With the global tide turning against him, the US president’s lame duck status could still aggravate old tensions and spark new explosions It was a victory for the world, too. People in the many countries that suffered pain, loss and cruel indignities at the hands of Donald Trump over the past two chaotic, fearful years celebrated a moment of glorious, shared redemption. The monster, like others of his kind, still lurks in his gilded White House lair; far-right authoritarianism still casts a dark shadow over many nations. But the power of this most destructive of presidents is shattered , his malignant spell broken. The triumphant roar of US midterm voters was a rallying cry of democratic defiance that, echoing the American revolution of 250 years ago, reverberated around the globe. For Iranians, Trump’s electoral humiliation raised hopes, perhaps misplaced, that his murderous war of choice against Tehran’s oppressive regime may soon cease . In Israel, many among the majority who voted for change last week will welcome the humbling of the foremost supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu’s as-yet-unvanquished extremist coalition. Ukrainians voiced optimism that a Democratic-controlled Congress will curb the sickening appeasement of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. In Europe, the beginning of the end of the Trump era brought a sense of relief – and hope that toxic transatlantic relations can be drained of Maga poison. Continue reading...
Results for “end zone”
Senior British politicians and officials highlight potential to end Iran war but warn US president is not yet ‘a spent force’ Andy Burnham was having dinner at the Commonwealth summit in Antigua when the results of the US midterm elections started rolling in. UK government officials in the Caribbean with the prime minister scrolled through their phones with growing incredulity as the scale of the Republicans’ defeat became clear. Continue reading...
Vice President Vance has spent the past two weeks personally involved in indirect talks with Iran aimed at reaching a new ceasefire and resuming nuclear negotiations, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter. Why it matters: Vance's heavy involvement shows he's taking it upon himself to extract the U.S. from a conflict he blamed for the GOP's staggering losses in this week's election. It also elevates the latest round of indirect talks to the highest levels of the administration. The big picture: U.S. officials and regional sources say that for now Trump is willing to let diplomatic efforts play out and wants to see if any kind of deal is possible. "We're talking to them," Trump told reporters on Friday, when asked what his message to Iran was. But if he changes his mind and orders renewed strikes, the U.S. military is ready to launch strikes on a relatively short timetable. Behind the scenes: Vance has been speaking almost daily to Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and other mediators about the negotiations with Iran, sources with direct knowledge said. White House envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner are also involved. Vance and Qatari and Pakistani mediators have been discussing the possibility of a working-level technical meeting between the U.S. and Iran in the coming days, but it hasn't materialized yet, the sources said. The vice president's office declined to comment. Catch up quick: Vance was the most skeptical voice in Trump's inner circle about the war before it began at the end of February, advocating instead for a diplomatic solution. He led the U.S. negotiating team to an April summit on Iran in Islamabad, and he was personally involved in talks that led to the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) in June. Vance then led the U.S. delegation to a round of direct talks with Iran in Switzerland, which ended wit
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the electric car maker will halt production of its Cybertruck next year and prioritize self-driving taxis.
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. This isn't so different from when Americans told Democrats not to B.S. them about Joe Biden's health, or about the words they should use, or 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 ... a
The group behind the college exams is planning new measures to keep up with high-tech breaches and “time zone” cheating.
President Trump said after meeting with his national security advisers Thursday that he'll soon decide whether to resume all-out war in Iran now that the midterms are over. Why it matters: The election was seen as an inflection point for Trump on whether to unleash a new wave of bombing to try to bring the war to an end. The president, at least for now, is considering three options: launch new strikes, continue to strangle Iran's regime economically or cut a deal that includes significant concessions to the Iranians. On Thursday, Trump and his top national security advisers met on Iran for the first time since the election, as part of his weekly intelligence briefing, two U.S. officials said. What he's saying: "Now we will make a decision," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "Do we want to go further" with strikes to ensure Iran's nuclear program is dead and that "it will never happen again?" he added. "I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I will have to. You'll know soon enough." State of play: As Trump weighs his next move, there was a flurry of diplomatic activity on Thursday, including multiple phone calls between Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and regional mediators from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UAE, Oman and Egypt. The Qatari mediators continued discussions with the Iranians and the White House about a draft proposal calling for the two sides to take a series of steps over two days to build mutual confidence toward a broader deal. On the first day, the U.S. would lift its naval blockade and release some Iran's frozen funds. In return, Iran would issue an official invitation to the International Atomic Energy Agency to send inspectors to bombed nuclear sites, based on an agreement reached in Cairo a year ago, regional sources say. On the second day, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen, after which nuclear talks would resume, focusing on Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The big picture: The sec
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday he plans to commute all 548 of the state's death sentences to life without parole, a sweeping decision that could empty the nation's largest death row. Why it matters: If Newsom follows through, it will be the largest mass commutation of death sentences in U.S. history , reducing the national death-row population by more than a quarter. The move comes during Newsom's final months as governor and ahead of a potential 2028 bid for president. What he's saying: "I know we cannot execute people in our imperfect legal system and remain true to our core values, first among them justice and human decency," Newsom wrote in a letter to Californians. "Many Californians feel that those who commit brutal crimes deserve to die. But as Governor, I have concluded the state cannot morally kill them." "We can now let these offenders die in obscurity while we forever remember and honor their victims." "This decision is among the most difficult of my career," he wrote. Context: Newsom can commute some sentences on his own, but prisoners with multiple felony convictions need approval from the California Supreme Court before their sentences can be reduced, per the California Constitution . Yes, but: This won't end the death penalty in California. It remains legal even though the state hasn't performed one since 2006 . In fact, California voters rejected ballot measures in 2012 and 2016 to end capital punishment. Flashback: Shortly after taking office, Newsom instituted a moratorium on executions , reprieving 737 prisoners from death row. The ACLU has been pushing Newsom to commute death row sentences since former President Biden did so in 2024 for 37 federal prisoners. Other Democratic governors have similarly commuted death sentences, including North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper , who commuted 15 in 2024. Zoom out: The death penalty faces heavy scrutiny nationwide after Tennessee's failed execution attempt of Christa Pike and Defense Secretary
The postseason is nearly upon us but there’s plenty to still be decided as the end of the regular season approaches Just days after millions of Americans cast their votes in the midterm elections, we will soon arrive at the second-most meaningful decider in US society: Major League Soccer’s Decision Day . With eight 4pm ET kickoffs on the east coast and another seven games kicking off hours later out west on Saturday, there’s still plenty to play for at the end of the regular season. Continue reading...
The tech industry spent big on the midterms, but it turned out to be a poor investment. Elon Musk poured a staggering $446m dollars into Republican-aligned political action committees (Pacs) and groups since last year, but his efforts didn’t pay off. Democrats won every one of the five Senate races where Musk’s America Pac spent the most money backing Republican candidates. Carter Sherman and Kai Wright are joined by the Guardian’s US tech editor, Blake Montgomery , to ask what the ‘blue tsunami’ will mean for Musk and the wider tech industry. Will this spell the end of AI datacenters? And if so, what could this mean for the US economy? Continue reading...
Overturning Citizens United is not enough. Campaigns must be funded with public money rather than private donations Having devoted most of my adult life to reporting on, campaigning against, and exposing the corrosive influence of money in politics, I’m gratified that this cause was – finally – front of mind in a national election. That’s right: in the midterms, corruption topped the list of Americans’ concerns, and candidates won by waging campaigns promising to reject corporate Pac money and linking Washington’s pay-to-play culture to the affordability crisis. Continue reading...
Vice President Vance stepped out of President Trump's shadow Wednesday, seizing on the GOP's midterm catastrophe to begin the explosive task of claiming MAGA as his own. "The reason we lost is the war," Vance wrote in an extraordinary 600-word postmortem on X , blaming Trump's Iran campaign for Republicans' historic collapse. Why it matters: Vance's presidential ambitions are entangled in the wreckage of a war he privately opposed but publicly defended. His path to 2028 demands a delicate political calculation. Vance must convince MAGA's disillusioned voters that he understands their sense of betrayal, even as he remains a central figure in the administration responsible for the Iran war. His maneuvering will take place under the gaze of a president who doesn't seem particularly eager to leave the stage — and who isn't shy about reining in those on his team who overstep. "Today, JD Vance became president — or acted like he wanted to become one," a source close to the administration told Axios. Zoom in: Vance argued that defections from Trump's 2024 coalition — not lack of turnout — drove the GOP's collapse in Tuesday's midterms. Citing polling of disaffected Trump voters, he identified four demands: "End the war." "Focus on cost of living/inflation." "Put America First." "Change our relationship to Israel." Those happen to be the four hottest topics among top MAGA podcasters and activists. So Vance is aligning with those leaders on topics where MAGA anger with Trump is raging. What they're saying: "If you'd like to argue [the war] was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so," Vance wrote. "Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest." Trump accepted that challenge Wednesday, acknowledging that the war had hurt Republicans but insisting it was worth the cost. "If I had to do it again, I'd have to do it again," he told reporters. "As far as that war is concerned, I would have done nothing diff
President Trump has conceded that the Iran war cost Republicans dearly in the midterms. Now he must decide whether to cut his losses and reach a deal — or double down and go back to bombing. Why it matters: All of Trump's options are problematic: The first is to strike. But going back to war would be highly unpopular — keeping gas prices high and probably not yielding a better military result. Another is to negotiate. But if the Iranians refuse to make concessions — or, sensing weakness after the president's political loss, up their demands — Trump will have a hard time reaching a deal. The third is to "strangle," as aides put it. This would mean sticking with the status quo — the naval blockade coupled with crippling economic sanctions that leave the Iranian regime to "rot" — while continuing to test its appetite for a deal. This path, however, could take months to show progress. The big picture: The president has said for weeks he would end the war one way or another after the election. One of his former advisers told Axios: "It's one thing to lose the midterms. But Trump doesn't want to look like a loser twice." That's left even his closest aides unsure what he's going to do next. The intrigue: Vice President Vance, in an extraordinary statement Wednesday morning, bluntly blamed the war for the GOP's midterm drubbing. It added a new political calculation to Trump's decision. "The reason we lost is the war," Vance wrote on X . "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. ... But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there." Vance also cited the U.S. relationship with Israel as a serious liability for Republicans. Trump told reporters on Wednesday that Vance's analysis was "largely true" because the war drove gas prices up. But Trump said he'd do it again if he had to: "We had no choice. You can't let I
Donald Trump’s crushing defeat in the US midterms over cost-of-living pressures is a warning for politicians closer to home Fascinating, isn’t it, that for all that Donald Trump has got away with, it’s arguably the cost of fuel that’s finally led to an absolute rout in the midterms. So many Americans held their noses at so many other things, but in the end his own decision-making on Iran will haunt the rest of his presidency. Continue reading...
When the US’s first Muslim senator used Arabic in his victory speech, it cut through the torrent of vile racism Maga launched at him throughout his campaign Repeat after me: yallah. YAH-luh. This versatile Arabic word means everything from “hurry up”, to “come on” to “speak to you later”. If you add a “bye” at the end, the meaning shifts to “please shut up, fool” or “speak soon friend,” depending on your intonation. Next up: wallah. wa-LAH. Again, the definition changes depending on context and cadence. It can mean everything from “no way!” to “I swear to God.” Continue reading...
Republicans barely had time to absorb their sweeping midterm losses before President Trump returned to a familiar comfort zone: D.C. construction projects. Why it matters: Voters just delivered an overwhelming rebuke of the administration, demanding that politicians focus on the cost of living, yet the president remains fixed on remaking the nation's capital in his image. Driving the news: Trump hosted reporters at the White House on Wednesday for a previously unscheduled event to update them on the East Wing ballroom's construction, marking his first remarks to the White House press pool since the election. He spent the majority of his remarks discussing planned architectural changes around D.C., including a proposed Triumphal Arch, the National Garden of American Heroes and a planned expansion of a publicly owned golf course that would likely eliminate popular running and biking paths. His remarks came after a pre-election appearance Monday, during which he praised the new pipes installed at the Reflecting Pool and a proposed promenade from the Lincoln Memorial to the Potomac River. What they're saying: Trump addressed criticism he sometimes receives for working on his construction projects, saying he was "doing it because the White House is the ultimate symbol of America, and it's got to be pristine." "It's got to be perfect. And if you take a look at it, that's what it is right now. You have no idea how much work we had to do." He also noted that he spends "very little time" working on the White House, but said he does it because "it's relaxing …I love construction." Catch up quick: Democrats outperformed expectations in Tuesday's midterms, flipping the Senate before the night was over and then the House a few hours later, according to the AP. Democrats have gained complete control of at least five previously divided state governments while ending Republican trifectas in several other states. In ruby-red Texas, the white whale of potential pickups, Democrats fli
Data: Financial Modeling Prep ; Chart: Ben Geman/Axios Oil prices fell sharply Wednesday as traders weigh signs — including a widely circulated post by Vice President JD Vance — that the midterm election will add pressure on the White House to find an offramp from the Iran conflict. Why it matters: Elections have consequences. Wednesday's price drop — around $8 per barrel — deepened after Vance posted on X that "everyone knows" the war is why Republicans got pummeled and "any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there." Sen. Chuck Schumer (D), the likely Senate majority leader in the next Congress, vowed that Democrats will push to end the war. "This crude price drop is entirely about the U.S. election and the belief that Trump will de-escalate rather than escalate on Iran. JD Vance's statement amplified that sentiment," Ben Cahill, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council, told Axios via email. What they're saying: Pavel Molchanov, an analyst with Raymond James, said in remarks circulated to reporters that Vance's post was a "key catalyst" for today's oil price plunge. "The market is saying that Congress and members of his own administration are likely to start acting as a constraint on President Trump's war in Iran," Seb Barker, a strategist with the hedge fund, Marshall Wace, tells the Financial Times. Catch up quick: Oil prices were already falling to start the week on signs of new U.S.-Iran diplomacy. What we're watching: "[I]t remains unclear whether Vance's comments signal a more dovish stance toward Iran," Molchanov said. "For oil prices to sustainably move lower, a durable off-ramp is needed," he added.
A recurring subplot of President Trump's term has been a desire to replace Biden appointees to the powerful Federal Reserve Board of Governors — even ahead of their terms ending — with allies. That effort now looks dead in the water. Why it matters: Even if Trump succeeds in his efforts to fire governor Lisa Cook , or to oust any of the other three Biden-era holdovers on the seven-member board, a Democratic Senate will likely block any replacements it views as insufficiently independent from the administration. State of play: The president seeks to fire Cook — whose term runs through 2038 — for alleged mortgage fraud, an effort that has been blocked so far by the courts. The White House plans a hearing over the allegations next month. Former chair Jerome Powell has remained on the board as a governor, a term that ends in January 2028. Michael Barr, whom Biden appointed as top financial regulator, has remained in place as a governor in a term that extends to 2032. Philip Jefferson's term as vice chair ends this coming September, though his term as a governor extends to 2036. Between the lines: It would break with current precedent for those officials to stick around to the end of their terms. In recent decades, Fed governor spots have turned over much more regularly, particularly after their time as chair or vice chair ends. Powell, Barr and Jefferson may feel greater comfort relinquishing their roles as governors before the end of their terms if they are confident the Senate will block any replacements who don't respect the tradition of central bank independence. Of note: Sen. Elizabeth Warren is set to chair the Senate Banking Committee that must advance Fed governor nominees, and she has assailed chairman Kevin Warsh for being a "sock puppet" of the administration. Only one Senate Democrat, John Fetterman, voted to confirm Warsh.
Voters watched results in near disbelief as James Talarico claimed victory in Senate race and Gina Hinojosa was elected state’s first Latina governor US midterms 2026 live – latest updates Track live results from all 50 states Tell us: what do you want to know about the midterm election results? “This is amazing,” exclaimed Tiffany Dunsmore, 44, the owner of Austin Scavenger Hunt, as the city skyline gleamed in the distance on a balmy night. “I cannot believe Texas went blue!” For 32 long years, turning Texas blue had been an elusive prize for Democrats in the US’s second biggest state. There were false dawns, nearly men and broken dreams. But on Tuesday the party’s agony finally came to an end. Continue reading...
With Democrats in power, Trump may be under siege and lose his dominance over the Republican party – but his id will relish at the prospect of fighting US midterms 2026 live – latest updates Tell us: what do you want to know about the midterm election results? Donald Trump posted a document on social media this summer by a supposed historian that compared him with, among others, Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler. That now seems fitting: the US president has himself fought one battle too many, and appears to have brought about his own destruction. Tuesday’s US midterm elections were a thumping, shellacking and extinction-level event rolled into one. Ruby-red Republican strongholds once deemed safe toppled like dominoes. Democrats won Senate seats for the first time in Kansas since 1932, in Texas since 1988 and in South Carolina since 1998. Continue reading...
Democrats will be able to take plenty of messaging votes on health care after their blowout wins Tuesday — but they'll face too many limits and internal disagreements to force all of the big policy changes they want. Why it matters: They'll have a tough time repealing Medicaid cuts or restoring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies while President Trump is still in office, and their own divisions will hold them back on other issues. And Medicare for All ? Last night gave the idea a big boost, but don't hold your breath. Friction point: With control of both the Senate and House, Democrats will have powerful new leverage — but that leverage will also expose fault lines. Until now, progressives backing Medicare for All and centrists favoring more incremental changes were united in opposing Trump administration policies and blaming the president and the Republican Congress for the health affordability crisis. They'll try to use their power in the next Congress to promote sweeping changes with an eye toward the 2028 elections while also advancing more piecemeal policies, hoping to force some deals with Republicans. But they'll still face divisions over how to expand the federal government's role in the health system, or how to bend the steep health cost curve. Driving the news: House Democrats have already signaled their opening moves with a 100-hour/100-day agenda agenda that prominently features health policies like reinstating the enhanced ACA tax credits that expired at the end of 2025. There will also be votes to roll back the steep cuts to federal Medicaid spending that Republicans included in their "One Big Beautiful Bill," per an 84-page memo from a health care working group to Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Other near-term agenda items include expanding Medicare drug price negotiations to private insurance, restoring withheld National Institutes of Health research funding and ending the use of AI in authorizing certain services in traditional Medic
The Democrats have had a resounding win, taking control of the Senate and the House of Representatives in a historic midterms result. Hosts Reged Ahmad and Jonathan Yerushalmy examine what went wrong for the Republicans and why voters turned out in droves to deliver the blue wave so many predicted. But perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was Donald Trump accepting the result and vowing to work with the Democrats. So will he? Or could this make him more dangerous? Read more: Democrats win control of Senate as US voters reject Trump’s agenda US voters rebuke Trump as Democrats win control of Congress in ‘blue wave’ Analysis: Resounding wins for Democrats a wholesale rebuke of Trump’s Maga movement Continue reading...
An impeachment investigation would enhance transparency and allow Congress to reassert its authority In Tuesday’s midterm elections, voters sent the Republican party an unmistakable message: their love affair with Trumpism is coming to an end. The overwhelming victory for Democrats in both the US House of Representatives and the US Senate, was foreshadowed by a number of polls showing growing disenchantment with Donald Trump – and it was personal. Continue reading...
It was a drubbing on a scale that neither side saw coming: Democrats pummeled Republicans across the battleground map and into some of the most MAGA-friendly terrain in the country. Why it matters: The results were an emphatic rejection of Donald Trump's second term in office — and set the stage for two years of corruption investigations and legislative frustration for the lame-duck president. Here's a rundown of what you need to know about last night's historic GOP beatdown. The size of the Dem majorities It was clear early in the night that Democrats would flip the Senate. Few predicted how big their majority would end up. Democrats will have at least 54 Senate seats, and another two — in Alaska and Mississippi — were too close to call early Wednesday. The New York Times projects Democrats will win 257 seats vs. 178 for Republicans — a 79-seat majority. Those numbers could change as more races are called, but in any scenario it will be an astounding majority. The big surprises 1. Texas turns blue: After decades of dashed hopes, Democrats conquered the nation's most coveted Republican stronghold — in a landslide so sweeping that even three-term Gov. Greg Abbott was driven from office. Gina Hinojosa will be the state's first Latina governor, while James Talarico defeated Trump-backed Ken Paxton to become the first Texas Democrat elected to the Senate since 1988. The Democratic onslaught extended across statewide offices and into the legislature, suggesting that the entire state's political future could be up for grabs after 32 years of GOP dominance. 2. More red-state romps: Democrats broke a 94-year losing streak in Kansas, ousted Republicans in Ohio , Iowa and North Carolina , and captured South Carolina for the first time since 1998. 3. House district reversals. Tennessee's 4th Congressional District race hadn't been called as of the wee hours Wednesday. But the returns were stunning regardless of the outcome. Trump carried the district two years ago by 24 points
Senate Republicans' worst nightmare came true Tuesday night, as they watched red state after red state fall to a historic Democratic wave . Why it matters: It's hard to remember now, but Republicans started off the 2026 cycle thinking they could expand their majority. They ended the night with what one source called a "huge f**king thumping" — losing or trailing in every toss-up on the map. At the start of the cycle, top operatives saw a red wall of incumbents in Trump-friendly states, an invincible Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine and a vulnerable Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia, who provided a path to expanding a majority. By 9pm Tuesday night, top GOP sources were quietly accepting the reality of the return of Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). "Republicans are going to wake up in a different country tomorrow and we are going to have to start from square one to reinvent a party," one senior GOP Senate aide told Axios on Tuesday evening. Between the lines: For the first time since 1972, Republicans lost a Senate seat in the home state of the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. The defeat of Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) came despite Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) leading the NRSC. Republicans also lost in the home state of the next expected NRSC chair, Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio). Zoom in: North Carolina and Georgia were expected to be the premiere races of the cycle not too long ago. Both were called for Democrats before 8:30pm EST. That was just the beginning of the nightmare. In Texas, Elon Musk's more than $150 million infusion wasn't enough to save Texas GOP Senate nominee Ken Paxton after Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn in a nasty primary. In Ohio, Sen. Jon Husted's (R-Ohio) campaign had a rocky start — and wasn't bailed out by President Trump's publicity campaign about his rear end. Alaska started looking shaky even before a second Dan Sullivan joined the ballot, and Iowa wasn't a given either. In Kansas, alarm bells started ringing
The electorate voted decisively to curb the president’s power There’s a certain freedom in low expectations. Going in to Tuesday’s midterm elections, forecasts were so grim for the Republicans that poll watchers started trading a kind of knowing joke: that the results would either mean the end of the Trump era, or the end of the polling profession. Amid those sorts of predictions, any Republican victories would have seemed like a minor miracle. The expectation was that Democrats would have a blowout; Republicans, counting on the final tally to be a bit more mixed, would therefore almost certainly have the freedom to claim that they’d done better than anyone had thought they would. Continue reading...
Missouri Republicans tried to end the congressional career of Emanuel Cleaver. Even with an old map back in place on Election Day, his political future remained unclear.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other critics are accusing Google of trying to pressure U.S. schools to use AI.
Affordability and small businesses’ economic woes feature heavily in the House race for Wisconsin’s third district After 18 years in business, Erin Klaus is closing her storefront, a handmade artisan market in downtown Eau Claire, Wisconsin, at the end of the year. She opened Tangled Up in Hue amid a recession, during a time when downtown was “kind of a ghost town”, weathering construction and the pandemic. But the current economic crisis proved too much. She’s seen a downward trend in sales for two years, and was dipping into her own pocket from her other job, as the executive director of business non-profit Downtown Eau Claire Inc, to pay staff. Continue reading...
Around the world, virtues such as compassion and kindness are gathering dust, like old hymn books in a long-deserted church Towards the end of the summer, the Tory-Reform defector Robert Jenrick authored an op-ed piece for the Daily Telegraph about the seemingly impossible economics of rising benefits bills because of mental ill-health. In his capacity as Reform’s Treasury spokesman, his task was to big up its plans to cut 25% of so-called welfare spending by 2030, and thereby tackle what he called the state’s “suicidal empathy”. Straight away, I wondered where this most opportunistic politician had borrowed that phrase from, and instantly found out: a book with the same title , published this year by the Canadian academic Gad Saad, whom the dust jacket describes as having particular expertise in “the use of evolutionary psychology in marketing and consumer behaviour”. It comes with an endorsement from Elon Musk. “Western civilisation is doomed unless the core weakness of suicidal empathy is recognised and actions are taken that are hard but necessary for survival,” says the world’s richest man. “All of Gad’s books, including this one, are great.” Continue reading...
Republicans don't know if they'll lose big or small on Tuesday, but they're already bracing for an epic blame game. Why it matters: Privately, Republicans acknowledge it's not a complicated version of Clue. The leading suspect: Mr. President, in the Oval Office, with an assortment of weapons — and one war. Returning Republican senators are unlikely to blame President Trump publicly. There's a price for that. And don't expect Trump to shoulder the responsibility. But do expect departing GOP lawmakers to take shots at Trump or his team, and Trump to fire back at Senate Republicans, whom he's never been shy about torching. The irony of Trump's second midterm: With Republicans privately resigned to losing the House, Trump can still credibly claim victory if they hold the Senate. "It's Donald Trump's midterms. He gets all the credit if we win. He gets all the credit if we lose," one national GOP strategist told Axios. The Iran war: From Alaska to Maine, Trump's decision to go to war with Iran — and the resulting spike in gas and diesel prices — has become a major political liability for Republican Senate nominees. "It's not tariffs … it's the war, it's gas prices, it's diesel," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said at a closed-door fundraiser in September, Axios reported last month . Tariffs: Trump's trade policies have compounded Republicans' affordability problems, particularly in farm country, where producers have faced higher costs and uncertainty over export markets. "We need to end this tariff war now," former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) , the GOP Senate nominee, said in an October campaign ad, breaking with Trump over his tariffs on Canada. Bad candidates: Trump's preferred nominees are also drawing blame, GOP strategists tell Axios. Paxton in Texas and Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina have forced Republicans to spend heavily defending races that should have been easier — and where the party had other options. Complacent incumbents: Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Ka
The threat of a blue tsunami is bearing down on President Trump's Washington, with virtually every major indicator forecasting a Democratic rout in Tuesday's elections. Why it matters: Expectations for the midterms have soared so high that some Democrats fear disappointment is inevitable, particularly if the party falls short of winning the Senate — a prize that seemed beyond reach just months ago. By the numbers: Five key metrics help distill the extraordinary consensus taking shape on the eve of the midterms. 🔮 95% and 80%: The probability of Democrats winning the House and Senate, respectively, according to election forecaster Nate Silver , whose model projects an average gain of 25 House seats. Silver says Democrats could now withstand a modest polling error and still capture the Senate — a remarkable cushion given the GOP's history of outperforming polls in the Trump era. 🗺️ 7 for 7: Democrats lead in every Senate battleground state surveyed in the final New York Times/Siena polls , including by 11 points in Michigan and seven in Texas. Trump carried six of those seven states in 2024, though five of the Democratic leads — Maine (+6), Kansas (+5), Ohio (+5), Alaska (+2) and Iowa (+1) — remain within the polls' margins of error. 🏛️ 240: The number of House seats Democrats could win under the upper end of Cook Political Report's forecast — potentially their largest majority since the first year of Barack Obama's presidency. Reaching that mark would require Democrats to sweep all 18 toss-up races. Cook already favors them in 222 districts, four more than needed for a majority. 🎲 73%: The probability of Democrats winning both chambers of Congress, according to Kalshi . After correctly favoring Trump in 2024, prediction markets have become a closely watched barometer of political expectations. Nearly $100 million in contracts have traded on Kalshi's congressional control market alone. 📊 +14: Democrats' lead on the generic congressional ballot in the final poll f
Oil prices posted their sharpest drop in three months after investors got fresh hope that the U.S. would end the Iran war without further escalation.
President Trump told Axios in a phone interview Monday he's "in no rush" to decide whether to resume fighting in Iran. Why it matters: The midterm elections have been seen as an inflection point for Trump on whether to unleash a massive bombing campaign to try to bring the war to an end. But it appears the president, at least for now, will continue pursuing dual tracks — letting negotiations play out while preparing to go back to war if he concludes a deal isn't possible. What he is saying: "One way or the other, we will do something, but there is no rush. We crippled them financially. They have no money, no gasoline and their people are getting very tired of it," Trump said in the interview. Driving the news: Qatari mediators have written a draft agreement outlining a three-day sequence of confidence-building measures aimed at resuming direct U.S.-Iran negotiations, according to regional sources. A diplomat with knowledge of the situation said the Qatari mediators are waiting for feedback from the U.S. and Iran. Trump is giving diplomacy a chance but is clear-eyed about the chances of reaching a deal. "We are talking to them. It's going fine. The problem with them is ... they try and tap tap tap [us along]. There's less urgency [on the Iranian side] than you think there would be, but they want to make deal more than they ever wanted," Trump said. Between the lines: Trump is weighing three courses of action, backed by three different camps: Make a deal: Vice President Vance and White House envoy Steve Witkoff are urging him to move toward a deal because a renewed war might not change the situation for the better. Most Gulf countries support this position and have communicated that to Trump, sources say. Go back to battle: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to resume combat, as does Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. They argue that Iran can't be trusted to make a deal let alone abide by one, and that Trump should finish the job militarily. Maximum econo
The world seems convinced the end is near — and social media is amplifying that belief, convincing people to stock up on food, water, generators and other items. Why it matters: Online chatter is fueling viral predictions of societal collapse amid growing unease about the future. But you're probably not going to die tomorrow. What they're saying: Michael Mills, a researcher at the University of Kent who has studied doomsday prepping for more than a decade, told Axios that modern doomsday fears aren't necessarily about a specific apocalyptic scenario. "It's an overall reaction to uncertainty in most cases," Mills said. He noted that whereas Cold War-era survivalists were often focused on nuclear conflict, modern preppers worry about terrorism, climate disasters, geopolitical threats and emerging technologies. He described the modern mindset as a "multifaceted concern with uncertainty." State of play: Viral posts have repeatedly urged people around the world to stock up on food and water, following similar recommendations from various governments and warnings from former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. The situation has gotten so buzzy that President Trump was asked about it in an interview Monday. He said Americans don't need to stock up because the U.S. is "in good shape. We're strong. We have a great military and we will not have those kind of problems." Separately, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson — a man with 17.9 million followers on X alone — published a lengthy post Sunday evening alleging that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressuring Trump to launch renewed attacks on Iran after the midterms, potentially with a nuclear weapon. For what it's worth, Carlson has been predicting similar doomsday scenarios for a while, and he's been wrong before. And the Pentagon's newly reported plan calls for U.S. military bases to prepare to operate without outside support for at least 90 days, terrifying some people into asking , "What's the government k
Concerns about datacenters and high energy bills could help Democrats clinch races in Ohio, Arizona and Michigan In Arizona, where summer temperatures regularly hit triple digits, air conditioning can be a matter of life and death. This year, as the state recorded its hottest summer on record , Diali Avila’s monthly power bill went up to $400, the highest it has ever been. Avila, the state director for Climate Power, an advocacy group, said the upcoming elections offered voters an opportunity to elect candidates who can ease their utility bills. “People are making the connection: they’re looking at their electricity bills that they get at the end of the month, and then they’re looking at their ballot, and they’re [realizing], this is my moment to take action,” she said. Continue reading...
Despite the US president’s ratings being at rock bottom, undoing his legacy will be difficult, not least because the Democrats are in disarray The stats and polling all suggest one thing: the Republicans are set for a hammering in the midterms. Donald Trump has the lowest approval rating of any US president going into a midterm election since Harry Truman. And it’s still dropping. The Democrats are projected to win by a margin of 11 percentage points , the largest swing by any party in almost 20 years. It is possible that the Democrats flip the Senate and secure a large majority in Congress. Those majorities would make a material difference, perhaps finally establishing oversight of the policies Trump has brought in during his second term: immigration enforcement, trade disputes, gutting the federal workforce, the Iran war, to say nothing of his own family’s corruption. The tide seems to be turning, and one question is on everyone’s mind: is the Trump era really ending? “Nobody wants to jinx it,” wrote David Wallace-Wells of the New York Times, but: “All the signs we have suggest that, historic or not, these midterms are likely to mark the end of a political era.” What that gives way to is a much more complicated picture in which the US will be delivered from Trump himself, but remains a country riven and undermined by what he has unleashed. By the time he is gone, Trump will have been president for eight years, and a toxic force for more than 12. That is a long time even for a normal politician. Under one who shatters norms and forces himself into the centre of everything, Trump’s effect is as if he were president for decades. Continue reading...
He had originally canceled the in-person appearances in favor of tele-rallies, only to reverse course Sign up for the Breaking News US email Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. Donald Trump is making stops in Iowa and Kansas to throw support behind Republicans in competitive Senate races with just two days remaining before the midterm elections. He had originally canceled the in-person appearances in favor of tele-rallies, only to reverse course on Friday. Abdul El-Sayed , the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s tightly fought Senate race, wants Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens to stay away from his campaign events. The two had planned to appear together Sunday at a church service in Detroit, but Representative Debbie Dingell later told CNN she had spoken to Stevens and told her, “This isn’t working.” A US judge dismissed Trump’s lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal with prejudice on Saturday, according to a court filing, bringing an end to his legal challenge over the newspaper’s reporting on his alleged birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein . Continue reading...
A fight over whether the 2030 Census should stop asking about race and ethnicity has drawn more than 100,000 public comments, according to advocates tracking the federal docket. Why it matters: The change could weaken the nation's most complete snapshot of race — data used in civil rights enforcement and redistricting — just as America grows more multiracial. Catch up quick: The Census Bureau proposed in September to stop asking Americans about their race and ethnicity on the once-a-decade census. The Census Bureau says a shorter form could encourage more people to respond, while greater use of existing government records would reduce the need to ask certain questions. The proposal wouldn't end federal race data: Census could obtain demographic data from government records and other sources and ask about race and ethnicity on the American Community Survey (ACS) and other surveys. But civil rights advocates say that would give the federal government more power to determine people's race and ethnicity , rather than the respondents, leading to inaccurate data. State of play: Census extended the comment deadline from Oct. 13 to Nov. 2. An outside analysis of 52,424 published comments through Oct. 16 found 86% opposed the overall proposal, while 88% addressed removing race and ethnicity questions. This week, an advocacy alert citing Regulations.gov said the docket had topped 108,000 submissions . These comments are not meant to be treated like a survey or poll, but show that people who feel strongly enough to comment tend to be opposed. What they're saying: "If you've ever fought for political maps or explained why race or data matters...it is vital that you tell the Census Bureau what losing that information is going to mean to your work and to your community," said NC Counts Coalition executive director Stacey Carless. The big picture: Race has appeared in some form in every decennial census since 1790, but how Americans identify themselves has changed dramatically. Th
The decades-old organization, which pushes to end sexual violence, plans to marshal students across more than 90 campuses on Sunday.
With affordability a major election issue, the incumbent is trying to ward off her democratic socialist challenger At the end of 2022, the four largest US cities – New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston – all had Black mayors. It was a historic alignment made possible by the aftereffects of the Black Lives Matter civil rights movement and the unprecedented wave of protests following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Six years on, only one of those mayors remains: the embattled Karen Bass of Los Angeles , who is facing a strong challenge from a younger, even more progressive challenger. Bass’s opponent is Nithya Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, although the group is considering rescinding its endorsement over her refusal to explicitly embrace the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. Continue reading...
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei told the country's top three military commanders that a renewed attack by the U.S. and Israel ״must be met with an immediate and effective response, without geographical limitations״ in order to achieve "maximum deterrence," according to a statement from his office. Why it matters: This is the first publicly disclosed meeting between Khamenei and all the top commanders of Iran's armed forces since the war began. It comes as President Trump weighs major strikes on Iran after the midterm elections. Khamenei hasn't been seen or heard in public since he was wounded in an Israeli strike on the first day of the war. He has only issued written statements, which raised questions about his condition. The unusual apparent meeting took place a day after Qatari mediators held talks in Tehran for more than 12 hours in an effort to reach a deal to restart direct negotiations between the U.S. and Iran and avoid an outbreak of war after the midterms. The discussions continued in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday. What he's saying: "If the enemies once again launch military or terrorist attacks, it will be the Islamic Republic of Iran's Armed Forces and the Iranian nation that determine when and under what conditions those hostilities will end," Khamenei told the commanders, according to the statement. Zoom in: According to the statement, the meeting included armed forces chief of staff Gen. Ali Abdollahi, army commander Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Maj. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi. The commanders briefed Khamenei on the state of military readiness along the Gulf coastline and around the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and Iran's northwestern and southeastern borders. They also reported "a several-fold increase" in production of various types of ammunition and reconnaissance, support, and combat weapons. Khamenei instructed the commanders that the "target bank" must be updated "so that all types of the American-Zionist
Alleged self-dealing by the president and his allies doesn’t look so good as corruption emerges as a key issue for midterm voters Government corruption a top issue for US midterm voters, exclusive poll finds Voters under 50 probably won’t remember the “ welfare queen ”. But she once embodied Republicans’ claim of the underlying reason for US societal decay: the poor are a bunch of fraudsters. Ronald Reagan introduced Linda Taylor to US voters at a rally during the Republican presidential primary season in 1976. A resident of Chicago’s South Side, Taylor had been arrested for welfare fraud. “She used 80 names, 30 addresses, five phone numbers to collect food stamps, social security, veteran’s benefits for four non-existing deceased veteran husbands,” Reagan said. “Her tax-free cash income alone has been running $150,000 a year.” The Qatari government gifted him a luxury jet , potentially violating the emoluments clause of the constitution. The UAE gained access to some tightly guarded, high-end American AI chips soon after an investment firm linked to its ruling family secretly bought a $500m stake in World Liberty Financial, the crypto company funded by the families of Trump and his chum Steve Witkoff. Rich people facing criminal charges have taken to donating to Trump’s political operations and then seeking pardons or clemency. Most recently, Wanda Vázquez Garced , the former governor of Puerto Rico, and the banker who paid her bribes, Julio Herrera Velutini, were pardoned after Velutini’s family gave a $50m deal to Alina Habba, Trump’s former personal lawyer, and donated $3.5m to Trump’s Maga Inc Super Pac. The first family is also making a killing from the government. The Pentagon lent more than $600m to Vulcan Elements, a rare earths startup, just three months after Donald Jr’s venture capital firm 1789 Capital bought a stake in the outfit. Powerus, a drone maker backed by Eric and Donald Jr is selling drone interceptors to Persian Gulf allies of the US that are
Clocks across much of the United States will fall back once again Sunday as daylight saving time comes to an end.
Eljay Crisp-Carr, 20, spent five months behind bars before prosecutors asked to dismiss charges Ohio prosecutors on Friday dropped charges against a man arrested in connection with the 6 June shooting at Toledo’s Old West End festival that injured 12 people. Eljay Crisp-Carr, 20, had faced more than 50 felony charges stemming from the shooting, including 25 counts of attempted murder. He was released after spending about five months behind bars. Continue reading...
Mr. Musk’s rhetoric, heated as it is, partly explains why he has spent nearly $475 million to back Republicans in the midterms.
A bipartisan deal to speed energy development is facing concerns it could favor natural gas over renewables because of President Trump's opposition to wind and solar. Why it matters: The worries from Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) could complicate efforts to pass the bill before year's end, highlighting divisions even among Democrats who have long supported permitting reform. Driving the news: Casten, a former energy executive and leading Democratic voice on permitting reform, said he isn't yet backing the bill and is negotiating changes with Senate Democrats to prevent it from disproportionately benefiting natural gas. "My test for the bill is: I talk to energy developers, and ask, 'What would you build in response to this bill?' And the answer I get overwhelmingly is a lot of gas," Casten told Axios on stage at a University of Chicago event Wednesday. "I think you have to look at the bill in the context of everything else that the Trump administration has done." The big picture: The AI boom is fueling demand for electricity, prompting a rush to build natural gas power plants alongside renewable energy projects. The permitting deal could help determine which technologies benefit most from that expansion. Catch up quick: The bill, sponsored by two Republicans and two Democrats who lead the Senate's energy and environment committees, would speed construction of power lines and other energy infrastructure. An initial procedural vote is scheduled for Nov. 9, shortly after the midterm elections, setting up a potential push to pass the legislation before the new Congress takes office. Threat level: The bill aims to prevent political favoritism in energy permitting, but Casten worries one provision could have the opposite effect. It would allow developers to challenge discriminatory permitting decisions in part by comparing them with decisions made over the previous five years. Casten argues that as Trump's second term becomes part of that historical benchmark, the administrat
Democrats' main Senate super PAC is privately telling top donors that Texas offers their best shot at flipping a deep-red Senate seat, followed by Ohio, where the race remains close. Senate Majority PAC also sees victories in Iowa and Alaska as within reach, though the outcomes could take longer to become clear. Why it matters: Democrats are increasingly confident about Election Day on Tuesday — and sharing their qualified optimism with their biggest donors. To retake the Senate, Democrats need to win two of those four states — all of which Trump won by double digits in 2024 — flip North Carolina and Maine, and avoid an upset in Michigan. JB Poersch, president of Senate Majority PAC, projected confidence that Democrats will wrest control of the Senate from Republicans during a private donor briefing this week as he walked through the races state by state. He also reminded donors that Kansas, where even Republicans are deeply worried, is a state Trump won by roughly 16 points in 2024. But it's in play . What they're saying: "This matches what we've been saying publicly and privately for weeks. There are signs of optimism in Texas, but it remains a toss-up, as do Iowa, Ohio and Alaska," said Lauren French, a spokesperson for SMP. "There is positive movement for Democrats, but it is critical to remember that every seat on the battleground map voted for Donald Trump by double digits," she said. "These are deep red states and we're focused on bringing them over the finish line so the Senate can work to provide real relief to families who are being crushed by the cost-of-living crisis." The big picture: Texas hasn't elected a Democratic senator since Lloyd Bentsen in 1988. Democrats thought they'd end the drought in 2018 and let themselves fall for then-Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who lost to Sen. Ted Cruz by 2.6 percentage points. Four years later, O'Rourke tried again to prove a Democrat could win statewide in Texas. He lost the governor's race by nearly 11 percentage points. T
House progressives are planning to use their growing power to force votes next year on their most sweeping and divisive policies, including Medicare for All, abolishing ICE and cutting aid to Israel. Why it matters: The ultimate goal is to get these policies on the front burner for a Democratic president in 2029, even if that means forcing House Democrats into tough decisions. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) told Axios the left wants mark-ups and votes on bills such as Medicare for All "so that we can prepare for when we have the trifecta and so that we can really build the support we need." "Forcing the vote is important so we can see where everyone is at, I think that's really key for 2028 and 2029," said Mai Vang, a progressive House candidate in California. The big picture: Here is what progressives most want to see go to a House vote in 2027, according to lawmakers, candidates and operatives who spoke to Axios: 1) Medicare for All The Medicare for All Act introduced by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) has 118 co-sponsors — more than half the House Democratic caucus. The left wants to force the issue onto the floor and make their Democratic colleagues reckon with the policy's popularity in public opinion polls . Ultimately, they aim to ensure support for Medicare for All is a must-have for any 2028 presidential candidate to win the primary. "Years ago I negotiated with [former House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi to get the hearings , but we have not had a markup," Jayapal, a former Progressive Caucus chair, said in an interview with Axios. Jayapal pointed to the bill she and Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) unveiled last week, which would lower the Medicare age from 65 to 50, as a potential compromise measure that could get caucus-wide support next year. Yes, but: A Democratic wave could bring in a bloc of members from red-leaning districts who could be sensitive to being tagged as wanting to end private insurance. Jayapal told Axios there's an "opening we've never seen before" with