Americas

Democrats ready for blame game, whatever actually happens today 

• Senate control is the main test of Democratic expectations.
• Competitive races leave the outcome uncertain.
• Either result could shape arguments about the party’s 2028 direction.

Democrats went into the 3 November 2026 US midterm elections with a plausible route to a Senate majority, but no result yet settled. An election forecast published the day before polling put their chance of winning the chamber at 65%. In an Election Day analysis, Chris Stirewalt argued…

John Goodman admits ‘Digger’ failure “hurt” amid $49,000,000 box office bomb

• *Digger* has earned about $49 million worldwide.
• John Goodman says the film’s reception hurt.
• He remains proud of the project despite its poor start.

John Goodman says the poor reception of *Digger* hurt, arguing that critics’ predictions of very low earnings may have discouraged audiences before the film opened. The black comedy, directed by Alejandro G Iñárritu and starring Tom Cruise, has taken about $49 million worldwide, far below its reported budget.…

‘We forgot what it’s like to be populist’: Republicans see Trump’s 2024 crumbling

• About 9% of Trump’s 2024 voters said they planned to vote Democratic in the midterms.
• MAGA identification fell among Hispanic Trump voters, while voting certainty fell among younger supporters.
• Republicans cited living costs, immigration enforcement and the Iran war as concerns.

A poll published on the day of the US midterm elections suggests that parts of Donald Trump’s 2024 voting coalition are becoming less reliable for Republicans. About 9% of his 2024 voters said they planned to vote for a Democrat, compared with just over 2% of Kamala Harris’s…

The affordability election that teaches Democrats nothing

• Living costs are central to the midterms.
• Democrats’ polling advantage on affordability has grown.
• A win may leave their governing priorities unresolved.

As Americans vote in the 2026 midterm elections, the cost of living is a leading concern. An analysis of a year of polling published by Politico argues that Republicans have lost ground on affordability: Democrats’ advantage on which party voters trust to bring costs down grew from two…

The ‘Armageddon’ election

• Control of Congress is at stake in the US midterms.
• A former Democratic governor has described the election in unusually stark terms.
• The result could reshape Trump’s final two years and the 2028 race.

Americans are voting in the 3 November 2026 midterm elections, with control of Congress at stake. Former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe has called the vote the “Armageddon of all elections”, arguing that Democrats could win the House and Senate seats once thought out of reach. His description conveys…

Burnham pledges £40m Caribbean aid as Democrats eye House control

The UK pledge comes amid calls for slavery reparations, while Democrats look poised to win the US House. Johnny Depp says he may return as Jack Sparrow to give Pirates of the Caribbean a better ending.

Courteeners announce summer 2027 UK tour dates with The Coral and more

• Courteeners announce summer 2027 UK headline shows.
• The tour ends at Sheffield Rock N Roll Circus on 28 August.
• Tickets go on sale at 10am on 6 November.

Courteeners have announced UK headline shows for summer 2027, with The Coral, Seb Lowe and other acts joining them at selected dates. The run adds to festival appearances at Neighbourhood Weekender and the Isle of Wight Festival, extending the band’s live plans across the summer. The new shows…

I Was There to Document the Aftermath of Deadly Flooding. Then, It Started Raining.

• Flooding after wildfires killed three people in Ruidoso.
• Experts had warned of increased flash flood risks.
• First responders said they lacked staff and equipment.

After wildfires scorched the landscape around Ruidoso, New Mexico, heavy monsoon rain triggered floods that damaged the town and led to emergency rescues. A year later, a similar flood killed three people, including two children, prompting questions about whether officials had adequately prepared and equipped responders. ProPublica reporting…