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WATCH LIVE: 2026 midterms preview, plus your questions on voting nitter.cf/i/broadcasts/2MEJVldPd…

A federal judge rejected on Wednesday a Trump administration request to stop California from processing the ballots of up to 20,000 people over allegations they are likely noncitizens, warning it would "wreak havoc" on the midterm elections. to.pbs.org/4sQGLLz

As candidates make a final push to win over voters ahead of Election Day, Lisa Desjardins takes a deep dive into the battle for the House. to.pbs.org/3WDyXAt

President Trump and Republicans made significant gains in Pennsylvania in 2024. Now, Democrats are betting that the president’s low approval ratings and frustration over high prices will shift the political landscape. to.pbs.org/4eq17VZ

President Donald Trump lambasted a reporter Thursday, calling him "disgusting," and telling him: "Put yourself in shape, you look like hell." to.pbs.org/48q9Gwg

The DOJ filed a lawsuit late last week preemptively asking that the results of the Alaska Senate race not be certified if the Democrat wins. to.pbs.org/4zBiXhj

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party on Thursday amplified unsubstantiated allegations that Arab-led parties had "stolen" the election, potentially with foreign assistance, as final results showed his bloc had lost its majority in parliament. to.pbs.org/4swQGFH

The Associated Press has tracked voting in U.S. elections for 178 years, and it's gearing up to make thousands more race calls in midterm contests this Election Day. to.pbs.org/4swcEc3

DoorDash is offering $17 billion to buy Instacart in a deal that could consolidate the grocery delivery business in the U.S. and abroad. to.pbs.org/4f0REEu

The Senate is unlikely to act before the end of the year on a House-passed bill that would make daylight saving time permanent, defying President Donald Trump and dashing the hopes of Americans who don't like having to change their clocks twice a year. to.pbs.org/4ixSOZs

Stage and screen legend Patrick Stewart has died. He was 86. He brought gravitas to the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” a character he went on to portray in four feature films. He was known to millions around the world as Charles Xavier, or Professor X, in the “X-Men” films. Before that, he built an impressive stage career in the United Kingdom, bringing his commanding voice and statesmanlike presence to countless roles, both classic and contemporary. Stewart had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. A statement on social media says he died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles.

Alaska's governor is ordering an investigation into Democrat Mary Peltola's Senate campaign over reports that it recruited a spoiler candidate to dilute Republican votes. That’s as President Trump repeated calls for Peltola's prosecution during a trip to another deep red state where his endorsed candidate is facing headwinds. @ElizLanders reports.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the Pentagon's top military planner, a defense official said Wednesday, the latest in a series of generals to be ousted and one that comes even as President Donald Trump is weighing renewed strikes on Iran. to.pbs.org/4jTmX7P

Affordability is a major issue this midterm cycle. But the issue means different things to different voters. @LisaDNews looks at two key races in Northeast Pennsylvania, and why two voters — a union worker who can't find housing and a farmer facing higher feed costs —  disagree on what the problem is and who should solve it.

Oscar nominee Barbara Barrie has died. She was 95. She was nominated for her role as a supportive mother to an Indiana teenager in the 1979 film "Breaking Away." Barrie was also a familiar face on television, appearing as the wife on "Barney Miller," and later as Brooke Shield's grandmother on "Suddenly Susan." She earned three Emmy nominations and a Tony nomination for originating the role of Sarah in Stephen Sondheim's musical "Company." Her daughter said Barrie died with medical assistance following a terminal cancer diagnosis.

Journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate @mariaressa chronicled her fight against the Duterte regime in the Philippines in her 2022 book, “How to Stand Up to a Dictator.” She detailed years of attacks on her reporting and her newsroom's struggle to defend press freedom and democracy. In a new book, "The Fight Back," Ressa warns of different threats to those same freedoms. @RealAmnaNawaz spoke with her for more.

Spain started three days of national mourning Thursday for the victims of Wednesday's high-speed train crash. Cranes worked through the night to clear away crushed cars as search and rescue teams combed through the wreckage. Crews found one more body, bringing the death toll to at least 69. Dozens of others were injured, and families have been traveling to the area in a desperate search for their missing loved ones.

Democrats hold an 8-point lead among likely voters in the fight for control of Congress as Election Day nears, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. Fifty-two percent of likely voters say they would back the Democratic candidate in their congressional district if the election were held today, while 44% would back the Republican. Independents break for Democrats by 13 points. The poll, conducted Oct. 19 to 20, also found that Democratic voters are more eager to turn out than Republicans. Seven in 10 Democrats – 71% – say they are very enthusiastic about voting, compared with 61% of Republicans and 48% of independents. "The underlying factor is that Democrats are getting more Republicans than Republicans are getting Democrats," said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. "So there's a net advantage just from some partisan crossover, not enormous." Add that independents are breaking for Democrats by double digits, he added, and Democrats "should have a good night." In the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist survey, about 1 in 5 likely voters say they have already cast a ballot, and that group favors Democrats 68% to 31%. Those who have yet to vote are evenly split between parties with 48%.

Israel is facing political uncertainty after an election that produced no clear governing majority amid competing allegations of voting fraud and irregularities. But what do the results reveal about how Israelis want leaders to confront the country's challenges? @nickschifrin discussed that with Tamir Hayman, former chief of Israeli military intelligence and current executive director of the Institute for National Security Studies.

The Pentagon is reportedly accusing a recently fired Army general of misconduct amid allegations that he leaked classified information to the media. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia from his position overseeing strategy, plans and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

As candidates make a final push to win over voters ahead of Election Day, @LisaDNews takes a deeper dive into the battle for the House of Representatives.