All Activity

AI's midterm hangover Data: FactSet. Chart: Matt Phillips/Axios Americans may have voted in the midterms to tap the AI brakes, but deflating the bubble is a tricky business — as yesterday's market rout showed. The big picture: The historical record shows that once major investment booms are in motion, it can be difficult to temper them without sparking a stampede of investors out of assets. That's why market collapses have featured prominently in past investment booms like those in canals, railroads and the internet, Axios markets correspondent Matt Phillips writes. 🚫 Zoom in: The broad rejection of AI in this week's elections — from wins for AI-cautious Democrats to overwhelming support for ballot measures restricting data center construction — has pushed investors to re-evaluate their previous bets on companies profiting from the data center boom. Over 50% of the planned data center capacity is in just three states — Ohio, Georgia and Texas. All are places where Democrats flipped governorships. State of play: The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 5.5% — its worst daily showing since the quasi-panic of President Trump's "liberation day" tariffs in April 2025 — and is down roughly 10% from the high it hit a month ago. The Nasdaq 100, a measure of the largest tech stocks, is now down roughly 14% since its Oct. 7 peak. Its 6.4% drop yesterday was its steepest since the March 2020 pandemic panic. Read on.

Shrinking evangelical vote Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios Religious "nones" outnumbered white evangelicals by 10 points in Tuesday's electorate, up from just one point in 2024. Why it matters: This widening gap could reshape faith's role in American politics. White evangelical Christians accounted for 17% of voters Tuesday, down from 23% in 2024, Axios' Russell Contreras reports from a preliminary Fox News Voter Poll. Their Republican loyalty barely budged: 82% backed GOP House candidates, compared with 84% in 2024. Religiously unaffiliated voters, known as "nones," accounted for 27% of the electorate Tuesday, compared with 24% in 2024. Their support for Democrats climbed from 70% to 78%. Explore the data ... Keep reading.

Trump to keep fundraising Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images President Trump has told advisers that he plans to keep raising money for his political operation — a move aimed at salvaging his clout after the GOP's midterm debacle, Axios' Alex Isenstadt reports. Why it matters: Maintaining a political organization — either his existing MAGA Inc. super PAC or one to be created — would give Trump a vehicle to try to influence elections in 2028 and beyond. 🥊 It also would give Trump a way to pressure GOP lawmakers who consider breaking with him as the unpopular president enters his lame-duck era and Democrats prepare congressional investigations into his administration. Trump's MAGA Inc. enforced party discipline during the 2026 primary campaigns when it helped defeat Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie (R), an outspoken Trump critic. Zoom in: MAGA Inc. has been the centerpiece of Trump's political operation during his second term, raising nearly $450 million since the beginning of 2025. The group received massive checks from cryptocurrency and AI industry donors, along with Republican megadonors such as Elon Musk and Miriam Adelson. MAGA Inc. spent more than $400 million on the midterms, making it one of the election's biggest spending forces, according to a source familiar with the totals. 👀 Reality check: Republicans say Trump's diminished political clout will make it harder to attract the enormous checks that have flowed into MAGA Inc. The prospect of congressional investigations involving donors to Trump's political operation could further discourage contributions.

Americans teach a lesson — again Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Voters were unambiguous on Tuesday: Don't B.S. us. Don't say you'll lower prices and end wars and corruption, then do the opposite. It's really that simple, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in a "Behind the Curtain" column. This isn't so different from when Americans told Democrats not to B.S. them about Joe Biden's health, the words they should use, or the social behaviors they should adopt. Why it matters: Most Americans agree broadly on most things, most of the time. They want competent politicians to focus on issues that meaningfully impact their lives. Like clockwork, every two years, Americans feel the party in power fails to deliver this — so they punish the incumbents at the polls. 🏛️ Politicians and some journalists tend to treat the American people as dopes and dupes who don't get what's happening in front of their faces. Tuesday's midterms, which will live in history as a Watergate-level reset for democracy, show that voters were paying attention and hit a boiling point. They didn't hide it. Polls consistently showed that all they really care about is rising inflation, job insecurity, ending the war, and stopping the rampant corruption. This was a repudiation of overreach, incompetence and corruption. People will tolerate it in small doses, but eventually reject it. In an age when people trust institutions less all the time, our institutions held. Courts restrained executive-branch excess. The press kept doing its job. Voters did theirs. But for all the hand-wringing that America is crumbling, that democracy is fading, or elections are eroding, the system worked. Remember: most Americans are normal and resilient. We should celebrate that. Despite it all, America works. 💪 For years, we've been reminding you about the power of Normal America: The vast majority of people — including our siblings, who are scattered from Oshkosh to Oregon — don't marinate in cable news, obsess about X or wake up thinking about Washington. They volunteer, they give to good causes, they'll help you in a pinch. They're good, they're fair ... and they're smart. 🍻 Between the lines: That's Normal America. Sometimes when we're making a tough call about journalism or business, we ask ourselves: "What would the person at the bar think?" It's a useful, clarifying proxy for: What would seem on the level through the lens of common sense and plain fairness? The person at the bar, and the voter in the booth, didn't want their soccer coach deported, didn't want their business to crumble because of a war of choice that's dragging on and on, didn't want the president's family and friends to enrich themselves while Normal America was wheezing. What we're watching: Democrats will be tempted and pressured to overreach. If they over-interpret their mandate the way Republicans did, they'll be punished, like clockwork. 👢 Here's what Republicans and Democrats will do if they're smart: Watch Texas. A seemingly impenetrable red state turned all blue, from the U.S. Senate to the governor's office to the state legislature. If Democrats can keep Texas, Republicans have no path to the presidency. Look at what happened in those southern border counties in Texas. These were the people who demanded tighter borders and punished Democrats when they wouldn't listen. But they're the same people who are saying stop with the thuggery and targeting of nonviolent people. Republicans were obliterated in those areas for not listening. Then look to the Texas suburbs, where you have many more traditional Republicans and moderate Democrats. They looked at Ken Paxton and said he's simply not on the level, even if they might agree with him on a lot of ideas. Corruption is never a good look. Enabling it and elevating it is even worse. The bottom line: This remains a 50-50 nation — a simple fact that every party and power instantly, constantly ignores. Once again, Normal Americans spoke: Ignore or B.S. them at your peril.

Iran War Limbo Russia warned its citizens yesterday not to visit Iran. It remained publicly unclear whether President Donald Trump planned to follow through on threats to expand military action against Iran after the US midterm elections, amid Vice President JD Vance’s retrospective that the war cost Republicans their congressional majority. Trump had previously floated striking Pickaxe Mountain, a site linked to Iran’s nuclear program that is estimated to be buried more than 300 feet underground. Trump ruled out using a nuclear weapon, instead suggesting he could deploy the GBU-43/B—the US’ most powerful conventional bomb. However, experts warn the so-called “mother of all bombs” cannot penetrate a target so deep underground. Meanwhile, the US has engaged in limited strikes in recent weeks, including targeting Qeshm Island. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D, NY-8) has meanwhile urged Trump to end the war. Once Democrats control Congress in January, they can withhold additional military spending and launch impeachment proceedings against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or other Pentagon leaders.

European Bomb Threats At least 21 European flights were targeted by hoax bomb threats yesterday, prompting emergency landings and military escorts (scroll for map). Seven other flights faced similar threats Tuesday. The threats are the latest in a slew of mysterious disruptions to European infrastructure, including cyberattacks on supermarket and blood bank refrigeration systems and false notifications on Ukrainian and Russian emergency alert mobile apps. It is unclear whether any of these attacks are linked, who is responsible, or what motivated them. Airport officials said at least two bomb threats came from self-described antifeminist groups with possible Russian ties. Meanwhile, the pro-Russia hacking group Hitcore reportedly claimed responsibility for the Ukrainian app breach. European officials previously warned Russia could be intensifying sabotage operations to undermine security in NATO countries. Each flight disruption could cost airlines up to $250K due to staff reshuffling, cascading delays, and missed connections. Learn how airlines assess bomb threats.

November 6, 2026 Night and Day “[Nicodemus] came to Jesus by night.” (John 3:2) The Pharisee Nicodemus, a highly respected teacher in Israel, privately visited Jesus in the dark of night in Jerusalem. Shortly thereafter, Jesus spoke with a Samaritan woman, who had been scorned by her own village, at a well in broad daylight. These two encounters were as different as night and day. Before seeking out Jesus, Nicodemus had already heard Jesus preach in the busy temple, knew of the revealing signs He performed, and perhaps witnessed His miracles. Nicodemus already knew Jesus was “a teacher come from God” (John 3:2). But Jesus went out of His way to meet the Samaritan woman in her small town. She was a stranger to Jesus, unclean to the Jews, and an outcast to her people. She was shocked when Jesus asked her for a simple drink of water since Jews didn’t speak to Samaritans. But Jesus did. And He revealed His divine identity to her. She shared that she knew “that Messias [Messiah] cometh, which is called Christ” (4:25). Jesus responded, “I that speak unto thee am He.” (4:26). Through these conversations, Jesus worked in the hearts of Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman. Nicodemus later demonstrated his faith by boldly defending Jesus before the Sanhedrin and assisting in His burial (7:50–51; 19:39). The Samaritan woman ran and told the townspeople about Jesus, saying, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (4:29). Jesus meets and seeks us where we are. Young, old, wealthy, poor, respected, or outcast. All are sinners in need of Jesus. His salvation and forgiveness are for everyone. “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). MJS

Picking up the tab Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios Tonight's dose of kindness comes from reader Billy Guice, who lives in Mississippi's Biloxi-Gulfport area, home to Keesler Air Force Base and the Naval Construction Battalion Center. "When possible at lunch, I try to pick up the tab for a table of men and women in uniform, anonymously if possible. I ask that the establishment simply say, 'Thank you.'"

The great repair revival Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Americans are reviving the lost art of fixing their possessions — and pushing back against a culture of buying and tossing things. Repair Cafés are popping up in libraries and community centers across the country, where volunteers are helping people mend their broken toasters, busted zippers and family heirlooms for free. Why it matters: Most of us have too much stuff. Fixing what we own instead of throwing it away is a simple way to save money and cut waste. 🔎 Zoom in: In Houston, Axios' Shafaq Patel got her mom's sewing machine fixed at the local library's Repair Café. Volunteers told her that people have come in with jewelry, clocks, lamps, stuffed animals and more. In Des Moines, Axios' Linh Ta had a torn backpack strap stitched back together at another library Repair Café. In New Paltz, N.Y., volunteers rewired an antique fan, restored old family photos and replaced clasps on necklaces, AP reports. 🪛 Zoom out: In today's modern, disposable culture, many people have lost the ability to repair household goods, a skill that was once nearly universal, engineer Peter Counter told AP. He's studying Repair Cafés as part of a doctorate at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, England. "The idea that you can fix your own stuff has receded because the skills are not being passed down. … If you want something fixed, it's almost certainly cheaper to go buy a new one." 🧰 Repair Cafés are helping preserve those disappearing skills. More than half of volunteers are over 60, according to a global survey, giving younger visitors a chance to learn from those who grew up fixing stuff.

The great repair revival Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Americans are reviving the lost art of fixing their possessions — and pushing back against a culture of buying and tossing things. Repair Cafés are popping up in libraries and community centers across the country, where volunteers are helping people mend their broken toasters, busted zippers and family heirlooms for free. Why it matters: Most of us have too much stuff. Fixing what we own instead of throwing it away is a simple way to save money and cut waste. 🔎 Zoom in: In Houston, Axios' Shafaq Patel got her mom's sewing machine fixed at the local library's Repair Café. Volunteers told her that people have come in with jewelry, clocks, lamps, stuffed animals and more. In Des Moines, Axios' Linh Ta had a torn backpack strap stitched back together at another library Repair Café. In New Paltz, N.Y., volunteers rewired an antique fan, restored old family photos and replaced clasps on necklaces, AP reports. 🪛 Zoom out: In today's modern, disposable culture, many people have lost the ability to repair household goods, a skill that was once nearly universal, engineer Peter Counter told AP. He's studying Repair Cafés as part of a doctorate at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, England. "The idea that you can fix your own stuff has receded because the skills are not being passed down. … If you want something fixed, it's almost certainly cheaper to go buy a new one." 🧰 Repair Cafés are helping preserve those disappearing skills. More than half of volunteers are over 60, according to a global survey, giving younger visitors a chance to learn from those who grew up fixing stuff.

This week we have meetings and guest evangelists from USA. 5 simultaneous programs in 5 towns. It Is Sabbath here and there will be one service in a larger auditorium. Many will come. more than 3000. In the afternoon there will be baptisms. Some will be new, some will be family members of converts. Like USA, some will need to attend several meetings before joining. Some may be from previous Evan events, but there was to much social pressure to join then. Now that the social pressure has waned, they will be baptized. Yesterday was overcast, so hopefully it will be today. It makes it comfortable standing outside on the beach for over an hour. Sometimes up to 3 hours if there are many. Probably there will be 6 pastors baptizing.

ICE paid $495M for Minnesota prison offered to state for $75M. Here's proof Claim: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement purchased a vacant, privately-owned prison for approximately $495 million after it was previously offered to the state of Minnesota for $75 million. Rating: True Context Public records and an email first obtained by KARE 11, a Minnesota news station, indicate ICE purchased the vacant facility for $495.6 million roughly a year after private prison operator CoreCivic offered it to the Minnesota Department of Corrections for $75 million. The Department of Homeland Security and CoreCivic said the price was set through the standard federal appraisal process, which involves independent estimates of the property's value. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ice-minnesota-prison-price/? Abdul El-Sayed didn't say it's OK if girls see male genitals in their locker rooms Claim: Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed said that it’s OK for young girls to see male genitals in their locker rooms because they are going to see them on the internet anyway. Rating: False Context The claim referred to a segment from an extended interview with El-Sayed on "60 Minutes," available to view on YouTube. In it, El-Sayed was asked about parental control over education and the interviewer cited one example being the debate over transgender kids playing sports. In response, El-Sayed made the argument that rather than try to shield kids from things they may not understand, it is a parent’s job to guide them through it. There was no mention of locker rooms or male genitalia, nor was there evidence El-Sayed ever made such a statement. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/abdul-el-sayed-girls-locker-rooms/? ps:Once again I wonder who started that rumor?????

Did Virginia legalize abortion up to birth? Claim misrepresents Question 1 Claim: In the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, Virginia voters passed a measure allowing abortions to be performed until birth. Rating: False Context Voters approved Question 1, which places protections for first- and second-trimester abortions in the state constitution. However, it also gives the state Legislature the power to pass some restrictions on abortions in the third trimester. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/virginia-legalize-abortion-birth/? ps:I wonder who started that lie????? Musk deleted 'Vote red today!' post after Democrats' midterm gains Claim: A screen-recorded video authentically shows an Election Day X post by Elon Musk reading "Vote red today!" that he, or someone managing his account, deleted after Republicans' 2026 midterm election losses. Rating: True The Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections saw major gains for Democrats both in the House and Senate, including key Senate victories in Michigan, South Carolina and Texas. News media outlets reported the results as a sweeping rebuke of President Donald Trump's administration, with vote tallies exhibiting sizable differences from his second-term victory in 2024. In the hours after the election results began coming in, some people began claiming a screen-recorded video showed that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk — who reportedly contributed $474 million to support Republicans in the midterms — had deleted his post from Election Day that read, "Vote red today!" https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/musk-deleted-vote-red-today-tweet/? ps:He wasted a ton of money!!!!!

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 New International Version 34 Women[a] should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.[b] In many christian churches, and many Jewish churches women are seated together and separate. I always wondered why. Now I know why.

An Abdication of Duty View in browser Outgoing Speaker of the House Mike Johnson made a statement earlier this year that captured his approach to the job: “I have no intention of getting in the way of President Trump and his administration.” He was answering a question about levying tariffs, a power the Constitution gives to Congress. Trump grabbed it. Johnson let him. That’s been the pattern for most of Johnson’s tenure. When the interests of the White House and the House diverged, Johnson proved loyal to Trump and a traitor to the institution he was supposed to lead. As his run ends, I wonder: Has he been the worst speaker of all time? His partisan affiliations and views are not the deciding factors in this evaluation. If a speaker is to be judged by the legislation he helped to pass or the worst parts of his ideology or conduct, then each one who entrenched slavery would clearly rank lower. But if a speaker is to be judged on how he performs the core job of protecting the House’s independence and authority over its enumerated powers, then no speaker has done more than Johnson to subvert the constitutional and civic purpose of that vital institution. In 2016, Johnson, who practiced constitutional law, was elected to the House of Representatives after one term in the Louisiana state legislature. When Trump lost the 2020 election, Johnson helped organize and signed an amicus brief in a lawsuit that sought to overturn Joe Biden’s victories in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. After the storming of the U.S. Capitol, Johnson joined Republicans who wanted to overturn Biden’s wins in Arizona and Pennsylvania. That readiness to subordinate the will of American voters to Trump’s ambitions may have helped Johnson become speaker in 2023, and it foreshadowed his sycophancy after Trump’s return to office. The power of the purse is a key function of the House, yet Johnson sided with Trump, and against horrified fiscal conservatives, to pass a spending bill that violated his own standard of how to wield that power responsibly. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the most significant legislation that he engineered into law, is expected to increase deficits by trillions of dollars—despite Johnson’s own promise to resolve what he rightly describes as “unprecedented debt and spending” that jeopardize the country’s stability and security. Power over tariffs, declarations of war, and oversight of the executive branch are other core responsibilities of Congress. On tariffs, Johnson did not merely acquiesce as Trump usurped an Article I power to impose duties on foreign nations (a congressional authority that Johnson had once sought to protect before he became speaker)—he took steps to stymie the ability of fellow House members to cast votes against the president’s tariffs. This speaker has repeatedly acted to stop the House from speaking. When Trump launched a war against Iran, without congressional approval or public support, Johnson tried to shut down floor action to prevent a war-powers vote that would rebuke him. When House members attempted to force the release of files associated with the Jeffrey Epstein investigation in 2025, Johnson adjourned the session early, sending lawmakers home to delay a vote. After the Democrat Adelita Grijalva won a House seat in an Arizona special election that September, Johnson delayed swearing her in for 50 days, a dereliction of his duty to ensure that his fellow Americans were represented. Democrats accused him of stalling because her signature on the Epstein petition would have forced a vote. (Johnson denied that the Epstein matter influenced his decision, and later voted to disclose the files, after Trump changed his position on the release.) All the while, amid allegations of presidential corruption related to foreign gifts and investment, pardons and clemency, stock profiteering and suspicious no-bid federal contracts, Johnson’s House has all but abdicated its oversight role. For almost two years, Trump has been mostly unchecked. Only future oversight can clarify the full costs of that inattention. Admittedly, there is no definite way to identify the worst speaker in history. Since the first Congress, 56 individuals have presided over the House. Americans constantly rank past presidents against one another. Vanishingly few could name 10 speakers, let alone compare them. Even experts had seemingly never bothered to rank House speakers until 1998, when an Iowa State University master’s student named Dennis Roy Still sent a survey to 60 congressional scholars. Although he soon realized that many of them were “unfamiliar with the speakership prior to the Civil War,” he found that the worst-ranked speaker was William Pennington, an inexperienced and ineffectual leader who was elected in 1859, shortly before the Civil War. Among modern speakers, Jim Wright is remembered for resigning amid a slew of ethics-violations allegations, and highly partisan speakers such as Newt Gingrich and Nancy Pelosi have been regarded as especially effective or especially divisive—depending on whom you ask. Then there’s Denny Hastert, the speaker from 1999 to 2007, who is a clear villain: Long after his tenure as speaker, he admitted to sexually abusing children. But even judging him on his official acts alone, the Nation writer John Nichols declared in 2007 that Hastert was “the most lamentable” speaker in history. Hastert allowed George W. Bush, a fellow Republican, to invade Iraq and Afghanistan without declaring war and “rubber-stamped the administration’s anti-Constitutional assaults on civil liberties,” Nichols argued, rendering “an essential legislative chamber as nothing more than an extension of the executive branch.” Although I believe that Bush-era Congresses often voted unwisely, at least they did vote on matters including the Authorization for Use of Military Force in Afghanistan, the Patriot Act, and the Iraq War (Hastert helped introduce the 2002 authorization for force in Iraq). Compare this with Johnson’s House, which never authorized the use of military force in Trump’s Venezuela war or his Iran war. Although a war-powers vote on Iran did eventually happen, it took place in spite of Johnson. And this undeclared war persists without House-imposed consequences for the president. Add in tariffs and oversight, and all told, the current House has abdicated its constitutional role far more than Hastert’s did. On Tuesday, voters gave their verdict on the House that Johnson led. In a historic rebuke, they ousted Republicans from power. Democrats, who currently hold four fewer House seats than Republicans, are projected to have at least a 50-seat majority in 2027. Beyond that decisive signal of disapproval from voters, Johnson’s legacy will be undermining the independence of the legislative branch. Tapped to lead the House, he repeatedly betrayed it, ceding its enumerated powers and impeding colleagues who tried to check the president. For the love of the House, good riddance to speaker Johnson. Related: Mike Johnson would prefer not to. Alexandra Petri: Mike Johnson is tuning out the news cycle to focus on self-care.

A woman divorced her husband because he spent his days lying on the sofa eating peanuts and watching television. "That's not what men do," she said. "They go to work. They may get drunk, fool around with other women, gamble" They don't spend their days on the couch eating peanuts and watching tv. Now some women would prefer her husband on the couch eating peanuts to him fooling with other women. That's a cultural issue with various viewpoints. Bottom line is the lady(?) didn't respect her husband so she divorced him. No adultery, physical abuse, just a lack of respect.

UN's peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara enters liquidation phase after mandate expires The U.N. peacekeeping mission in the disputed territory of Western Sahara will start repatriating personnel, closing a dozen facilities and disposing of equipment as part of a “liquidation phase” following a U.S.-Russia standoff at the Security Council last week. Read More.

Unemployment claims drop to 189,000, the fewest since mid-July Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as layoffs remain scarce and most workers enjoy job security. Read More.

Anthropic is rapidly accelerating AI development amid slowdown calls, outside research group says Anthropic is developing its artificial intelligence systems around twice as quickly as it was a year ago amid the CEO’s calls to slow down the technology’s pace of improvement, according to an analysis released Thursday by an independent monitoring group. Read More.

British doctor who tested positive for Ebola in Congo is evacuated to London hospital A British doctor who was working on the Ebola epidemic in Congo was evacuated Thursday to a London hospital for treatment for the virus, the U.K. government said. Read More.

Gas deposits off Cyprus are an opportunity for the EU, president says Natural gas deposits off the southern coastline of Cyprus are an opportunity for the European Union to bolster its own energy security by diversifying its supply, the island nation's president said Thursday. Read More.

Proverbs 31 describes the "woman of virtue." According to Scripture, her life is defined by domestic activity. That includes doing business on behalf of her family (vs.16). She acts independently of her husband but always in the interest of her family. It is her husband, however, who sits in the gate with the elders of the land: "Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land" vs 23. The "gate" is the place where judgment took place, where important decisions were made (Deut 21:19 et al.) Discussions regarding the marriage of Ruth and Boaz were made at the gate (Ruth 4: 1,10,11). "Wisdom is too high for a fool, he openeth not his mouth in the gates" This woman of virtue is married to a man who is respected in his community (Ruth 4: 1，10,11).

⚽️ 1 sports thing: Ronaldo done with Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal's 1-0 loss to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Photo: Ryan Pierse/FIFA via Getty Images Soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo will no longer play for Portugal, ending an international career that spanned six World Cups, a European title and the men's all-time international scoring record. His departure follows a high-profile falling-out with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus. 🇵🇹 The 41-year-old Ronaldo said on Instagram: "To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the No. 7 shirt of our national team." "It was not an easy decision, because some decisions are not made with the mind alone. They are also made with the heart." Go deeper.

⚡️ Catch me up Data: Financial Modeling Prep; Chart: George Moriarty/Axios 😱 Tech stocks plunged today in the most visible sign yet that investors are growing worried about a slowdown in the AI boom. The Nasdaq was down about 5% as of midafternoon. Get the latest.

Dems shatter GOP statehouse control Data: Axios research; Map: Andrew Pantazi/Axios Democrats are on track to control most state legislative chambers, ending 16 years of Republican dominance over America's statehouses, Axios' Andrew Pantazi reports. Tuesday's midterm results have dramatically expanded Democrats' power to increase minimum wages, protect abortion access and set voting rules ahead of 2028. 😳 Democrats are set to flip 12 legislative chambers, dismantle five Republican state trifectas (both statehouse chambers plus governorship), and shatter 11 GOP supermajorities, per AP. If current leads hold, 75% of Americans will live in a state with a Democratic governor, and 53% will live in Democratic trifectas. As it stands, Democrats will control the governor's office and both chambers in five of the seven 2024 presidential battlegrounds: Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. They have also broken Republican one-party rule in the sixth (Georgia) and flipped the House in the seventh (North Carolina). 🫏 Democrats flipped five GOP-held governorships (Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas) and lead in Alaska. Republicans haven't flipped any, despite targeting Arizona, Michigan, Oregon and Wisconsin. Kansas, where Democrat Cindy Holscher is leading by about half a point, remains uncalled. The bottom line: Republicans spent 16 years building a statehouse majority. Democrats erased it in one night — and they now have two years to show voters what they'll do with it. Go deeper.