Democrats’ victories in Republican strongholds and their takeover of Congress have drawn divided reactions from Palestinians and Israelis, according to Al Jazeera. The result has also been framed by Democratic officials as a mandate, while financial markets initially fell before Wall Street recovered and moved higher.
Democrat Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the first Black speaker of the US House of Representatives after Democrats won control of Congress in the midterm elections. The New York congressman has pledged to focus on affordability and holding President Donald Trump’s administration accountable.
Americans are voting in the 2026 midterm elections, with control of Congress at stake and President Donald Trump not personally on the ballot. NPR’s reports focus on voters across the country and on a group of Trump supporters assessing his presidency while deciding which candidates to back in the congressional contests.
Investigators say a Learjet that crashed in South Florida broke apart in midair before killing all nine people aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board found most of the left elevator, a tail control surface, in three pieces up to 3.8 miles from the impact site. Weather, ice and turbulence are also being examined.
Haley Stevens, who narrowly lost Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, has endorsed Republican Mike Rogers less than 48 hours before Election Day. The move triggered resignations and condemnation from Democratic leaders, while El-Sayed sought to redirect attention to issues including the cost of living.
At least six people were killed and dozens injured in a series of shootings across the United States during Halloween weekend, with the deadliest violence reported in Dallas. Police and officials described separate incidents in nightlife districts and near college campuses, while investigations remained active and several cases had produced no arrests.
A federal judge in Miami has permanently dismissed President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch and journalists over a report about an alleged birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Darrin Gayles ruled that Trump had not pleaded the legally required “actual malice” standard.
Judge Ana Reyes has ordered a formal inquiry into whether government lawyers misled a Washington court about plans to redevelop East Potomac Golf Links. A special master will examine whether officials withheld information or made misleading statements, while the underlying dispute concerns Trump’s proposed transformation of the historic public site.
The United States has approved a proposed sale of 500 Patriot air-defence missiles to Ukraine at a cost of $2.1bn, with Canada, Germany and Norway expected to provide the financing. The decision answers Kyiv’s calls for more interceptors, but the missiles are new builds and could take time to produce.
James O’Keefe and Cam Higby have been charged with felony unlawful voting and identity theft after prosecutors said they used false names and costumes while testing Minnesota’s voter-registration vouching process. They stopped before signing the required oath, but the county attorney said initiating the process was sufficient for charges. O’Keefe’s organisation said the stunt was designed to expose weaknesses in election safeguards.
A UN-backed commission says Russia deliberately targeted civilian energy infrastructure in Ukraine, causing severe hardship during winter and amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The panel also found evidence that men from 29 countries were recruited through deception or coercion into Russia’s armed forces, while Moscow rejected the inquiry’s mandate and findings.
The Archdiocese of New York and lawyers representing about 1,300 people who allege sexual abuse by clergy and lay workers have agreed to an $800 million settlement framework. The deal is not yet final and is expected to be signed in the week of November 6, after more than seven years of litigation.
Rivers continued rising across the Four Corners on Friday after intense rainfall triggered evacuations, emergency declarations and rescues, including people pulled from rooftops and homes filled with several feet of water. Authorities reported impassable roads and extensive infrastructure damage, while forecasters warned that additional rain could worsen conditions through the weekend.
Kaylub Giamanco, the Oregon father who fatally shot a 16-year-old gunman at his daughters’ elementary school, says he remains distressed that he could not save all the victims. Three boys and a teacher were killed in the October 15 attack, while a teacher’s struggle with the gunman gave Giamanco an opportunity to intervene, according to his interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting.