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The Essential 10 · about 3 minutes
Updated
Democrats won control of both congressional chambers in Tuesday midterm elections
Democrats won control of both the House and Senate, setting up two years of divided government with a Republican White House, the Council on Foreign Relations said. The AP Voter Poll found about 7 in 10 voters said Congress is not doing enough to provide checks and balances for the president.
Reporting: PBS News, cfr.org, whyy.org
New
Russian bombs killed 37 people at a Ukrainian aid distribution point
The death toll from a Russian bombing of an aid distribution point in a former school in Komyshuvakha, in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, rose to 37, officials said Wednesday. Rescuers continued searching the rubble, while Ivan Fedorov, co-head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Defence Council, said 59 people were missing. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack a “vile terrorist strike.”
Reporting: Deutsche Welle, The Straits Times, ABC News (Australia), Kyiv Post, cyprus-mail.com, sentinelcolorado.com
New
Deputies respond to shooting that leaves three dead and two critically injured
A shooting and firefight at a Spokane County, Washington, home left three people dead, including the suspect, and two deputies critically injured Tuesday. Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said deputies responded after a woman told a neighbor her brother had shot her. Deputies encountered gunfire while trying to breach the door. The sheriff’s office said the suspect had an active felony warrant.
Reporting: CNN, New York Post, CBS News
New
House Speaker Mike Johnson will not seek the House minority leader post
House Speaker Mike Johnson will not run for House minority leader in the next Congress after Republicans lost control of the House in Tuesday’s midterm elections, sources told NBC News, CBS News and USA Today. Johnson won reelection in Louisiana. Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan are likely contenders; Republicans plan to vote on leadership Nov. 10.
Reporting: CBS News, USA Today, The Washington Post, WHEC News10NBC, Roll Call, Spectrum News, PBS News (with Associated Press), NBC News
New
The French Blood Establishment reports a cyberattack affecting refrigeration systems at three sites
A cyberattack affected refrigeration monitoring and control systems at three sites used by France’s national blood service, the French Blood Establishment (EFS), on Monday, but alarm systems and staff action prevented damage to blood products or samples, authorities said. Blood collection and distribution continued without interruption. Investigations into the incident are underway.
Reporting: The Independent, CNBC, France 24, Shattered, The National, NBC News (with Associated Press), The Record by Recorded Future, cybersecurity-insiders.com
New
Binance called its 6.3 billion dollar cryptocurrency theft history's largest crypto heist
Binance said hackers stole $6.3 billion in cryptocurrency on October 29, calling it the largest cryptocurrency heist in history. Business Insider reported that attackers spent months preparing, using fake AI coding tools, bogus job openings and sham interviews to compromise engineers’ work computers. The FBI said North Korean hackers were behind the theft; North Korea denies involvement. Binance’s findings remain preliminary.
Reporting: news.am
New
Letitia James appointed an outside counsel to lead the Cornell rape investigation
New York Attorney General Letitia James appointed Jacqueline Kelly, a Cornell alumna and former Manhattan federal prosecutor, as outside counsel to lead a reopened criminal investigation into alleged gang rape at Cornell University. A former student’s September lawsuit accuses seven Chi Phi members of giving her drugs and sexually assaulting her at a fraternity house in October 2024.
Reporting: The Washington Post, CNN, NBC New York, Greenwich Time, NBC News
New
The Supreme Court signaled support for Catholic preschools challenging Colorado's nondiscrimination rule
The Supreme Court appeared likely Tuesday to side with Catholic preschools challenging Colorado’s refusal to exempt them from a nondiscrimination requirement in its universal pre-K program. The preschools want to exclude children of same-sex parents while receiving public funds. The court’s three liberal justices said the schools were seeking a new right to discriminate.
Reporting: Politico, Fox News, Los Angeles Times, CNN, The Washington Post, CBS News, edweek.org
New
Nebraska and Arizona endorsed restrictions on transgender girls in girls' school sports
Voters in Nebraska and Arizona approved ballot measures Tuesday barring transgender girls from girls’ school sports, Newsmax reported, describing the votes as the first statewide ballot tests of the issue. The 19th said Nebraska alone added language explicitly directed toward transgender students to its state code. Measures in Colorado and Washington were undecided Wednesday morning, though early projections suggested passage.
Reporting: Newsmax, 19thnews.org
Updated
CVS plans to split into two publicly traded companies
CVS Health announced plans to split into two publicly traded companies, separating its roughly 9,000 retail pharmacies from Aetna and pharmacy-benefit manager Caremark; its shares fell 12.6% to $79.94 after the announcement. The company expects to complete the separation in the first half of 2028, with existing shareholders owning stock in both companies.
Reporting: United Press International, The New York Times, Quartz, CNBC, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, massmarketretailers.com
More stories
U.S.
New
Democrats won control of the House
Democrats won control of the House and plan investigations into the Trump administration and family businesses once their new majority brings subpoena power in January. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the presumptive House Judiciary Committee chairman, plans to examine what he called politicization of the Justice Department and FBI. Party leaders have not ruled out impeachment of Trump or Cabinet officials.
Reporting: MS NOW, NBC4 Washington, NBC News, ABC News, Politico, PBS News, Time, whyy.org
New
Trump announced plans to discontinue approximately $4 billion in yearly aid to Israel
Donald Trump said the United States would end its roughly $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel under an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while continuing arms sales, according to The Associated Press. Yair Golan, a leader in Israel’s opposition bloc, said the move would deal a “severe blow” to Israel’s security.
Reporting: The Korea Herald (with Associated Press), Dawn, The Jerusalem Post, wflx.com (with Associated Press), algemeiner.com, canadianinquirer.net, anash.org, qazinform.com
New
Investigators found tail pieces miles from the site of a fatal Florida jet crash
Federal investigators recovered three pieces of the Learjet 60’s left elevator, a tail control surface, between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the Greenacres, Florida, crash site, where all nine people aboard died. NTSB board member Tom Chapman said the parts confirm the aircraft was breaking apart before impact. Investigators have not determined whether the separation contributed to the crash.
Reporting: The Washington Post, PBS News, militaryaerospace.com, wpbf.com
New
Officials released a 911 call from the father who shot an Oregon school gunman
Authorities released a 78-second 911 recording Tuesday of Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old father, calling before he fatally shot the gunman at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon, on Oct. 15. Giamanco told the dispatcher he had a gun and would shoot the intruder; the dispatcher urged him not to act. The gunman killed a teacher and three students.
Reporting: The Washington Post, KPTV FOX 12 Oregon, The Oregonian, NewsNation, CBS News, krem.com
World
New
Iranian officials said U.S. midterm results showed voters rejected Donald Trump's war
Iranian officials said Tuesday’s U.S. midterm results showed voters had rejected Donald Trump’s war, as Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress. Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf urged Washington not to disregard public opinion by attacking Iran again. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said expectations of a change in U.S. policy were gravely mistaken.
Reporting: Killeen Daily Herald, Star Beacon, Marietta Daily Journal, ABC7 Los Angeles, Reuters, Al Jazeera, kcrg.com, caledonianrecord.com
New
Israeli President Isaac Herzog began meeting political parties following an inconclusive election
Israeli President Isaac Herzog began consultations with political parties on Wednesday to decide whom to task with forming a government, after neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor rival Gadi Eisenkot’s side won the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. Herzog warned leaders, “not every commitment and promise can be fulfilled” if they want to avoid another election.
Reporting: BBC News, The Straits Times, Le Monde
New
Turkey's parliament prepared to ratify a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
Turkey’s parliament was set on Wednesday to ratify the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which includes a collective-defence clause committing Ankara to a formal mutual defence obligation toward Riyadh. Ratification would not itself send Turkish forces to Saudi Arabia; deploying personnel would require a separate parliamentary mandate.
Reporting: Reuters, Internazionale (with Reuters), AOL (with Reuters), The Times of Israel, News.Az
New
Hoax bomb threats disrupted several flights across Europe on Tuesday
Hoax bomb threats disrupted several flights across Europe on Tuesday, prompting searches and diversions, the Associated Press reported. A LOT flight from Heathrow to Warsaw diverted to Modlin, while two aircraft arriving in Sofia were inspected, with no explosives found. The Italian Air Force escorted one plane until landing. No injuries were reported, and the incidents remained unexplained.
Reporting: United News of Bangladesh, Killeen Daily Herald (with Associated Press), PBS News (with Associated Press), China.org.cn, oskaloosa.com, travelweekly-asia.com, sundayguardianlive.com, walesonline.co.uk
New
Bangladesh police fired tear gas at garment workers demanding higher pay
Bangladesh police fired tear gas and stun grenades Wednesday to disperse garment workers demanding a monthly minimum wage of 30,000 takas ($245), up from 12,500. About 100 factories remained shut in Ashulia, said Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, superintendent of Ashulia Industrial Police. A six-member wage board was expected to begin discussions on the wage structure, The Straits Times reported.
Reporting: Killeen Daily Herald, Associated Press, The Straits Times, Reuters, oskaloosa.com
New
Hungary opened records listing about 60,000 informers and people officials tried to recruit
Hungary released secret police files on Nov. 4, including about 60,000 names of informants and people the police tried to recruit, Nasha Niva reported. Prime Minister Péter Magyar said the opening fulfilled a promise made during Hungary's 1990 regime change. State security archive estimates cited by Hürriyet put informants at 150,000 over four decades, with records surviving for about a third.
Reporting: Proto Thema, Hürriyet Daily News, Nasha Niva
New
South Africans vote in municipal elections threatening further ANC losses
South Africans are voting in municipal elections that could further weaken the African National Congress (ANC) amid anger over corruption, crime, unemployment and failing public services. The ANC fell below 50% support in 2021, and polls suggest it could lose more ground. Reuters said results are expected Sunday, with fragmented voting potentially leaving cities with coalition governments.
Reporting: The Guardian, WSAU News/Talk Radio (with Reuters), Saudi Gazette, thestar.com.my (with Reuters), businessday.ng
New
A U.S. Marine died after a training incident at Camp Schwab in Japan
A Marine with the 3rd Marine Division died after a training incident Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan, the division said Wednesday. The circumstances remain under investigation. Officials are withholding the Marine’s name until 24 hours after notifying next of kin, in line with Pentagon policy.
Reporting: NBC News, ABC News, The Jerusalem Post, Anadolu Agency, fox59.com
New
A suspected grizzly bear killed a woman near Bella Coola, B.C
A woman died and her daughter remains missing after a suspected grizzly bear attack near Bella Coola, B.C. CBC reported that family members identified them as Jennifer Balcarras and Selah Reed. Balcarras’s remains were found Monday in the Snooka West Trail area. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service is investigating, and traps have been set.
Reporting: The Guardian, CBC News, vancouversun.com
Business & Markets
New
U.S. stocks rallied after Democrats won control of Congress
U.S. stocks rallied Wednesday after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1,042.01 points, or 2.01%, to 52,828.73 in early trading; the S&P 500 and Nasdaq each gained 1.22%. The Associated Press reported solar and wind stocks climbed, while noting Wall Street generally favors divided government.
Reporting: Anadolu Agency, kttc.com (with Associated Press)
New
Mary Peltola leads Dan Sullivan in the contest for Alaska's Senate seat
Democrat Mary Peltola narrowly leads Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska’s Senate race. Decision Desk HQ put Peltola ahead 48.2% to 47.9%, by about 500 votes, with 70% of expected votes counted; the Associated Press, cited by USA Today, reported those percentages with more than 94% of votes in. If neither reaches 50%, Alaska will hold an instant runoff.
Reporting: The Hill, USA Today
New
Canva announced a Sydney restructuring affecting 1,271 employees
Canva announced a restructuring affecting 1,271 employees, or 22% of its workforce. Mashable called it the company’s first mass layoff. Co-founder and CEO Melanie Perkins called it “without doubt the hardest moment in our thirteen-year history.” Sydney will become the primary base for more product teams; Techloy reported departing workers would receive compensation, healthcare and career support.
Reporting: Informat.ro, The Guardian, brandsynario.com, mashable.com, org.au, techloy.com, news.com.au
New
Novo Nordisk raised its 2026 outlook following strong sales of its Wegovy pill
Novo Nordisk raised its 2026 outlook for the third time this year after Wegovy pill sales reached 5.39 billion Danish crowns ($810 million) in the third quarter, beating forecasts. It now expects adjusted sales and operating profit to range from 2% growth to 2% decline. CEO Mike Doustdar cited obesity portfolio growth and continued U.S. pill uptake.
Reporting: Devdiscourse, News.Az, BigGo Finance, analyticsinsight.net, hi99.com (with Reuters)
New
AMD reported third-quarter revenue of $13.4 billion, beating expectations
AMD beat Wall Street estimates for the third quarter as data-center revenue rose 97% year over year to a record $8.5 billion. Total revenue reached $13.4 billion, up 45%, and adjusted earnings were $2.09 per share. AMD forecast fourth-quarter revenue of about $17 billion, above the $16.3 billion analyst estimate, and expects revenue growth exceeding 80% in 2027.
Reporting: CNBC, Beinsure, Investing.com News, BigGo Finance, TradingView, techbuzz.ai, kucoin.com
New
Canada and China extended tariff relief on farm and metal products through 2028
Canada and China extended a deal through the end of 2028, continuing Chinese tariff relief for Canadian peas, canola meal, lobster and crab and Canadian market access for Chinese steel and aluminum. International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu announced the extension after a Beijing meeting co-led by Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. The countries pledged talks on boosting Canadian exports.
Reporting: Bloomberg, The Globe and Mail, CTV News, ckom.com
Tech & Science
New
SpaceX selected Qualcomm to supply technology for Starlink Mobile's U.S. terrestrial 5G network
SpaceX has selected Qualcomm to supply technology for Starlink Mobile’s planned nationwide U.S. terrestrial 5G network. The multiyear agreement covers Qualcomm’s Dragonwing QRU100 radio and QDU100 distributed unit platforms, plus commercial-grade Layer 1 software. SpaceX plans to begin deployment in 2027, with tens of thousands of sites planned; financial terms were not disclosed.
Reporting: CNBC, Demokratis, Tech Insider, Bloomberg, qualcomm.com, sebastianbarros.substack.com, telecomtv.com, fierce-network.com
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