Here are today’s top stories.
Headlines
Election Day is Here
Americans head to the polls today to decide control of Congress for the final two years of President Trump’s term. All 435 House seats and roughly a third of the Senate are on the ballot. Find out More
The U.S. military carried out limited strikes Monday on Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials said. Officials described the strikes as defensive. The action came on the eve of the midterm elections as the administration weighs its next steps on Iran. Find out More
The Supreme Court on Monday turned down the Trump administration’s emergency request to set aside lower-court rulings that blocked segregating more than 20,000 California mail-in ballots. Justice Elena Kagan denied the appeal without comment. The fight stems from a Justice Department lawsuit filed Oct. 15 over California’s enforcement of the federal ban on noncitizen voting. Read More
Politics
Candidates made their final pushes heading into Election Day, with President Trump delivering his closing argument at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Key Senate contests include Iowa, where Republican Ashley Hinson faces Democrat Josh Turek, and Kansas, where GOP Sen. Roger Marshall faces Democrat Adam Hamilton in a toss-up race. Read More
South Carolina’s Senate race is unexpectedly close as Republican Sen. Darline Graham seeks the seat once held by her late brother, Lindsey Graham, who died in July. She faces Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, and a New York Times/Siena poll found voters essentially evenly split. The Cook Political Report rates the race Lean Republican. Read More
Voters in four states decide ballot measures today that could reshape girls’ and women’s sports. The measures deal with who may compete in female athletic categories. The outcome could shape similar efforts across the country. Source
U.S. News
Jury selection began Monday in the retrial tied to the Pacific Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. The fire destroyed thousands of homes in January 2025. Source
A Learjet 60 flying from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine people aboard. The pilot radioed “We’re managing the ice, but it is moderate turbulence” before declaring a Mayday. The NTSB is leading the investigation, and no one on the ground was hurt. Source
Historic flooding swamped parts of the Southwest, forcing evacuations and changing some Election Day voting plans. The San Juan River at Pagosa Springs, Colorado, crested at 16.81 feet Sunday, about a foot below its 1911 record, and Flagstaff, Arizona, got more than 5 inches of rain in two days. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs declared a statewide emergency, and at least one person died in the floodwaters. Read More
Business
Stock futures were mixed Monday night as investors weighed Apple’s earnings report. The midterm elections are also in focus for markets heading into Tuesday’s session. Read More
Apple’s latest quarterly results showed iPhone sales driving revenue higher. It was the company’s first earnings report with John Ternus as CEO. Find out More
Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, settled a social media addiction lawsuit Monday before it went to trial this month. Terms were not disclosed. Meta settled a similar case the week before, after an earlier jury found Meta and YouTube liable and awarded $6 million. Source
World News
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Monday that Russia is preparing a “massive attack” on Ukraine’s energy grid, timed to the U.S. midterm elections. He urged the United States to stop Vladimir Putin. The warning came a day before Americans vote. Find out More
North Korea said it tested a strategic cruise missile with a dispersal warhead on Monday. State media KCNA said the test checked the missile’s flight characteristics for a vertical strike. Find out More
Two helicopters collided Tuesday while landing at Pheriche village, just below Mount Everest base camp in Nepal, killing a 47-year-old tourist from India. A passenger from New Zealand was flown to Kathmandu for treatment, and a Nepali pilot was treated locally. See Details
Entertainment
“You Can See Everything” beat “Clayface” for No. 1 at the box office with $11.4 million over a sleepy Halloween weekend. The holiday weekend made for a slow frame at theaters. Source
Actor Andy Garcia and music producer David Foster are among the 2026 Kennedy Center Honorees. The honors recognize lifetime contributions to American arts and culture. Source
Martha Stewart apologized for a Halloween costume depicting a homeless person, calling it “insensitive and not funny.” The 85-year-old had posted a photo of the costume with a sign reading “I am hungry. Help me” before deleting it. Find out More
Sports
The Chicago Bears routed the Seattle Seahawks 34-17 on Monday Night Football for their third straight win. Newly acquired defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who cost Chicago two first-round picks, made an instant impact. Caleb Williams threw for 247 yards, while Sam Darnold went 17 of 34 for 188 yards. See Details
Tom Brady slipped up on Fox’s NFL pregame show again, blurting “oh, s***” live on air after naming the wrong quarterback in a stats question. Brady listed Drew Brees when the right answer was Peyton Manning. It was his second on-air slip of the season. Find out More
No. 1 Florida opened its college basketball season with a 77-67 win over No. 14 Miami in Tampa. Thomas Haugh led the Gators with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Acaden Lewis scored 24 for Miami. Read More
Off the Wall
A red-shouldered hawk found stuck on the ground in a Virginia driveway couldn’t take off for an unusual reason. The bird was described as “too darn fat to fly.” See Details
