Democrats surge to power

Top takeaways from the US midterm elections.

Go beyond the headlines with Reuters on the stories shaping the day. Subscribe for $1/week. Daily Briefing Daily Briefing By Kate Turton Hello. In a night of firsts, Democrats captured majorities in both the Senate and House in the US midterms. Republican strongholds flip for the first time in a generation   Democratic US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed smiles after his victory in the US midterm elections, in Detroit, Michigan. REUTERS/Brian Snyder Democrats seized control of both the Senate and House, as voters in conservative bastions who had propelled the president to his second term in office just two years ago swung dramatically toward Democrats. Follow our live page. It was a night of firsts: Including the first Muslim elected to the US Senate, the first Hispanic elected to lead Texas, and the first Democrat to win statewide in Texas since 1994. Today's special edition Reuters World News podcast has everything you need to know about how the blue wave swept across the US, a breakdown of the key races, analysis from Michael Learmonth and an inside look at the scramble inside the White House with Bo Erickson and Nandita Bose. Opinion polls ahead of the midterms pointed to Democrats having a good night. But the scale of their gains was far greater than most analysts had forecast, extending beyond traditional battlegrounds deep into Republican territory. Here are the top takeaways from the US midterm elections. A backlash against the Republican Party over rising living costs in the midterm elections could embolden countries around the world to resist his combative trade policies, which have raised prices for American consumers. In other news US President Donald Trump said he had made a deal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington would stop $4 billion in annual funding to Israel after this year, but will still sell weapons to its close Middle East ally. Russia has hit two power stations in Ukraine's regions of Kyiv and Zhytomyr, the Russian defence ministry said on Telegram, keeping up ‌nearly daily strikes on its neighbour's energy facilities amid falling temperatures. South Africans queued to vote in municipal elections, with anger over corruption, crime ‌and failing public services threatening to inflict fresh losses on the African National Congress. After disembarking more than 200 passengers who had paid tens of thousands of dollars to live on board for years, the Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship departed Cambodia ‌early. Business & Markets   A man described as Abdulrahman Alfozan, looks behind a television where a recording device had been placed. Department of Justice/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo When OpenAI disclosed in October that it found a recording device planted in an executive conference room, a number of former employees had the same reaction — they were not surprised. Google has expanded employee buyout offers to several ‌countries this year as it looks to rein in rising costs amid heavy spending on artificial intelligence. Tesla has misled tens of thousands of South Korean customers by marketing driver-assistance software that the company knows cannot be legally used in most of its vehicles in the country, according ‌to a complaint an advocacy group plans to file with a consumer protection agency. Opponents of data centers were among the biggest winners of the Democrats' landslide wins in the US midterm elections, pointing to a shifting public mood on AI and, investors said, a possible slowdown of the boom that has propelled US economic growth and stock markets. Today's Reuters Morning Bid podcast looks at oil prices reversing early gains as markets assess what the election result could mean for the Iran conflict. China's solar push reshapes traditional ways of life on Tibet's high plateau   A flock of sheep moves among solar panels at Talatan Solar Park in Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai province. REUTERS/Go Nakamura Life has become unexpectedly easier and more lucrative for some shepherds on the world's highest plateau, after China began carpeting the area with solar panels in a drive to diversify its energy mix. "It has made grazing much easier for us," said Li Yonglin, 25, one of those ‌allowed to freely graze their sheep in a fenced solar park in Gonghe, a county in the northwestern province of Qinghai. Read more In Pictures Senator Jon Ossoff embraces supporter Traci George at his victory rally in Atlanta, Georgia. REUTERS/Carlos Barria Reuters photographers captured scenes from election night around the country as voters and candidates reacted with joy, agony and heartbreak to the midterm election results. View images   Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on the Reuters website   Reuters Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. This email includes limited tracking for Reuters to understand whether you’ve engaged with its contents. For more information on how we process your personal information and your rights, please see our Privacy Statement. Terms & Conditions   © 2026 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036