Johnson Won't Seek House GOP Leader Post After Midterm Losses; Scalise and Jordan Enter Race as Thune Seeks Senate Minority Leader Job
Democrats are projected to control both chambers in January, so House Republicans will pick a new leader on Nov. 10, while John Thune has no announced challenger for the Senate post despite criticism from some conservatives over a stalled voter-ID bill.
U.S.
Democrats Flip Seven Senate Seats to Hold at Least 54; House Gains Range From 29 to 34 Across Outlet Tallies as of Nov. 5, With Alaska, Mississippi and About 40 House Races Uncalled
Both chambers have been called for Democrats, but the counts are not final yet. The original headline's 'House gain of 25' matches no tally we found, and the exact size of the majorities depends on races still being counted.
Democrats Set 100-Day Agenda on Costs, Health Care and the Iran War; Trump Says He Will Veto Bills He Calls 'Insane'
Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer will lead majorities in both chambers starting in January, but they fall short of the votes needed to override a veto or, in the Senate, to break a filibuster.
Judge Strikes CMS Impairment Test for Medicaid 'Medically Frail' Exemption, Upholds Two Other Limits in 25-State Suit
In an Oct. 29 ruling, U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston held that enrollees who fit one of five medically frail categories in the 2025 law do not also have to show their condition significantly impairs their ability to meet the work requirements that start Jan. 1, 2027.
Planning Commission Meets on Trump's 250-Foot Arch as Judge Chutkan Weighs Bid to Block Construction
Vietnam War veterans, Virginia and the District of Columbia say the Memorial Circle arch needs approval from Congress, and Arlington County says it needs environmental review. The government says it already has congressional approval from a century-old law, and that work could start as soon as Thursday.
Vance Says 'the Reason We Lost Is the War'; Trump Calls It 'Largely True,' Says He Would Do It Again and Is Not Replacing Hegseth
A day after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, the president and vice president both linked the Iran war to the Republican losses. They differ on whether the war itself or its effect on gas prices was the cause. CBS reported that Trump had asked advisers about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's future; Trump said he is not replacing him.
Trump Says He Has No Immediate Plans to Strike Iran After Democrats Are Projected to Win Both Chambers of Congress
The president told reporters U.S. forces are "locked and loaded" but "there may be no reason" to attack. Democrats say they will use their new majorities to force a vote on ending the war, which a presidential veto could still block.
N.C.
Earls Wins Re-election to N.C. Supreme Court, 58.85% to 41.15% in Unofficial Returns; Court Stays 5-2 Republican
Democratic Justice Anita Earls defeated Republican Sarah Stevens. The result does not change who sits on the court, and the same seven justices will hear Gov. Josh Stein's challenge to laws limiting his appointment powers on Nov. 10.
Democrats Win N.C. House and End GOP Senate Supermajority in Unofficial Results; Stein Asks Lawmakers to Skip Lame-Duck Session
Unofficial counts show Republicans keeping a 26-24 Senate edge, which leaves neither party able to override vetoes alone. Gov. Josh Stein called for compromise and said a post-election session is 'not necessary.' Republicans scheduled those sessions back in August.
Ojeda Unseats NRCC Chair Hudson 51.1% to 48.9% as Democrats Win Five Republican-Held N.C. U.S. House Seats
Unofficial results show Democrats won the 6th, 9th, 11th, 13th and 14th districts. Democrat Chuck Hubbard leads Rep. Virginia Foxx by 99 votes in the uncalled 5th District, and the 3rd District is also too close to call.
Cooper Defeats Whatley 58.7% to 39.1% for North Carolina's U.S. Senate Seat; Democrats Lead in Six Republican-Held U.S. House Districts in Unofficial Results
Democratic Rep. Don Davis held NC-1 by about 2 points over Laurie Buckhout, Democrats won seats held by Reps. Richard Hudson and Tim Moore, NC-5 is headed toward a likely recount, and voters approved a photo voter ID amendment.
N.C. Voters Approve Three Constitutional Amendments: Photo ID for Mail Voters, 3.5% Income Tax Cap and a Local Property Tax Limit, Each With About 60% in Unofficial Results
Unofficial counts show the photo ID measure near 60% and the income tax cap near 62%. The state board is set to certify results Nov. 24, and lawmakers still have to write the property tax limit itself.
North Carolina Early Voting Ends With 2.6 Million Ballots in State Count, Up More Than 37% From 2022; Aggregator Puts Total Near 2.8 Million, With Registered Democrats at 38.4% and Registered Republicans at 26.2%
In-person early voting ended Saturday, Oct. 31. The State Board of Elections count reported by WLOS was 2,612,249 ballots (the source of the 37% figure). The OnPoint Politics aggregator, as of Nov. 1, shows 2,816,820. Election Day voting on Tuesday, Nov. 3, has not yet been counted.
Finance
U.S. Oil Falls 8.3% to About $88 a Barrel as Midterm Results Feed Hopes for an Iran Deal
Brent and WTI crude each fell more than 8% on Wednesday, Nov. 4, as traders bet the election result raises the odds of a deal with Iran; prices recovered slightly on Thursday, and Washington and Tehran still had not agreed on Qatar's plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Dow Gains 1,569 Points, Its Best Day Since April 2025, as Stocks Rise and Oil, Yields and the Dollar Fall the Day After Democrats Win Congress
The S&P 500 rose 1.58% on Wednesday as Democrats took both chambers and President Trump said he accepted the results. Sources disagree on how broad the rally was, and Friday's October jobs report is next.
Kospi Falls 5.28% as Samsung and SK Hynix Slide Amid Concern Over Democratic Midterm Wins; U.S. Memory-Chip Stocks Fell a Day Earlier
Investors sold chip and data-center shares on concern that newly elected Democratic governors, local voters and a Democratic Congress could slow AI data-center construction. A Goldman Sachs estimate tied the risk mainly to state and local moratoria, not to Congress.
Economists Expect 59,000 to 65,000 Jobs in Friday's October Report as Futures Price About 80% Odds of a December Fed Rate Hike
The October jobs report is due Friday, November 6, and forecasters expect unemployment to hold at 4.2%. Citi says a lasting reopening of the Strait of Hormuz could move the Fed from rate hikes toward cuts, but futures still point to a December hike.
AMD Shares Rose Roughly 5% to 9% After Hours Tuesday on Q3 Revenue of $13.38 Billion and a Fourth-Quarter Guide of About $17 Billion
Data center sales rose 97% while client and gaming revenue fell 8%. The report came after a chip-stock selloff last week, and Qualcomm, Arm and AppLovin report Wednesday.
Dow Rises 0.41%, Nasdaq Falls 1.07% Before Midterms; Apple and Palantir Shares Drop After Topping Estimates
A 7.63% drop in Brent crude lifted the Dow on Monday while tech stocks fell. Apple and Palantir both beat quarterly estimates, but their shares slid after hours and before Tuesday's open on worries about Apple's profit margin and Palantir's contract growth.
World
Vance Blames Iran War for GOP Midterm Losses as Iran Calls U.S. Reply on Two-Day Hormuz Plan 'Unconvincing'
Trump called Vance's view 'largely true' but said he would go to war again. An unnamed senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran will not accept Washington's 'excessive demands,' and the Strait of Hormuz stays shut while Qatar mediates.
Zelensky Holds 90-Minute Call With Witkoff and Kushner as U.S., Russia and Ukraine Set Nov. 10-11 Abu Dhabi Talks; Brussels Meeting on Security Guarantees Held
Washington describes the Abu Dhabi round as working-level talks on post-war security, de-escalation and humanitarian issues, the first three-way meeting since February. None of the sources reviewed links the talks to any specific change in U.S. sanctions.
Russia Fires 76 Missiles and 289 Drones at Ukraine Overnight, Kyiv Says; Strikes Hit Power Plants and a Kharkiv Hospital
Ukraine says most drones and cruise missiles were shot down but few ballistic missiles were. Russia says it hit energy sites that power arms plants. The strike came a week before U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi and days after Washington cleared a Patriot interceptor sale that may not deliver until the 2030s.
Polish President Nawrocki Enters Constitutional Tribunal After a Judge Elected by Parliament Suspends Its Chief; Police Detain Protesters Outside
Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government says it is restoring an independent court, while President Karol Nawrocki and the opposition Law and Justice party call the suspension an illegal takeover. The fight centers on whether five judges who never took their oath before the president can lawfully sit on the court.
Houthis Claim Six Attacks on Saudi Oil Sites and Airports; Saudi-Led Coalition Reports Intercepting Missiles
None of the six claimed hits has been independently confirmed; the claims came three days after Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish officials met Iranian leaders in Tehran, and Brent crude traded at $115.74 early Friday.
Iran Says Four Tankers Hit Mines on Hormuz Routes It Calls Unauthorized; U.S. Says the Main Shipping Lanes Are Clear of Mines
Iran has not named the ships, and no independent source has confirmed the four mine strikes. A separate tanker, the Louise 1, was confirmed hit by explosives that a small boat attached to its hull off Oman.
Analysis
Unbiased, evergreen deep-dives on the bigger questions — not breaking news.
What Fauci's Released Diary Documents About the U.S. COVID-19 Response — and What It Leaves Unresolved
A 1,141-page personal diary released by Sen. Rand Paul's committee is roughly one-third routine administrative logging; a minority of entries bear directly on contested questions, and a few conflict with contemporaneous public statements.
Eight Months of Mamdani: What New York's Record Actually Shows, and What It Cannot Yet Show
A claim-by-claim audit of what Zohran Mamdani has delivered, how New Yorkers judge it, and what the evidence does and does not license anyone to conclude about the rest of the country.