U.S. News

• Democrats win Senate and House in historic landslide, upending Trump’s second term and GOP agenda: Democrats took control of the House of Representatives and the Senate following midterm elections on Tuesday. It is the third time in 50 years that control of both chambers has changed in a single election. Democratic candidates flipped seven seats in the Senate, giving them a 54-46 majority in the upper chamber. The Democrats are estimated to win 258 House seats, and 55 Senate seats. Democrats also won gubernatorial races in Texas, Georgia, Nevada, Ohio, and Iowa.
• Trump is relatively conciliatory in late-night comments: President Donald Trump congratulated the Democrats in a call to CBS News, saying that he was “looking forward to working with [them] for the good of the country.” But on Fox News, he said that he would veto anything passed by Democrats that was “insane,” and on Truth Social he posted an image of a hat with “VETO” on it.
  • He also addressed the prospect of resuming the Iran war now that the midterms had concluded with CBS, saying the war would conclude “when I say it’s over, basically. It’ll end when I say it ends.”
• Here are the results from the night’s marquee races:
  • Democratic victories in “toss-up” Senate races: Going into the election, seven Senate races were rated “toss-ups” by Cook Political Report: Texas, Ohio, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Alaska, and Kansas. Democrats won all of those races except for Alaska, which has not yet been called.
  • Abdul El-Sayed becomes first Muslim senator, beating back Islamophobic attacks and pro-Israel opposition: In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive physician, defeated Mike Rogers by nearly 10 points to become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. President Trump and other Republicans used Islamophobic rhetoric to rally voters against him. “To AIPAC, who spent $42 million against us, thank you for giving me the opportunity to beat you twice,” he said in his victory speech.
  • James Talarico, Gina Hinojosa turn Texas blue: Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in Texas. Talarico, a 37-year-old Democratic state legislator and seminarian, is the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in Texas since 1993. Gina Hinojosa, another state legislator, defeated incumbent governor Greg Abbott, making her the first Democrat to win a Texas governor’s race since 1995.
  • Annie Andrews’ surprise victory in South Carolina: The night’s biggest upset was in South Carolina, where pediatrician Annie Andrews defeated Darline Graham, the sister of recently deceased Sen. Lindsey Graham and interim Senator appointed to fill his seat in July. Andrews is the first Democrat to represent the state in the Senate since 1998, and is the first woman elected to the post in the state’s history.
  • Amy Acton, Sherrod Brown take Ohio: Democrats Amy Acton and Sherrod Brown won in Ohio, a state that has been solidly Republican since Trump won the state in 2016. Acton, a former state health official, defeated the Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and former head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Brown took back a seat he had lost in 2024 to Bernie Moreno. Brown previously served for 18 years in the Senate; he is regarded as one of the strongest pro-labor voices in the Democratic Party.
  • Adam Hamilton wins Kansas: Democrat Adam Hamilton, a Methodist pastor, defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, making him the first member of his party to win a Senate seat in Kansas in 94 years. The race attracted huge interest: Political spending topped $110 million, and Trump hosted two rallies in support of the Republican candidate. Hamilton’s victory was largely secured by the state’s moderate voters: About seven in 10 moderates backed him over Marshall, according to an AP voter poll. (Read the Barn Raiser x Drop Site profile of Hamilton to understand why he won.)
  • Democratic socialists advance in House: After winning primaries in safe districts, candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America secured victories in the general election. Winners include Darializa Avila Chevalier, Brad Lander, and Claire Valdez in New York City, Donavan McKinney in Michigan, Melat Kiros in Colorado, Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania, and Analilia Mejia in New Jersey. Matt Little, a progressive running to replace outgoing Rep. Annie Craig, won in Minnesota’s second congressional district.
  • Mississippi Senate race too close to call: The Mississippi Senate race remained deadlocked as of Wednesday morning. Democrat Scott Colom is in an unexpected dead heat with incumbent GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. Colom is ahead by just 28 votes out of more than 1 million votes cast. If Colom wins, he would be the state’s first Democratic senator since 1982, and its first Black senator since Blanche K. Bruce, elected in 1875.
  • Climate activist William Lawrence declares victory in Michigan: William Lawrence, co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, declared victory in his Michigan congressional race, citing an unofficial tally that had him up by several percentage points. As of Wednesday morning, he leads his Republican opponent, incumbent Tom Barrett, by three percentage points, 51% to 47.8%. Over 95% of votes have been received, according to AP election results.
  • Sanders-backed progressive beats Central Valley, Calif., Republican: Randy Villegas, a community college professor and son of immigrants, defeated incumbent Republican Rep. David Valadao in California’s Central Valley. Villegas received an early endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders in his primary contest. Valadao, who served five terms in Congress, was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021.
  • Socialist wins Providence, Rhode Island, mayoral race; city votes to divest from Israel: State representative David Morales, a 28-year-old member of the Democratic Socialists of America, was elected mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, easily defeating his Republican opponent, Dave Talan. Separately, Providence voters approved a referendum on divesting from “countries and companies committing genocide.” The group that organized the referendum, Providence for Palestine, said that the language of the item was a reference to Israel. At least 75 percent of voters supported the measure.
  • Major Democratic gubernatorial victories: Democrats scored several high-profile gubernatorial victories. In Iowa, State Auditor Rob Sand defeated moderate Republican Zach Lahn; in Wisconsin, David Crowley defeated Trump-endorsed Rep. Tom Tiffany; and in Michigan, Jocelyn Benson defeated Republican Rep. John James. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won in Georgia, becoming the first Black female governor in U.S. history. Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior under Joe Biden, won in New Mexico, making her the first Native American to lead a U.S. state.
  • House flips in Pennsylvania: Democrats flipped two high-profile seats in Pennsylvania. Democrat Paige Cognetti, mayor of Scranton, won in Pennsylvania’s eighth congressional district, unseating first-term Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan. Democrat Bob Brooks, a firefighter, also defeated a first-term Republican incumbent, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie.
  • Other notable House races: Incumbent Republican Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart appeared poised to win in his unexpectedly close re-election race against Democrat Nicole Locklin. The Miami-area representative is the longest-serving member of Florida’s congressional delegation. Lauren Boebert lost in Colorado, after switching districts this cycle to one she believed was easier for a Republican to win. Sam Forstag, a labor leader backed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is leading the Republican in Montana’s first congressional district, but the race has not been called. Richard Ojeda, a former state senator in West Virginia known for supporting the 2018 teachers’ strike, won in North Carolina.

Iran

• Iran’s Ghalibaf says Americans voted “NO TO WAR”; Trump says he would launch Iran war again despite election losses: American voters rejected the war with Iran in the midterm elections, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Wednesday, writing on X, “Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message.”
  • He added that if the U.S. government “betrays their public will to serve international paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare.”
  • President Trump said on Tuesday that the war with Iran contributed to Republican losses. “Part of it was Iran,” Trump told Fox News. In a separate interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said he did not regret launching the war: “I did the right thing. I would have done it again.”
• Trump says U.S. “locked and loaded” for Iran strikes but has no immediate plans to attack: Trump downplayed speculation of renewed U.S. strikes on Iran following the midterm elections, telling the Financial Times that Washington had no immediate plans to attack despite indications from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that strikes could take place later this week. “I’m ready, we’re ready. We’re locked and loaded if we need to go, but there may be no reason for it,” Trump said.
  • Referring to ongoing negotiations with Tehran, he added, “We seem to be getting everything we want.” Trump said the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports was damaging Tehran’s economy, calling it “a brilliant situation.”
  • Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that Tehran remained committed to diplomatic talks through its seven-day roadmap presented to Qatari mediators but was “ready for any scenario.” Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned that any renewed U.S. attacks would result in “much broader dimensions” of war.
• Europe approaches winter with lowest gas reserves since 2013 amid Hormuz supply disruptions: Europe is approaching the winter season with its lowest natural gas storage levels in more than a decade, raising the risk of tight global gas supplies and higher prices through 2027, according to the International Energy Agency. The effective halt of liquefied natural gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz has cut exports from Qatar and the UAE by more than 60 billion cubic meters between March and October, pushing Asian and European gas prices to their highest levels since the 2022–23 energy crisis.
• Iran claims four oil tankers destroyed by mines in Hormuz, U.S. MQ-9 drone shot down: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that four oil tankers attempting to cross a “prohibited” corridor south of the Strait of Hormuz struck naval mines and were destroyed, with the vessels still burning. Two other vessels were stopped, according to the IRGC.
  • The group also claimed its air defense forces shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone over the strait, bringing the number of MQ-9 drones it says it has downed to 56.

Palestine

• Killed and wounded in Gaza: Over the past 24 hours, Israeli attacks killed three Palestinians—two in new attacks and one due to wounds sustained in an earlier attack—and injured 21 others across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
  • The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023, has risen to 74,618 killed and 175,920 injured. Since October 11, 2025, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,602 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 5,794, while 847 bodies have been recovered.
• Palestinian journalist loses 16 kilograms amid solitary confinement in Israeli prison: Palestinian journalist Bushra Al-Tawil, from Al-Bireh in the occupied West Bank, lost 16 kilograms since her arrest on February 5, amid severe food shortages, medical neglect, and prolonged solitary confinement, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs.
  • Al-Tawil has been held in isolation since August 17 and is currently detained at Israel’s Ohalei Oz prison. Her isolation was extended for another month on November 2.
  • The commission said that she is suffering from dark skin lesions caused by scabies, as well as painful tendon inflammation in her hands and feet. Israeli prison authorities have ignored repeated requests for medical treatment.
• Israel declares 627 acres of Palestinian land near Ramallah “state property”: Israeli authorities issued an order on November 3 declaring 627 acres (2,536 dunams) of Palestinian land in Beitillu, Al-Mazra’a Al-Qibliya, and Deir Ammar, northwest of Ramallah in the West Bank, as “state property,” according to the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.
  • The land surrounds the Israeli settlement of Kerem Reim, and the commission warned that the declaration would facilitate the expansion of settlements. Palestinian landowners have 45 days from the order’s publication to file legal objections.
• Israeli forces displace 25 families in Tulkarm, arrest 45 Palestinians across the West Bank: Israeli forces carried out raids, demolitions, and arrests across the West Bank on Wednesday, WAFA reported. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society reported at least 45 arrests, including five women and two journalists.
  • Tulkarm: Israeli forces forcibly displaced 25 families from homes near Tulkarm refugee camp, converting some into military barracks. Israel’s assault on the Tulkarm, Nur Shams, and Jenin refugee camps has continued for 647 days, displacing more than 32,000 Palestinians in what Human Rights Watch found amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
  • Ramallah: Israeli forces fired tear gas toward a school in Al-Mughayyer, causing students to suffer from tear gas inhalation. Soldiers also detained a teacher and closed the school entrance.
  • Tubas/Northern Jordan Valley: Israeli bulldozers demolished residential and livestock structures belonging to three Palestinians in the Al-Deir area of the northern Jordan Valley.
  • Hebron: Under military protection, armed Israeli settlers destroyed olive trees in Surif, northwest of Hebron.
• Israel’s election committee approves results: Israel’s Central Elections Committee presidium voted Wednesday to certify last week’s election results, despite efforts by Netanyahu’s Likud party and other outgoing coalition parties to delay certification over unsubstantiated claims of election fraud.
  • The committee found no irregularities indicating that the vote had been compromised, it said. The results will be submitted to President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday, after which he will consult party leaders on whom to task with forming the next government.
• Trump says U.S. will cut $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel: The U.S. will stop providing $4 billion in aid each year to Israel “at the end of the year,” President Trump said on Tuesday, but will sell arms to Tel Aviv. “We give them $4 billion of things and money, and they don’t need it. And I was approached by Bibi Netanyahu, and we’ve been talking about it for a couple of years because it’s a lot of money,” Trump told Fox News as voting was underway. “Why should we suffer the slings from lunatics like an El-Sayed when they don’t need it?” he said, a reference to Abdul El-Sayed, a forthright critic of Israel who was elected in Michigan to the U.S. Senate.
  • Trump’s announcement comes as Congress considers phasing out aid to Israel, instead expanding U.S.-Israel cooperation in the countries’ military-industrial operations.
  • In 2016, President Barack Obama signed an unprecedented security agreement giving Israel $38 billion to its military over 10 years, which is set to expire in 2028. Trump seemed to suggest on Tuesday that he may cancel the agreement two years early, with Israel’s consent, though such a decision would probably require Congressional approval. Even if U.S. aid were suddenly cut, there are still many years of already purchased weaponry yet to be delivered, according to AP.

Yemen

• 20+ killed in Ansarallah missile strike on Saudi-backed government camp: More than 20 people were killed, and several others wounded, in an Ansarallah ballistic missile strike targeting a military training camp in the Maris area of Dhale governorate, Sky News Arabia reported.
  • Meanwhile, Saudi-backed forces claimed that they captured the Al-Dahida heights and surrounding areas in eastern Al-Jawf governorate, backed by airstrikes targeting Ansarallah positions and supply lines.
  • The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia announced that a second Indian national injured in the October 10 Ansarallah attack on Riyadh airport had died, following an attack that killed at least 12 people and wounded hundreds.
• Hezbollah denies sending military experts to Yemen: Lebanon’s Hezbollah denied claims that its military experts are operating in Yemen and helping Ansarallah develop weapons, train fighters, and manage military operations.
  • On Tuesday, the Yemeni Saudi-backed government claimed that 21 foreign military experts, including 14 from Iran’s IRGC and seven from Hezbollah, were working with Ansarallah. Their roles extended beyond financing, arming, and training fighters to directly overseeing military operations and political and media activities, according to the government.
  • In a statement on Wednesday, Hezbollah called the accusations “completely baseless.” The group said that Yemenis can defend their country without outside intervention, and called for dialogue to preserve Yemen’s unity and sovereignty.

Lebanon

• Again violating ceasefire, Israeli forces burn homes and shell towns in southern Lebanon: Israeli forces set fire to homes in the town of Hadatha in the Bint Jbeil district, while Israeli artillery shelled Baraachit in the same district, violating the ceasefire, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported on Wednesday. Israeli forces also shelled Mansouri and Wadi Zibqin in the Tyre (Sour) district earlier in the morning.