The Republican National Committee (RNC) announced the change Thursday, as Republicans face tight races in several key states.

"Voters across the country want to hear from President Trump before Election Day, and this 72-hour sprint will be a huge boost in the closing days," RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement.

Politics

Trump returns to Ohio to campaign for Husted, Ramaswamy in final stretch before election

Joaquín Núñez

Politics

Trump warns of ‘major problems’ for the dismissed Pentagon general accused of leaking classified information

Luis Francisco Orozco

On the reasons for canceling the events, the RNC said "Republicans are in a strong position" in both states. The GOP is defending one Senate seat in Kansas and another in Iowa. Although these are states that voted for President Trump in the 2024 presidential election, polls predict two competitive races.

In turn, the RNC statement specified that Trump will participate virtually and in Republican events in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

In October, Trump stepped up his public appearances to rally the Republican base ahead of the November 3 election. According to The Associated Press, the president headlined 25 events in October alone. In the last week alone, he was in Ohio, Mississippi, Texas, and South Carolina. On Friday, he will visit Daytona Beach, Florida, to campaign for Byron Donalds and Ashley Moody, among other Republican congressional candidates.

In another post on X, the ambassador reiterated the White House's position and reaffirmed his commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear arsenal. "The world needs to hear this loud and clear: The United States and our partners will NEVER allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Period. End of story," he added. His remarks come amid growing concern over the Iranian regime's refusal to allow international inspectors access to its nuclear facilities.

World

JD Vance opens a direct line of communication with Iran as the Strait of Hormuz burns: Three oil tankers ablaze and a US drone captured

Carlos Dominguez

Waltz's remarks came two days after he was involved in a shouting match with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla. The viral exchange took place during the General Assembly's annual debate on the U.S. embargo against Cuba. The incident began while Waltz, speaking at the podium, denounced the Cuban communist regime as corrupt. The ambassador to the UN accused the Cuban government of seizing citizens' property, businesses, and savings to benefit its leaders. He even showed photographs of the late dictator Fidel Castro wearing two watches, whose combined value he estimated at about $40,000 in today's currency.

In the middle of his speech, members of the Cuban delegation banged on the table and interrupted him. Rodríguez Parrilla then approached the podium and accused him of lying. At that moment, Waltz did not remain silent and said the following before the eyes of those present: "This individual needs to back away from this podium. He's not going to intimidate me in the United States of America. I'm the representative of the United States of America. Back up! Back up, Ambassador. Back away! This isn't Havana," he added.

Currently, Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, so Democrats need to gain four seats to take control of the Senate.

For Donald Trump, the Senate is key. With polls predicting a Democratic victory in the House of Representatives, losing the Senate would mean facing a hostile Congress during his final years in the White House. His nominations and a potential Supreme Court vacancy would stall.

On the other hand, Democrats are counting on the "blue wave" they've hoped for to be strong and sweeping enough to win in Republican states such as Kansas, Iowa, Ohio, and Mississippi.

In this context, these twelve races will determine which party retains control of the Senate. Overall, Democrats hold four and Republicans hold eight.

Michigan: Is El-Sayed too extreme for the state?

Michigan is seen as Republicans' best chance to take a Senate seat away from the Democrats. Following Gary Peters' retirement, Democrats nominated Abdul El-Sayed, while Republicans nominated former Congressman Mike Rogers.

El-Sayed, a physician and former director of the health departments in Detroit and Wayne County, represents the most progressive wing of the Democratic Party. If elected, he would become the first Muslim senator in the country's history.

The Republicans and Rogers' campaign are attacking him for his positions, including abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as his political ties to Hasan Piker. Piker, who campaigned alongside El-Sayed during the primaries, came under heavy criticism for saying in 2019 that the United States "deserved" 9/11, a statement he later retracted. El-Sayed, who initially avoided condemning those remarks, later said it was "a foolish statement" and that he does not believe 9/11 was justified.

In addition, in an interview with CNN, El-Sayed accused Israel of committing "genocide" in Gaza and of being an "apartheid" state.

For his part, Rogers is a former FBI agent, a member of the House of Representatives, and a Republican candidate for the Senate in 2024. He has focused his campaign on positioning himself as Michigan's "most normal" candidate, in contrast to El-Sayed's more radical stances.

One of the main points of his presentation is the chapter titled "Democrats for Rogers." The campaign has recruited dozens of Democrats, many of them African American, to speak out publicly in support of Rogers. The videos have had a strong impact on social media.

Even Democrat Haley Stevens, who lost the primary to El-Sayed, praised the Republican campaign's work, particularly in the Detroit area.

The polls show El-Sayed ahead of Rogers.

North Carolina: The toughest battle for the GOP

With his 2020 victory, Thom Tillis overcame the "single-term curse" that had plagued his seat in North Carolina, as no incumbent had been reelected since 1996, when Jesse Helms won reelection. Given this history, Tillis had already filed the necessary paperwork to run again in 2026.

However, he announced that he would not seek reelection after publicly clashing with Trump. The president then endorsed Michael Whatley, former chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC).

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats recruited the popular former governor Roy Cooper, who has never lost a state election and has a strong track record in rural counties.

Ever since this matchup was confirmed, Cooper has led in all public polls.

Texas: The Democratic dream

Following the disappointment with Beto O'Rourke in 2018, Democrats suffered major setbacks in Texas in recent election cycles. However, they regained hope thanks to three factors: a favorable national climate, the candidacy of James Talarico, and the fact that their opponent is Ken Paxton, the state attorney general, whom they view as a vulnerable candidate even though Texas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988.

Senator John Cornyn, who has held office since 2003, was defeated by Paxton in the Republican primary. Trump endorsed Paxton a week before the primary and has defended Paxton as one of the most effective and conservative attorneys general in the country.

Talarico, a state representative for the Austin area, defeated Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary. Looking ahead to November, Talarico is appealing to moderates and, above all, to Republicans who voted for Cornyn in the Republican primary. According to a recent Fox News poll, 29% of Republicans who do not consider themselves "MAGA" would vote for Talarico.

Both President Trump and the Republican leadership have spent millions and millions of dollars in this race. Adding to that financial effort is Elon Musk, who has become one of the largest donors in these midterm elections.

The polls show a neck-and-neck race, with both candidates within the margin of error. Looking ahead to 2028, a Democratic victory in Texas would give Democratic voters across the country a major morale boost.

Maine: Susan Collins seeks to defy the odds again

Susan Collins is seeking not only her sixth term in the Senate representing Maine, but also to pull off another surprise on election night. Although Collins was not expected to be reelected in 2020, she defied poll predictions and won by nine percentage points. Six years later, Democrats are back in the running for her seat.

To that end, they nominated Troy Jackson, who became the nominee following the withdrawal of Graham Platner, who stepped down from the race in July. Jackson spent many years in the Maine Legislature and served as president of the state Senate. The Democrat represents the party's most progressive wing, and his proposals include "Medicare for All" and abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In the final stretch of the campaign, polls show a close race with the difference falling within the margin of error.

Alaska: Dan Sullivan could lose because of Dan Sullivan

Dan S. Sullivan, U.S. Senator from Alaska since 2015, is seeking reelection under unusual circumstances. In addition to competing against former Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola, there is another candidate with the same name. That candidate is Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, a small fishing community.

The controversy over the former teacher's candidacy intensified a week before the election. The New York Times published text messages that, according to the newspaper, show members of Peltola's campaign discussing recruiting people with the same name as the senator, even searching for the retired teacher.

Before the report's release, Mary Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) denied any involvement in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan. Sullivan also denied having ties to the Democratic campaign.

Alaska's electoral system differs from that of the rest of the country. Since 2022, the state has used an open primary system and ranked-choice voting for all candidates, regardless of party. The four candidates with the most votes advance to the November election.

In the general election, voters do not mark a single name, but rather rank candidates in order of preference. They mark a first choice, a second, and a third. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes are transferred to each voter's second choice, and so on until someone receives more than 50%.

The key point is that if a voter mistakenly checks the box for the other Sullivan, that vote will not necessarily go to the senator, since it will depend on what the voter checks next.

In addition, Alaskans are also voting on a referendum to repeal the open primary and ranked-choice voting system, the second attempt following the failure in 2024

Georgia: Jon Ossoff is on track for re-election with an eye toward 2028

Jon Ossoff didn't expect this scenario. He was elected in January 2021 after defeating incumbent David Perdue by 1.3 percentage points in the runoff election. Six years later, he is on track, sailing toward reelection in Georgia.

His opponent will be Mike Collins, a member of the House of Representatives and author of the Laken Riley Act. He secured the Republican nomination after defeating former coach Derek Dooley in a race that pitted Governor Brian Kemp against President Trump.

Ossoff, a serious, low-profile candidate, has demonstrated a great ability to raise funds. According to data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC), he is far ahead of Collins in this regard.

Since the Ossoff-Collins race was confirmed, polls have favored the Democratic senator.  

The outcome could even affect the upcoming presidential election. Looking ahead to 2028, several political analysts consider Ossoff to be one of the names to watch, whether as a presidential candidate or a running mate.

Ohio: Sherrod Brown seeks to return to D.C.

In Ohio, Secretary of State Jon Husted will seek his first full term in the Senate. In 2025, Governor Mike DeWine appointed the then-lieutenant governor to replace JD Vance after he took office as vice president. The Republican will face off against Sherrod Brown, a former senator and the Democrats' "star recruit" for this race.

Brown represented Ohio in the Senate from 2007 to 2025. He lost his last reelection bid in 2024 to Republican Bernie Moreno and will now seek to return to Capitol Hill amid the prospect of a possible "blue wave." The winner will serve out Vance's remaining term until January 2029.

One key factor in this election has been the candidates' positions on data centers. Brown made expanding these facilities one of the main pillars of his campaign against Husted, whom he links to the industry's growth during his time as lieutenant governor. 

Although Trump won the state comfortably in 2024, the polls predict a close race.

Minnesota: A Republican upset?

Minnesota is another race that was not expected to be competitive. The last Republican victory in the state was in 2006, when Tim Pawlenty was re-elected governor. However, that streak could end in 2026.

Tim Scott, chairman of the Republican National Senatorial Committee (NRSC), has said several times that Minnesota could be the surprise of this midterm election.

The reason? Fraud scandals in state programs that have rocked Minnesota in recent months, damaging the Democratic brand statewide. Even Governor Tim Walz decided not to run for reelection this year.

In this context, Governor Tina Smith also stepped down, and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan won the Democratic nomination. Flanagan is one of the state's most prominent progressive figures.

Meanwhile, the Republicans nominated Michele Tafoya, a former NFL sports commentator with strong name recognition. Tafoya presents herself as a moderate Republican who can work with both parties. She has also made the fight against fraud a central focus of her campaign.

To drive this point home, Tafoya's campaign released an ad titled "Classroom," in which an elementary school teacher explains to the children that fraud has no consequences in Minnesota.

"We teach our kids about consequences. Peggy Flanagan let fraudsters steal hundreds of millions of dollars from you," Tafoya says at the end of the ad.

On the other hand, Flanagan has tried to link Tafoya to President Trump, who lost Minnesota by four percentage points in 2024.

The latest polls show Flanagan leading Tafoya by between three and ten points.

Kansas: A Democratic upset?

Just as Republicans hope to defy all predictions in Minnesota, Democrats are counting on doing the same in Kansas, a conservative state at the federal level but with a Democratic governor.

Republican Roger Marshall won his first term in 2020 by a margin of more than 11 percentage points. However, he faces a close race against Democrat Adam Hamilton, a Methodist pastor and founder of the Church of the Resurrection, the largest United Methodist congregation in the country.

Meanwhile, Marshall has described Hamilton as too "woke" and extreme for Kansas's values. Hamilton has said that Marshall would even qualify as "woke" by Jesus Christ himself.

Although Kansas is a conservative state, polls predict a scenario of a dead heat, with both candidates trading the lead, though always within the margin of error.

The last Democrat elected to the Senate in Kansas was George McGill, who was elected in 1932.

Iowa: Ashley Hinson vs. Josh Turek

In Iowa, Senator Joni Ernst chose not to seek reelection, leaving an open seat that appeared safe for the Republican Party. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson earned Trump's early endorsement and won the nomination without a hitch.

A former television reporter, Hinson has also emerged as an independent voice; she even questioned the president'sTdecision to allow imports of Russian diesel in an effort to keep fuel prices in check.

Her opponent is Josh Turek, a state legislator and two-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball. Turek has campaigned as a moderate and has highlighted in his ads the times he voted with Republicans in the state Legislature.

As for the polls leading up to November 3, both candidates are within the margin of error.

New Hampshire: Will the Sununu surname be enough?

In New Hampshire, John Sununu is running for re-election to the Senate. Of course, the Sununu name carries a lot of weight in the state, and this time around he is seeking to regain his former seat.

Sununu, 61, belongs to one of New Hampshire's most prominent political families and represents a more traditional and moderate wing of the state's Republican Party. He is the brother of former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, and the son of John H. Sununu, also a former governor and chief of staff to George H.W. Bush.

The Republican served as a New Hampshire senator from 2003 to 2009, but lost his 2008 reelection bid to Jeanne Shaheen, whose seat is now open.

For their part, the Democrats nominated Chris Pappas, a Democratic representative from the 1st congressional district who is also considered a moderate. Interestingly, in 2022, he won reelection to the House of Representatives after defeating Karoline Leavitt, who was 25 years old at the time.

Pappas has consistently topped the polls and hopes to retain the seat for the Democrats by defeating an opponent from one of the state's best-known political families.

Mississippi: Democrats' farthest-reaching dream

The last seat on the list is that of Mississippi. There, Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, who has held the seat since 2018, was expecting a smooth reelection. Even Donald Trump won the state by more than twenty points in 2024. However, Democrats have other plans for 2026.

Somewhat surprisingly, the race has become more competitive than expected, thanks to Democrat Scott Colom, whose campaign has generated enthusiasm among Democrats across the country. However, Hyde-Smith has led in all public polls.

The last time a Democrat won a Senate election in the state was in 1982, when John Stennis defeated Haley Barbour.

According to Fox News, Sylvia is under investigation for allegedly leaking classified information to journalists about the war in Iran and Russia's war against Ukraine. The network also reported that the lieutenant general failed three polygraph tests related to the allegations and that the investigation has been referred to the Department of Justice. It is also alleged that Sylvia met with journalists outside the Pentagon to leak classified material, reportedly after the implementation of Hegseth's policy, which requires journalists to be escorted inside the building.

Just the News

Hegseth fires senior Pentagon strategist alleged to have leaked classified Iran, Ukraine information

Just The News

Two weeks ago, during a campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, Trump called for severe punishment for those who leak classified military information, suggesting that they should be executed. "Someone leaked information—some scoundrel. They should go to jail and be shot. They should remain in prison for the rest of their lives," Trump told the crowd as he spoke about the leaks related to the U.S. military operation against Iran's nuclear facilities.

The president said details about the operation's timing were leaked to the media, forcing the mission to be postponed for two days. Trump appeared to be referring to Operation Midnight Hammer, in which U.S. forces attacked nuclear facilities belonging to the Iranian regime.

The controversy erupted after The New York Times revealed that operatives linked to Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) had allegedly been involved in recruiting another candidate named Dan Sullivan, with the aim of splitting the vote of the current Republican senator in the midterm elections on Nov. 3.

According to the investigation, which is based on internal messages and testimony from people involved in the operation, the organizers searched for citizens who shared the lawmaker's name until they found Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg who ultimately managed to get his name on the ballot.

Trump called the move electoral fraud and argued that Peltola and those responsible should face legal consequences.

"I think they should be prosecuted," the president said, according to AFP.

Politics

Trump Administration files lawsuit to challenge potential election results in Alaska due to confusion over candidates' names

Williams Perdomo

Dan Sullivan alleges an election scandal

The Republican senator also lashed out at his Democratic rival and called the alleged operation a scandal of the utmost seriousness.

In remarks reported Thursday by The New York Post, Sullivan accused those responsible of attempting to manipulate voters' decisions by fielding a candidate with a name virtually identical to his own.

The ballot lists the Republican senator as Dan S. Sullivan, while the other candidate is listed as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., with no party affiliation.

The controversy is particularly significant because Alaska uses a ranked-choice voting system, which allows voters to rank multiple candidates rather than choosing just one. The Alaska Division of Elections explains how it works here.

The Department of Justice steps in to resolve the dispute

The Trump administration had already filed a federal lawsuit to try to prevent Alaska from certifying the Senate election results if Peltola defeats Republican Sullivan by a narrow margin, while an investigation is underway into possible voter confusion.

For its part, Peltola's campaign denied any involvement in Sullivan II's candidacy and dismissed the accusations as a political distraction.

Although the investigative report documents contacts and efforts by Democratic operatives to promote alternative candidates, it has not yet been established in court that Peltola committed election fraud.

The controversy has arisen less than a week before the Nov. 3 election, in a race considered crucial to the composition of the next Senate.

State Rep. Gina Hinojosa sued the governor earlier this month, requesting that a Travis County district court require him to provide details for a public information request she submitted in late September. Under Texas Government Code, a government body is required to provide information to a member of the state Legislature, including confidential information, if the public information request states the information is needed for legislative purposes. The Legislature does not convene until next January.

Hinojosa was seeking access to communications exchanged between the governor and trillionaire Elon Musk, who has donated millions of dollars to Republican campaigns in Texas. Musk is listed as the top donor to Abbott's campaign, with contributions totaling $5.5 million, according to transparencyusa.org.

The communications “bear directly on many matters within the legislature’s responsibility, including state incentives, state grants, broadband deployment, public health access, environmental impact, AI and data center development,” the lawsuit argues.

During the COVID-19 lockdown era, Musk relocated much of his business operations to Texas from California. The trillionaire has since expanded them and established headquarters in Texas including for SpaceX, Starlink, Tesla, X, the Boring Company, Neuralink and xAI.

Hinojosa argues that Musk and his companies are receiving political favors in exchange for campaign donations. Her campaign has largely alleged that Abbott “does the bidding of his billionaire donors while leaving Texans to fend for themselves.”

Billionaire Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker donated $1.2 million to Hinojosa’s campaign, making the Democratic governor the biggest contributor.

Abbott’s campaign has prioritized meeting with everyday Texans, including in their homes across the state. His platform includes plans to lower energy and housing costs, continued job creation and expansion and reduced costs for students, The Center Square reported. The state has also awarded contracts and grants to a range of billion- and trillion-dollar companies to expand operations in Texas, The Center Square reported.

Politics

Elon Musk donates $5 million to Abbott in final stretch of midterms amid battle over data centers in Texas

Carlos Dominguez

In response to the public information request, the governor’s office provided 1,374 pages, the majority of which were redacted, according to Hinojosa’s lawsuit. She then requested unredacted documents, which the governor’s office didn’t provide. She sued to gain access to them, saying Abbott “refuses to comply with his clear legal duty” and is “breaking the law” by not providing them, her lawsuit alleges.

District Judge Catherine Mauzy ruled in her favor and ordered the governor’s office to provide the unredacted documents, saying Hinojosa “has an immediate legal right to access the requested documents.”

Mauzy did not recuse herself from the case after having donated $500 to Hinojosa’s campaign in June, Bloomberg News first reported. In 2016, she contributed more than $700 to Hinojosa’s first campaign for the Texas House, Bloomberg reported, citing campaign finance records.

According to the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, judges must recuse themselves from any proceeding where their “impartiality might reasonably be questioned.” And the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct says judges “should act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary” and not “advance their private interests” among other prohibitions.

Mauzy, who is running for reelection, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

After her ruling, the governor’s office filed a petition with the 15th Court of Appeals to intervene, which it did. It issued a stay on the lower court ruling and gave Hinojosa two weeks to respond to Abbott’s interlocutory appeal.

The new appellate court hears cases related to the state government. All three of its inaugural justices are running for reelection, The Center Square reported.

Abbott’s campaign has argued that Hinojosa could have requested the documents more than a year ago when the Legislature was in session but chose to do so roughly one month before Election Day and sued when early voting was underway.

“Hinojosa’s desperate attempt to use her official office to benefit her own campaign is just the tip of the iceberg. She’s conspiring with the unethical judge who ruled in her favor,” his campaign said.

On the same day as the appellate court ruling, Hinojosa said in a social media post, “Elon Musk just gave Greg Abbott $5 million. Sounds like the Elon emails Abbott has been hiding must be more damning than we even knew.”

After the ruling, Abbott’s Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris issued a statement saying, "This was a sham lawsuit in a rigged district court. The trial court judge refused to follow the law and rubber-stamped an illegal fishing expedition into the Governor's Office. The appeals court rightly froze this abuse of process.”

Throughout the litigation process, Mahaleris commented on social media that Hinojosa was “abusing her official capacity as an outgoing lawmaker for political purposes.”

Early voting is ongoing through Friday. Abbott has a slight lead in a race that, according to some polls, is statistically tied, The Center Square reported.

Just the News

James Boasberg, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia appointed by former President Barack Obama, will have to decide whether the document remains sealed or is made public.

According to Fox News, the case reached his office following three separate requests to declassify the order. One was filed by The New York Times, another by the conservative organization Judicial Watch, and the third by a group of 14 media outlets. The fact that the requests came from such diverse sectors highlights the interest generated by an unprecedented operation against a sitting lawmaker — especially in the midst of an election campaign and amid various reports about her immigration status and the possibility that she might lose her U.S. citizenship.

Despite public interest, the Department of Justice opposes this. Washington federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro argued that the warrant has not yet been fully executed and that disclosing its contents could compromise the investigation. "This request seems rushed because it is rushed," she said, and asked the court to deny the request until the search is completed and a decision on possible charges is announced. Boasberg had set Oct. 22 as the deadline for the government to defend its position, but extended it at the request of the U.S. Attorney's Office. The media, on the other hand, argue that the search took place weeks ago and that, if there is sensitive information, it is sufficient to redact it rather than withhold the entire document.

Politics

Nearly 200 Democrats come to Ilhan Omar's defense and demand an end to the federal investigation against her

Luis Francisco Orozco

The judge's name does not go unnoticed in Washington

The judge and the president have a long history of clashes. In March 2025, Boasberg temporarily halted deportation flights carrying alleged Venezuelan gang members, a move that greatly annoyed the president, who described the judge as "a lunatic judge from the radical left, a troublemaker and agitator."

The feud between the two was so intense that Trump even called for his impeachment and claimed that it was practically impossible for him to obtain a fair ruling in the capital. Since then, the judge has once again come under fire from the ruling party for other decisions, such as the order to preserve Signal messages in which high-ranking officials discussed the attacks in Yemen. His critics also point to the probation sentence he imposed on former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith, who admitted to altering an email as part of the effort to monitor Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser.

The Oct. 12 raid is part of two federal investigations against Omar. One, led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, is examining discrepancies in her financial disclosures. The other, in Minnesota, seeks to determine whether her father falsified her age on her citizenship application in 2000, which would have allowed her to become a naturalized citizen as a minor. Omar arrived in the United States from Somalia in 1995 at the age of 12.

Politics

Ilhan Omar mocks the investigation into her ties to anti-semite Hasan Piker: 'We just look really good on their screens'

Israel Duro

The lawmaker, for her part, is waging her own battle with the Department of Justice. Her attorneys demanded the return of all seized items and argue that the agents violated the protections afforded to her legislative work, failed to provide her with a copy of the warrant and prevented her from communicating with her defense attorneys during the search.

Omar has not been charged with any crime and denies any wrongdoing. The raid took place just a few weeks before the midterm elections, at a time when alleged fraud in Minnesota's social welfare programs had become one of the state's major political issues.

On Wednesday night, Trump continued his tour of various states in the run-up to the midterm elections. In addition to Ohio, he has already visited Mississippi and Texas this week. He will wrap up his tour in South Carolina and Florida.

During his speech, the Republican praised the work of Vice President, JD Vance, who heads the Task Force on Fraud Elimination. In addition, Trump referred to the investments that have already been announced for the state since his return to the White House. He cited SoftBank, Cleveland-Cliffs, General Motors, Bayer, U.S. Paper Mill and the Navy's submarine repair center — which will be built in Cleveland — as examples.

Politics

School choice, investments, crime reduction: Trump touts his policies in Mississippi

Joaquín Núñez

Economy

Trump announces Audi is investing $4.2 bn in its first US auto plant in Georgia

Israel Duro

On the issue of public safety, he said he would seek to enact "the death penalty for large-scale drug dealers, human traffickers and anyone who kills a police officer."

Trump then invited Husted and Ramaswamy onto the stage to address the audience at Ohio University's Shoemaker Center.

"When Barack Obama was president, he said all of those manufacturing jobs are going to go away. Let's get used to it. Since Donald Trump has been president in the last twenty months, we've added 10,000 manufacturing jobs right here in Ohio," said Husted, who will face off on Nov. 3 against former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown.

"Very simple premise. President Trump puts Americans first. I'm going to put Ohioans first. We're going to fight for you, and we're going to win this election next Tuesday night. Get out and vote. Let's get the job done, and we're taking America and Ohio to the next level," Ramaswamy said. The businessman will run for governor, and his Democratic opponent is Amy Acton, who served as director of the Ohio Department of Health from 2019-20.

An analysis of the numerical coding system known as Bates numbers—used by the Department of Justice to organize and assign page numbers to large volumes of court documents—revealed gaps in the page sequence. These inconsistencies confirm the removal of thousands of pages between the initial compilation phase and the final publication of the records.

Notable among the omitted material are pages of Epstein's financial records and bank statements from institutions such as JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank, which were originally collected for criminal proceedings.

Legal experts have pointed out that the provisions of the Epstein Archives Transparency Act did not authorize the arbitrary removal of financial records, raising serious questions about the criteria applied by prosecutors.

Deletion of emails and calls for transparency

Irregularities in page numbering also reveal gaps in email chains. In one of the preliminary review sequences, discrepancies were detected totaling up to 1.2 million missing pages compared to the final count. These gaps correspond to messages exchanged between Epstein, his assistants, business associates, and alleged victims.

Although the Department of Justice has attributed part of these omissions to a process of removing duplicate emails (de-duping), the persistence of inconsistencies and errors previously admitted by the agency—such as the temporary removal of photographs of public figures—have reignited calls for an audit.

Currently, ongoing lawsuits are seeking the appointment of a special master (special master) to review the entire case file and determine the scope of the material withheld by the federal government.

Elsewhere in his speech, Trump also argued that the armed conflict the United States is still engaged in with Iran must be understood in the context of decades of hostility between Washington and Tehran. "I was listening to a very good congressman last week and he said 'Trump didn't start this war.' This war was started in 1979 by Iran and killed many, many Americans," the president said, referring to the period following the Iranian Revolution.

Trump's remarks came on the same day that oil prices fell during early trading in Asia, as investors weighed potential risks to energy supplies against other market pressures amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

World

The head of intelligence warns that Iran has stepped up its efforts to target Americans in the Middle East

Williams Perdomo

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil, the U.S. benchmark, fell 92 cents, or 0.9%, to $101.86 per barrel, hitting an intraday low of $101.75, after rising approximately 3% during Wednesday's session. According to a report by the Reuters news agency, the decline came as markets continued to assess the potential impact of the conflict on global oil supplies and energy prices.

Similarly, Trump's remarks come just a few days after the Director of National Intelligence, Jay Clayton, warned that Iran has "substantially" increased its efforts to attack U.S. personnel in the Middle East and other countries. "We have received intelligence indicating that Iran has substantially increased its efforts to attack U.S. personnel," Clayton stated in a memo sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a U.S. official. The document, initially reported by Axios, warns that Iranian plans to target U.S. citizens have reached an advanced stage.

The organization, which is known for publishing leaked information, did not reveal who provided the information and referred to the anonymous source only as the "Department of Peace." In a statement, the group's co-founder, Emma Best, noted that the published data would help identify personnel involved in various types of operations. "This is a game-changer for anyone investigating DHS, as it simplifies the identification of agents and their chains of command. It provides material for Freedom of Information Act requests for years to come," the statement explained.

Society

Federal judge blocks DHS operations against voter fraud in nine states

Diane Hernández

In that document, the hacker and activist "maia arson crimew," who is linked to the group, explained that the dataset provides detailed information about the department's staff and internal structure. "This dataset is enormous in both size and impact. It offers an unprecedented view of the Department of Homeland Security's organizational structure and highlights which individuals perform specific tasks at various DHS agencies, including ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]," he noted.

This disclosure marks the third government data breach to make headlines in the past month. In September, the hacker group ShinyHunters claimed to have stolen a massive amount of data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), including confidential employment details and medical information on thousands of the agency's employees. Last week, the Department of Defense was the subject of a class-action lawsuit following a security breach that exposed the data of millions of active-duty and retired military personnel.

Torres' reassignment was recorded in the court records as part of the standard procedure for cases involving judges who leave office due to retirement or death. Hellerstein, who presided over litigation related to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, died of natural causes after nearly three decades on the bench.

Who is Analisa Torres?

Torres, born in New York in 1959, was appointed to the federal bench in 2013 by then-Democratic President Barack Obama.

According to her resume, she comes from a family of judges of Puerto Rican descent, graduated with honors from Harvard and earned her J.D. from Columbia Law School. Before joining the federal court, she worked at private law firms and spent nearly a decade as a judge on the New York State Supreme Court, having previously served in the city's civil and criminal courts.

During her tenure in the Southern District, she presided over high-profile cases. In 2023, she issued a landmark ruling in the Securities and Exchange Commission's lawsuit against Ripple Labs, finding that certain sales of the cryptocurrency XRP did not constitute securities offerings. More recently, in October 2025, she dismissed a $1 billion lawsuit filed by the families of victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on the U.N. for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), ruling that the agency enjoys immunity in U.S. courts. That decision contrasted with a letter sent in April by the Department of Justice, which argued that UNRWA was not immune in that litigation, and drew criticism from conservative circles for, in their view, favoring an agency that colludes with Islamic terrorism.

World

Maduro and his wife plead not guilty to torturing US citizens

Alejandro Baños

This precedent is noteworthy because immunity will, in fact, be one of the central issues in the case she is now taking over. Although these are radically different legal concepts, the defense team for Maduro and his wife, Flores, requested that the charges be dismissed on the grounds that the former dictator enjoys sovereign immunity as head of state — a position the DOJ disputes.

Maduro has been labeled an "illegitimate" leader by both Republican and Democratic administrations due to the electoral fraud he committed during his time in office, most recently in 2024, when the opposition, led by María Corina Machado, was able to demonstrate — through scanned election records reviewed by independent organizations — that she had defeated the former dictator by a wide margin.

Torres, meanwhile, receives the case file with a schedule already set. At the last hearing held this month Hellerstein scheduled the trial to begin on June 14, 2027 — two weeks later than originally planned — at the request of the prosecution. It was also established that the next deadline for filing motions would be Nov. 9, that arguments on the motions in the drug trafficking case would be heard on Dec. 17, and that the hearing on sovereign immunity would take place on Jan. 5.

The final pretrial conference was set for June 8. Maduro also waived the time limits set forth in the Speedy Trial Act until the start of the proceedings. It remains unclear whether the new judge will uphold those dates or delay each of the pending matters.

Politics

Too old? What would happen if Alvin K. Hellerstein, the 92-year-old judge leading the trial against Nicolás Maduro, is unable to continue to lead the proceedings

Carlos Dominguez

At that same hearing, Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty to the new charges of conspiracy to torture U.S. citizens and political opponents. "These are false accusations against me," stated Maduro, who unsuccessfully attempted to make a political statement before Judge Hellerstein. Flores, for her part, claimed to be "completely innocent." People who attended the hearing described them as visibly thinner, and Flores as looking much more dejected than at previous hearings.

Hellerstein, appointed by Bill Clinton in 1998, had been in charge of the case since March 2020, when the U.S. justice system filed the original indictment for narco-terrorism, and remained in charge after Maduro's arrest and transfer to New York in January of this year. In one of his most recent rulings in the Venezuelan case, he denied Flores' request for release pending trial. "Prison is not a pleasant place," he said at the time. "But these are serious charges."

Politics

With $446 million for midterm elections, Musk is already largest political donor in modern US history

Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón

Cash surplus and source of funds

According to campaign finance records for the period ending Oct. 24, Abbott raised $26 million. A significant portion of that amount—at least $6 million—came from Musk and other figures linked to the tech sector and data centers, according to the analysis by Politico. With one week to go before the Nov. 3 election, his main political action committee had about $8.6 million in cash.

Hinojosa raised $17.5 million during the same period, with contributions from labor unions, national Democratic organizations and $1 million from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. However, her campaign account held less than $1 million in the final stretch of the campaign.

Politics

Abbott freezes Texas environmental permits for data centers until ERCOT and the Water Development Board complete their audits

Carlos Dominguez

Texas' role in artificial intelligence

Abbott has publicly advocated for making Texas a leader in the artificial intelligence development. In recent months, he ordered state agencies to temporarily pause permits for new data center projects, a measure he has justified as a way to establish guidelines and ensure that these facilities benefit local communities. The governor himself has noted that the goal is to require "guidelines and safeguards" and to ensure that the projects are "additive."

The Democratic candidate has sought to make Abbott's ties to the tech industry one of the central themes of her campaign. On Tuesday, in a statement released after news broke of Elon Musk's $5 million donation, Hinojosa framed the race with these words: "This is the One Fight of this election: does Texas belong to the people, or is this the billionaires' world and we just live here?"

Of that total, 251,092 were citizens who voted via in-person absentee voting, which has been available in the state since Oct. 20.

For reference, in the 2022 legislative elections, 741,795 absentee ballots were returned in Wisconsin, including 318,130 cast in person. The comparison, however, is still preliminary, as voting this year is still ongoing.

In Wisconsin, voters will decide, among other races, who will become governor, in a race between Democrat David Crowley and Republican Tom Tiffany. Seats in the House of Representatives are also up for grabs, including races in the 1st and 3rd districts.

Politics

Midterms: Trump will offer $1 million for information on cases of election fraud

Alejandro Baños

Texas and Georgia report high early voter turnout

This electoral trend is also evident in other states.

In Texas, more than 4.2 million people had voted during the first six days of the early voting period, according to a statement from the Secretary of State's office released on Oct. 26. The figure represented approximately 22% of the 19 million registered voters.

In-person early voting began on Oct. 19 and will continue through Friday, the 30th. Officials noted that the figures are preliminary and may change as counties update their reports.

Meanwhile, Georgia surpassed 2 million in-person early votes as of 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

According to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a total of 2,000,452 citizens had voted in person, while another 97,382 absentee ballots had been accepted, for a total of 2,097,834 early votes recorded through both methods.

In-person in-person turnout was 22% higher than that recorded during the same period in the 2022 elections, according to state authorities.

Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania also have votes

In Florida, official records compiled through Oct. 27 showed approximately 3.15 million early votes: 1.66 million cast in person and 1.49 million ballots returned by mail.

In North Carolina, the total stood at 1,773,889 votes, including 1,708,048 in-person votes and 65,841 mail-in ballots accepted by election officials.

In Pennsylvania, where mail-in voting is particularly significant, 895,099 ballots had been returned, out of more than 1.29 million sent to voters, according to official data compiled through Oct. 27.

These figures, which are subject to change, come from reports by state election authorities compiled by the FundVoter's early voting tracking system. The states also maintain their own public information portals.

Politics

Trump says he will respect midterm results 'if they're honest elections' and notes he has a strong veto if he loses control of Congress

Carlos Dominguez

What do these figures indicate ahead of Nov. 3?

The data reflect voter turnout prior to Election Day, but do not indicate which party is receiving the most votes.

Some states publish information on the party affiliation of voters who have already cast their ballots. However, a voter's party affiliation does not necessarily reflect the candidate they supported, and ballots cast early do not constitute election results.

The University of Florida's Election Lab maintains a national tracking system for early voting, updated with data provided by state authorities.

With Election Day set for Tuesday, Nov. 3, the coming days will be crucial for completing the early voting period and monitoring how voter turnout evolves before the polls open.

The incident began while Waltz, speaking at the podium, denounced the Cuban communist regime as corrupt. The ambassador to the UN accused the Cuban government of seizing citizens' property, businesses, and savings to benefit its leaders. He even showed photographs of the late dictator Fidel Castro wearing two watches, whose combined value he estimated at about $40,000 in today's currency,

In the middle of his speech, members of the Cuban delegation banged on the table and interrupted him. Rodríguez Parrilla then approached the podium and accused him of lying.

World

Trump threatens to send ships off the coast of Cuba and Rubio calls on Cubans to ally themselves with the CIA

Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón

World

Cuba: Up to 13 years in prison for group of protesters, including six minors

AFP, Diane Hernández

At that moment, Waltz did not remain silent and said the following before the eyes of those present: "This individual needs to back away from this podium." "He's not going to intimidate me in the United States of America. I'm the representative of the United States of America. Back up! Back up, Ambassador. Back away! This isn't Havana," he added.

A video released by Waltz himself shows a member of the Cuban delegation approaching J. P. Freire, the U.S. ambassador's spokesperson, and attempting to take his phone away while he was recording the confrontation.

On Wednesday night, the ambassador told Fox News that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had signed the necessary documents to expel the Cuban diplomat involved in the assault on the U.S. official.

"The two have something in common. They hate Europe, they hate freedom, they hate the West," stated De Jiménez, who distinguished between the two groups by describing the left as "Europe's enemies within Europe" and the Islamists as "Europe's enemies outside Europe." According to the analyst, this process is part of a political strategy aimed at transforming the identity of European countries. "Socialism has used Muslims to destroy the right in Europe," he asserted.

De Jiménez also blamed secularism for contributing to the weakening of national and religious identity. In his view, the left has promoted the abandonment of Spanish traditions to facilitate the spread of Islamism. "What European socialism has done is sow the continent with Muslim seeds and cover those seeds with soil—the soil of secularism," he explained. Furthermore, he warned that, in his view, these transformations could have lasting political and cultural consequences.

World

Leftist violence explodes across Europe, with more than 1,000 arrested in France

Just The News

When addressing the possibility that the United States might experience similar situations, the interviewee linked the immigration debate to national security and defended the need to distinguish between those who come to contribute to the host country and those who expect the country to adapt to their needs. "There is the migrant who asks, 'What am I going to do to contribute to the well-being of the country I'm arriving in?' Or there is the immigrant who asks, 'What is the country I'm arriving in going to do to make my life easier?'" he stated.

In that context, De Jiménez endorsed President Donald Trump's immigration policies and stated that his goal is not merely to deport immigrants, but to ensure security. "Donald Trump's goal is peace. That is what Donald Trump is seeking," he maintained. He also argued that national identity is essential to a country's stability: "A country can only feel secure when it knows who it is."

In another part of the interview, the analyst questioned the conditions surrounding Brazil's presidential election and accused President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of gaining an electoral advantage through subsidies and government decisions. Although he acknowledged that he does not know if Lula "stole the election," he asserted that, in his opinion, "he bought it," arguing that the aid granted to millions of families and other government measures tipped the race in the president's favor.

You can watch the full interview by clicking on the video below.

"Congresswoman Omar is seeking reelection in Minnesota’s 5th congressional district in just one week. News of the search warrant, whether properly predicated or not, could affect voters’ decisions, which is exactly why federal law enforcement should not engage in such conduct when voters are casting their ballots. This type of interference strips Minnesotans of their right to a free and fair election guaranteed to them under the Constitution. We stand with Congresswoman Omar and condemn the weaponization of law enforcement against her. You have already disgraced the offices you hold, and we demand you refrain from taking any further actions that could affect the outcome of the upcoming election," the nearly 200 Democrats stated in the letter.

While the lawmakers acknowledged in their letter the allegations against Omar that she or her late father falsified her age on immigration documents when her family arrived in the United States, they also questioned the necessity of the investigation. "Your probe into the congresswoman reportedly concerns her late father's filing of immigration paperwork after she fled Somalia's civil war at age eight, making her a U.S. citizen at age seventeen," they wrote. However, they argued that these circumstances did not justify "a pre-dawn search of her home to look for documents that her father filed when she was a minor."

Politics

Deleted tweet sparks new controversy for Ilhan Omar over alleged marriage to her brother

Israel Duro

Last week, a court filing of just a few lines opened a new chapter in the federal investigation against Socialist Representative Ilhan Omar. In a motion filed Wednesday in Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro did not refer to the lawmaker by the name she used when she entered Congress, but instead used another name that matches her ex-husband's last name, the man they accuse of actually being her brother.

If a court were to find that she lived under another name, the consequences could extend far beyond the immigration case, according to Nathan Hansen, a former federal immigration judge in Minnesota, who listed the documents that could come under suspicion, ranging from applications for student aid and public assistance to passports, driver's licenses, and voter registration records.

According to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office in Pennsylvania, the incident occurred on October 21 as Cooper left her shift and spoke with a coworker. Suddenly, a masked man approached and shot her. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that his cell phone records place him at the scene that night and on several previous occasions, and ammunition matching the bullets found during the autopsy was recovered.

In addition, court documents allege that Jean-Louis had assaulted her before and that he contacted Walmart employees several times to find out her schedule. The man of Haitian descent was arrested two days later, on Friday the 23rd, in Philadelphia. He is being held without bail.

Politics

Federal judge blocks a Trump administration rule that reduces the time frame for refugees to defend their legal status to 10 days

Luis Francisco Orozco

Society

Ten foreign nationals accused of illegally voting in federal elections in North Carolina are arrested

Williams Perdomo

Kevin R. Steele, Montgomery County District Attorney, stated that Jean-Louis is charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, and firearms-related charges.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Jean-Louis entered the United States in 2023 under the "humanitarian parole" program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. However, they noted that he was residing in the country illegally because he stayed longer than permitted.

"On October 23, ICE arrested Destino Jean-Louis, a criminal illegal alien from Haiti, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jean-Louis is currently under investigation for homicide by Montgomery County," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

"He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws. Under President [Donald] Trump and DHS Secretary [Markwayne] Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.," he added.

Republicans currently control the House of Representatives by a narrow margin. Democrats need to gain a net three seats to reach a 218-seat majority and regain control of the House.

With weeks to go before the election, Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson hope to avoid a repeat of 2018, when Republicans lost more than 40 seats and their House majority. Instead, they hope the outcome will more closely resemble 2002, when George W. Bush became the last president to gain seats in the House in a midterm election.

On the other hand, the Democrats are confident the favorable national climate will be enough; they aim not only to win the seats needed to regain the majority they lost in 2022, but also to secure a comfortable majority. Since 2020, both parties have had to work with slim majorities.

Looking ahead to November 3, these are the races that will determine control of the House of Representatives.

Arizona's 6th District

The first key race is in Arizona's 6th congressional district, where Republican Juan Ciscomani is seeking reelection after winning by just over two percentage points in 2024. He faces Democrat JoAnna Mendoza.

This is a border district with a 24% Hispanic population, where Democrats are confident they can capitalize on dissatisfaction with some of the president's immigration policies.

California's 13th District

In 2024, Adam Gray won the closest race of the election cycle. The Democrat defeated the incumbent Republican, John Duarte, by a margin of just 187 votes out of more than 200,000 cast, making him one of the targets of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) for this election cycle.

His opponent is Republican Kevin Lincoln. Of Hispanic descent, he served in the Marine Corps, was a pastor and served as mayor of Stockton, the most populous city in San Joaquin County.

In an interview with VOZ, Lincoln said he is not a "career politician" but a citizen who wants to see his community thrive.

California's 22nd District

Another key target for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is California's 22nd district. There, incumbent Republican David Valadao is running against Democrat Randy Villegas.

This district has a 73% Hispanic population. In addition, Medicaid is a central issue for its voters. According to KFF Health News, the district has one of the highest Medicaid enrollment rates in the country.

Valadao hopes not to fall victim to another "blue wave." In 2018, Trump's first midterm election, he was defeated by TJ Cox. He regained the seat in 2020.

North Carolina's 1st District

Since the 2020 census, Republicans have tried to take the seat away from the Democrats, but Don Davis won the 2022 and 2024 elections. On the same 2024 ballot, Trump won the district by a four-point margin. On that same ballot, Davis won by 1.7 points against Republican Laurie Buckhout, an Army veteran, who will seek a rematch in November.

North Carolina's 11th District

Also in North Carolina, Congressman Chuck Edwards decided not to run for reelection after the House Ethics Committee recommended censure.

Edwards, a Republican who was elected to Congress in January 2023, was accused of violating House rules regarding sexual harassment and professional conduct. The investigation by the Ethics Committee examined allegations regarding the lawmaker's relationship with two former employees in his office, citing "persistently unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female staff members."

As a result, State Representative Jennifer Balkcom took his spot on the ballot. Her opponent will be farmer Jamie Ager.

Colorado's 8th District

Republican Gabe Evans is defending a district in the Denver metropolitan area that has become one of the top Democratic opportunities in Colorado. Evans faces Manny Rutinel, a Democrat representing the party's progressive wave.

Evans, the grandson of Mexican immigrants, is the only Latino from Colorado in Congress and previously served as a police officer and a member of the Army National Guard.

During an interview with VOZ this year, he described his opponent as a representative of the "model of Zohran Mamdani."

The district has a 38% Hispanic population, the highest of any district in the state, and ranks among the top 10 agricultural production districts in the country.

Florida's 14th District

Although Democrat Kathy Castor won re-election comfortably in 2024, Florida Republicans redrew the state's electoral map, which affected her district. As a result, Castor is expected to face a competitive race against Republican Mike Beltran.

Florida's 22th District

The first open seat on the list pits Democrat Pia Dandiya against Republican Casey Askar. With the new electoral map, incumbent Lois Franke decided to seek another term, but in District 23.

Iowa's 1st District

In Iowa's 1st congressional district, incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks will seek another hard-fought re-election against Democrat Christina Bohannan, a former state representative.

Miller-Meeks, who previously represented the 2nd district, won in 2020 by six votes out of more than 390,000 cast. In 2024, she defeated Bohannan by a margin of 0.2 percentage points, or about 800 votes.

Iowa's 2nd District

Another open race is in Iowa's 2nd District, where incumbent Ashley Hinson has chosen to run for the Senate. Former state representative Joe Mitchell, 29, and Democrat Lindsay James are running to replace her.

Michigan's 4th District

Although Republican Bill Huizenga won reelection by 12 points in 2024, he faces a tough challenge in 2026. His opponent is State Senator Sean McCann.

Michigan's 4th congressional district includes conservative areas of Ottawa County, parts of Kalamazoo, and rural areas in western Michigan.

Michigan's 7th District

Michigan's 7th congressional district is one of the most closely watched by political analysts. It elected Democratic candidates in all 2022 elections, but voters chose Trump over Kamala Harris in 2024. On the same ballot, Democrat Elissa Slotkin defeated Republican Mike Rogers.

Looking ahead to 2026, incumbent Tom Barrett faces progressive Democrat William Lawrence.

Michigan's 10th District

In Michigan's 10th congressional district, Republican Mike Bouchard Jr. is running against Democrat Christina Hines. The district is located in the southeastern part of the state and includes much of Macomb County, the state's third-most populous county.

The incumbent, John James, chose to run for governor. He won the Republican nomination with President Trump's endorsement and will face Jocelyn Benson in November.

Montana's 1st District

Another open seat where Democrats hope to compete is Montana's 1st District. The 2020 census created this seat in 2022, and it covers western Montana bordering Idaho. The incumbent Republican Ryan Zinke won by nearly eight points in 2024 but chose not to seek reelection.

The November election pits Republican Aaron Flint, an Army veteran and radio host, against Democrat Sam Forstag, a union leader.

New York's 17th District

In another of the cycle's most closely watched races, Republican Mike Lawler is seeking to retain New York's 17th District, which has a clear urban majority and was won by Kamala Harris in 2024.

The Democrats nominated Cait Conley, an Army veteran who previously worked at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Ohio's 7th District

Although Ohio's 7th District seemed like an easy hold for Republicans, things became complicated after Congressman Max Miller became embroiled in allegations of domestic violence made by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Republican Senator Bernie Moreno. Miller denies the allegations and has filed defamation lawsuits.

The Democratic candidate is Brian Poindexter, a metalworker and former Brook Park city council member.

Ohio's 9th District

Democrat Marcy Kaptur, one of the longest-serving representatives in the House, is seeking to retain her seat despite the new gerrymandered map, which expanded her district southward toward Toledo.

Her opponent is Republican Derek Merrin, who previously ran against Kaptur in 2024 and lost by 0.6 percentage points.

Kaptur has served in Congress since 1983.

Pennsylvania's 7th District

In 2024, the Republican Party took two seats from the Democrats in Pennsylvania. One was District 7, where Ryan Mackenzie defeated the incumbent Democrat, Susan Wild, by just one percentage point.

Now, Mackenzie is defending his seat against Bob Brooks, president of the Pennsylvania Professional Firefighters Association.

Pennsylvania's 8th District

The scenario is virtually the same in the 8th District. There, Rob Bresnahan is seeking to defend the seat he won in 2024. His Democratic opponent is Scranton's current mayor, Paige Cognetti.

Texas's 15th District

Texas's 15th district is another that initially posed no problems for Republicans. Republican Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz won by more than fifteen points in 2024. However, this predominantly Hispanic South Texas district has become highly competitive.

The Democratic candidate is Bobby Pulido, a Tex-Mex singer and musician.

Texas's 28th District

In this border district, Democrat Henry Cuellar will seek another term in the House against Republican Tano Tijerina.

Although the Democrat has weathered the Republican advance in South Texas, he will also have to compete in a district that Republicans have redrawn ahead of the election. The new map makes the district more Republican-leaning compared to its previous configuration.

Texas's 34th District

Texas's 34th District includes several miles of the southern border and has a 90% Hispanic population. Democrat Vicente González is defending his seat against Republican Eric Flores .

In an interview with VOZ, Flores asserted that González does not represent the values of South Texas: "We are working families. We are families of faith. We want our communities to be safe. We are proud of our country and our patriotism."

Virginia's 1st District

In Virginia's 1st District, Republican Rob Wittman is facing off against Democratic attorney Shannon Taylor. Wittman, who has represented the district since 2007, won re-election comfortably in 2024. However, the national political climate, which favors Democrats, has made the race more competitive.

Virginia's 2nd District

Virginia's second competitive seat features Republican Jen Kiggans, who is seeking to prevent Elaine Luria from returning to Congress. Kiggans, who defeated Luria in 2022, represents an urban district in southeastern Virginia with a strong military presence.

Wisconsin's 3th District

The last seat on the list is in Wisconsin, where Republican Derrick Van Orden is seeking reelection against Democrat Rebecca Cooke.

This district has a high percentage of both urban and rural residents and is located in the state's southwestern part.

The decision comes after a lawsuit filed in Massachusetts by refugee advocacy organizations and four refugees from Afghanistan, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Iraq. The plaintiffs accuse the government of imposing illegal obstacles to obtaining permanent residence, while expanding its ability to revoke refugee status. According to the plaintiffs, these measures have left refugees in "legal limbo," to the point where they have been prevented from obtaining permanent residency while facing the risk of losing their status without an effective opportunity to challenge the decision.

Politics

Supreme Court upholds agreement between Texas and DOJ that overturned Biden's rule to pause deportations

Carlos Dominguez

USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler criticized the lawsuit, calling it a "frivolous attempt to hinder the Trump administration's commitment to enforcing our country's immigration laws as intended by Congress." Kahler also argued that the Biden administration weakened verification procedures to expedite refugee admissions. "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services detected an alarming deterioration in screening and vetting measures during the Biden administration, with the aim of expediting processing and maximizing the number of refugees admitted to the United States. "DHS is strengthening accountability and ensuring that refugee status is reserved solely for those who met the requirements established by law," he said.

The policy, introduced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on October 14, gives refugees only 10 days to respond to notices seeking to revoke their status. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates that the change could affect up to 186,000 refugees.

In a statement, Shuford said she was leaving to spend more time with her family.

"I am so thankful to President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for giving me the opportunity to help lead CDC. It has been an amazing experience, and I will be forever grateful for it," she said.

Shuford objected to the administration's approach to vaccine policy, and it was a factor in her decision to leave, the Washington Post reported, citing unnamed sources.

The infectious-disease physician was hired in April as part of a new four-person leadership team the CDC recruited to restore confidence in the agency, Trump officials said at the time.

Shuford's last day at the agency will be Nov. 12.

© Just The News

The "administrative hold" regulation, adopted in 2024 by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), allowed immigration judges to temporarily suspend deportation proceedings so that the individual could pursue other avenues of protection, such as asylum, with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A common scenario involved a victim or witness of a crime who needed to apply for protection while the deportation proceedings were on hold.

Politics

The radical Democratic wing is mobilizing its heavy hitters in Mississippi to boost Scott Colom's campaign

Andrés Ignacio Henríquez

The agreement between Texas and the DOJ

In June, Texas brought the case before a federal court in Wichita Falls, where Judge Reed O'Connor accepted the state's argument that EOIR lacked the authority to adopt the rule. The Lone Star State argued that federal law requires an immigration judge to decide, at the end of the proceedings, whether a foreign national is deportable or not.

Just hours after the lawsuit was filed, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Texas asked the judge for a final ruling that would overturn the rule and prohibit the EOIR from adopting a similar one in the future. O'Connor granted both requests the same day, according to SCOTUSblog.

Politics

Trump says he will respect midterm results 'if they're honest elections' and notes he has a strong veto if he loses control of Congress

Carlos Dominguez

Cities attempt to intervene

In August, the cities of Baltimore, New Haven, and Columbus, along with Centro Legal de la Raza, sought to join the case to defend the rule on appeal. Judge O'Connor denied their motion to intervene on the grounds that they lacked standing to sue, rejecting their argument that the rule's repeal would cost them money due to the deportation of taxpayers.

The plaintiffs then appealed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which also refused to block the settlement and reinstate the rule while the appeal was pending. On October 9, the plaintiffs appealed to the Supreme Court and described the settlement as "blatant collusion." Their attorney, Joshua Salzman, warned that allowing it would set a dangerous precedent, as any agency could circumvent federal law restrictions by "announcing its unwillingness to defend an unfavorable regulation and immediately accepting nationwide relief."

Economy

Consumer confidence improves in October amid easing gas prices, survey shows

Just The News

The final decision

Attorney General D. John Sauer asked the court to uphold the settlement, arguing that the plaintiffs' motion sought to turn a dispute over their standing to intervene into a much broader attack on the merits of the case. Texas, for its part, argued that suspending O'Connor's sentence "would revive a rule that the district court declared unlawful" and would reopen fiscal and sovereign liabilities for the state.

Four days after the case was fully argued, the court denied the petition without comment, upholding the repeal of the administrative closure rule.

Politics

FBI raids Beverly Hills mansion as part of investigation into Eric Swalwell

Williams Perdomo