, which he now has no idea how to end. This made Republicans very vulnerable in the midterms. But even with impressive wins in both the Senate and the House, Democrats will have few ways to bring prices down. On corruption, by some measures the top issue in the election, Democrats have room to hold Trump and his administration accountable using investigative powers. But on affordability, rhetoric and doomed bills designed to send a message are almost all they can offer. If reliable methods of bringing prices down in the short term existed, Republicans in Congress would have tried them this year. With unified Democratic control, Congress will be able to pass legislation, but Trump has already vowed to become “Mr. Veto.” Democrats can and will attempt to pressure Trump to end the conflict with Iran, but as the United States has seen repeatedly this century, starting a war is a lot easier than getting out of one. “People are impatient. They want answers now. They’re economically insecure,” Gina Raimondo told me in an interview last week. Raimondo, the commerce secretary under Biden, is often mentioned as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate. “If we’re sitting here in a year and a half and we haven’t done a damn thing about cost and prices, people might say, Well, forget about you; I’m going to try the other guy.” Any parallel with voter rejection of Trump is imperfect. A president tends to shoulder more blame from voters than Congress does, a dynamic that is likely to be exacerbated with Trump, who is compelled to dominate attention, although it is sometimes to his disadvantage. But even if voters don’t blame Democrats specifically, they may still feel disillusioned with all politicians’ inability to bring quick change. That points to another risk for Democrats in 2028: not that people who voted blue in the midterms will turn against them, but that they will tune out entirely, just as the many disaffected Trump voters who opted not to vote in 2026, rather than flipping to Democrats, did. The fact that party leaders are aware of these challenges doesn’t give them any easier answers to the affordability conundrum. Democrats had no choice but to campaign on high costs, but they may still pay a price for it. Related: The simple message that produced a Democratic landslide America’s latest inflation check-in doesn’t look good for Trump.

GOP blame game Vice President JD Vance pinned Republicans’ massive midterm losses on the Iran war that President Donald Trump started. The president said that’s “largely true,” but he would do it again. 👀 Live updates: Trump administration gearing up for aggressive oversight 📈 Soaring stocks: Dow has best post-midterm elections day in 44 years A blue tidal wave Texas. Kansas. South Carolina. Ohio. Democratic candidates flipped seats in one red state after another. And after a decade of dismal showings, the party roared back to life in Middle America. 🥳 ‘It’s about time’: Voters celebrate with tears, cheers and disbelief + Seismic shift: How Mississippi became an unlikely Senate battleground Winners and losers Newly elected Black governors and the religious left have a lot to celebrate, along with Democrats across the country of course. The biggest losers? Trump, Vance and Elon Musk — but there’s a lengthy list. CNN’s Aaron Blake breaks it down. 🌏 Foreign policy: What Trump’s setback could mean for Iran, Israel and Ukraine Lame-duck president Trump enters his final two years in office wounded but determined to retain an iron grip on power. Meanwhile the jockeying of potential GOP candidates for 2028 has already begun. ▶️ Watch: Trump boasts about ballroom in first speech after midterms For CNN subscribers A wide swath of the electorate — including women, young voters and independents — shifted their votes toward the Democrats in this midterm election. Here’s what the data shows. 💸 Why the big swing? It was the economy all along + Analysis: Trump is forced to face a damning reality

November 4, 2026 Mike McQuade By Melissa Kirsch I’ll be on vacation next week, so don’t be alarmed when The Good List doesn’t show up in your inbox on Wednesday. I considered trying to get next week’s list done before I left, or trying to write it on the plane, but my editors and I decided that the “Good List” thing to do would be to actually take the time off, without conditions. I’ll admit this feels a little uncomfortable, but I’m sitting with the discomfort! Enjoy this week’s list, and I’ll see you on Nov. 18, refreshed and replenished. On this week’s list: 1. Honey, please 2. Why run? 3. Going local 4. Be free 5. Special cheese 6. Side of Bacon? 1. Honey, please Romain Costaseca/Hans Lucas/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The sun will set at 4:48 p.m. today in New York, which means the urge to retreat inside and get cozy will be irresistible. I am not a heavy tea drinker, but I aspire to be, because it’s the consummate cozy behavior, and because I like the idea of warming up from the inside out. If you are — or aspire to be — a tea drinker, my colleague Melissa Clark’s hack for getting the last of the honey out of a jar: Splash a little of your hot tea in the jar, swish it around, pour the whole thing back into the cup. What a satisfying little trick! It reminds me of my friend Claire’s suggestion that you use the dregs of your jam jars to make a cocktail. I like these tricks because not only are you getting every last drop, but you’re also using the original vessel, a tiny gesture of efficiency. 2. Why run? Lexi Parra/The New York Times The New York City Marathon was Sunday, and I spent much of the day, as I do every year, considering what it must feel like to complete such a grueling feat. I began marathon training several years ago with the idea that once I’d completed the race, it would serve as a touchstone when facing challenges in the future. I imagined saying to myself: “I ran a marathon. Surely I can do this,” where “this” was whatever apparently impossible task was before me. I confess I felt mostly relief when I didn’t get a spot in the marathon lottery and decided that was a sign I should stop training. In retrospect, I didn’t have a ton of conviction; I didn’t have a good “why.” In her new book “The Great Remembering,” June Cohen, a co-creator of TED Talks, writes about how humans have always undertaken physical challenges to help cope with emotional ones. Cohen spoke to a woman who undertook a 150-kilometer run around Mount Rainier to commemorate the 15th anniversary of her husband’s death. “Life gave me hard that I didn’t choose,” the woman said, adding, “When we choose hard and let that hard redefine what hard means in our lives — it gives us back our power.” I’m trying to understand this: Choosing to do something hard as a way to reclaim agency. Hard things don’t always have to be unwelcome; sometimes we invite them in to reframe our understanding of suffering. If I could internalize this, I think I’d have a good reason for running a marathon. A British man who walked 31,000 miles over 28 years returned home this week, and he said the thing that surprised him most was how kind strangers were — in every country he traversed, people offered him food, shelter, a hug. “The world is just a much better place than you will imagine,” he told The Times. This is why many people love to run marathons: The magical feeling of the crowds cheering you on. “It doesn’t just come from training for months to test your body in a physical challenge. I could do that on my own,” Jen A. Miller wrote in The Times in 2018. “Marathons, especially city marathons, are a big party, and one that keeps going even when you don’t want to, when everything inside you screams to just stop, even though you need to get to the finish line somehow.” This party, this collective effervescence, is available to all of us, even if we don’t run. Sometimes we’re the ones taking on a physical challenge, sometimes we’re the ones standing along the route cheering. 3. Going local The Saugatuck River Bridge in Westport, Conn. in 1990. Robert Moore, via Library of Congress If you’re considering your own walk across the world, you might start small and explore your own neighborhood with Local Wikipedia, which describes itself as “Wikipedia but only for things a half-hour walk from you.” The creator said he wanted to make the vast, unwieldy archive into something “wieldy,” something that “tells a story about a specific place.” It’s strange and exciting to see what landmarks and locations, no matter how humble, make it onto your area’s entry. I put in the Connecticut town where I grew up and discovered that it’s home to the oldest surviving movable bridge in the state, built in 1884. Stephen Sondheim was an apprentice at the local playhouse! What might you find about your own hometown? The stories we tell of the places we live are personal, particular to our experience. They seldom take into account the census districts or the historical bridges. It’s interesting to see what a dispassionate illustration of a place looks like, separate from all the things that have happened to us there. 4. Be free I read David Whyte’s poem “Sweet Darkness” this week, and one line has stayed with me: “You must learn one thing. / The world was made to be free in.” I’m not sure why this line in particular resonated, but I keep returning to it, and whenever I do, I unclench a little. It sort of resets my perspective. If the world is made to be free in, then there’s no good reason to allow myself to be confined. And then: How can I help others to be free in this world? 5. Special cheese Tony Cenicola/The New York Times My friend Minju told me recently about her favorite cheese, Rush Creek Reserve, which she serves only on Thanksgiving. Why only on Thanksgiving? If you love a cheese, might not you indulge more than one day each year? Turns out this cheese costs $37 for about 12 ounces, which is, for Minju and me and most everybody, not part of the everyday cheese budget. Plus, Rush Creek Reserve is produced only in the fall. That means it’s on sale for only a limited time — and scarcity like that automatically makes me want to get it while I can, like Mallomars. I happened on the cheese in my local supermarket and couldn’t resist. I served it with fresh baguette and, as Minju insisted, apricot preserves. It was indeed a special cheese, not only because it was creamy and nutty and subtle, but also because I loved eating something that someone close to me loves. 6. Side of Bacon? Krista Schlueter for The New York Times The old party game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,” where you can supposedly link anyone in Hollywood to Bacon via movies they’ve worked on in fewer than six steps, suggests that Bacon is the center of the entertainment universe, its most prolific star. Someone has crunched the numbers and — plot twist! — it turns out Bacon currently ranks 175th out of 169,000 actors. Find out who’s more connected, and which Gen Z star might be the “next” Kevin Bacon. Now, whenever someone references “Six Degrees,” you can be that smarty-pants who goes, “Well, actually. …” (I’m sorry.) One more thing: Mary Beth Robinson, a reader from Heidelberg, Germany, has a clever way to deal with things that go awry when traveling: My husband and I are accustomed to vacationing with large groups of friends, but we once courageously embarked on a two-week road trip through Europe with my elderly parents, the four of us packed tightly into a Honda Civic. This could have easily gone pear-shaped were it not for the brainchild of my better half: Every morning, we (s)elected a scapegoat for anything that might go wrong that day, whether it was a forgotten item that we’d have to turn back for; long lines at tourist attractions; snippy wait staff; out-of-service elevators; even inclement weather or scarce parking or cold coffee. When serving as scapegoat of the day, one had to accept blame — but not responsibility — for any “negative” thing, no matter how grievous or insignificant. Reservation for the wrong time? Hey, scapegoat! Chewing gum on your shoe? Hey, scapegoat! It quickly becomes so absurd that it turns everything into a joke, stopping hard feelings in their tracks. We still call on this convention whenever we travel, no matter how large or small the group. Do you have any strategies for stopping hard feelings in their tracks? Share them in the comments, or send me an email. And you can check out past editions of The Good List anytime. — Melissa The editor of The Good List is Jodi Rudoren. Eli Cohen handles the photos.

💊 CVS Health is splitting its health and pharmacy services businesses into two public companies, reversing a get-big strategy involving mergers with prescription benefits provider Caremark and insurance firm Aetna. More from Brock E.W. Turner.

🍔 Traffic at McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. fell during Q3 as customers struggled with high gas prices and other costs. Go deeper.

⚡️ Catch me up Data: The Downballot, Ballotpedia, AP; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios 📊 In the seven states where Republicans redrew congressional boundaries, they're on track to lose as many as eight seats — rather than gain the 15 they had hoped to pick up. More from Hans Nichols.

🏛️ Speaker bows out Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) plans to step down as the House's top Republican after the GOP's epic midterm election losses wiped out his party's majority, Axios' Kate Santaliz reports. 📝 Johnson told colleagues in a letter that his decision wasn't easy, but that the demands of serving in leadership had required significant sacrifices from his family. He wrote: "After three years in this role, I believe the time has come for me to give them more of the attention and presence they so richly deserve." (Read his letter.) Johnson's exit touches off a potentially contentious scramble to replace him. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) have both thrown their hats in the ring. 🗳️ What's next: House Republicans are set to hold leadership elections on Nov. 10. Go deeper.

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!!