Nvidia board opens independent probe after CEO Jensen Huang admits an affair, reportedly with a suspected Chinese spy; Trump says he's done nothing wrong

Jensen Huang stands onstage in a dark suit and patterned tie, holding a presentation remote before a purple backdrop. — NBC News

1usUpdate

Nvidia board opens independent probe after CEO Jensen Huang admits an affair, reportedly with a suspected Chinese spy; Trump says he's done nothing wrong

The board says it has no reason to believe Nvidia secrets or U.S. national security were compromised, and Huang stays CEO during the review.

In late October, the New York Times reported that Trump did not act on U.S. intelligence that an executive close to Jensen Huang was gathering information for Beijing, in order to protect Nvidia chip sales and trade with China. On Nov. 4, House Republican committee chairs asked Huang to brief them on Nov. 18, and the Financial Times then reported that intelligence officials believe the relationship was romantic.

ContextTrade records show Megaspeed's Malaysian sister company bought equipment containing Nvidia technology between June 2024 and February 2026. A U.S. probe into whether those chips were diverted to China opened at the Commerce Department in 2024 and moved to the Justice Department in 2026, while Singapore runs its own. Nvidia's internal checks found no diversion, which is the company's own finding, not a government clearance.

NBC NEWS16 sources

2usUpdateTrump Jr. wedding party

Attorney General Todd Blanche won't rule out prosecuting Democratic lawmakers; likely Oversight chair Robert Garcia adds Trump Jr. and Kushner to his probe list

Blanche named no criminal law and confirmed no open probe; Garcia says House Democrats will go to civil court, bypassing DOJ, if officials ignore subpoenas.

- Nov. 3 — Democrats won the midterms, including at least 54 Senate seats for January. Garcia posted "Lawyer up" on election night. - Nov. 4 — Trump said he would accept the results and threatened to veto Democratic bills. - Nov. 7 — Trump said he was ordering DOJ to investigate Democrats who threaten impeachment, naming only Elissa Slotkin (Sen-D Michigan).

ContextDemocrats take the House majority in January. That would hand Garcia the Oversight Committee and its subpoena power (a legal order to testify or hand over records). When a witness ignores a subpoena, the House normally asks the Justice Department to prosecute. But Blanche has said DOJ will defend the officials Democrats plan to question. So Garcia says Democrats would skip DOJ and go to civil court, asking a judge to order the witness to comply. In AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 100,000 midterm voters, about 7 in 10 said Congress is not doing enough to check the president.

PBS NEWSHOUR17 sources

3usUpdatecontestedHegseth's Pentagon

House Democratic leader Jeffries says he is a 'hard yes' on Massie's resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth

Massie plans to reintroduce the eight articles as early as Monday, Nov. 9, as a privileged measure, which forces the House to take it up within two legislative days.

- Feb. 28 — U.S. strikes on Iran began. - June 23 — Congress passed a resolution directing U.S. forces out of the Iran fight. - Sept. 15 — Massie filed eight impeachment articles against Hegseth, centered on Iran. - Oct. 18 — Democratic ads tied Republicans' Iran war votes, and Hegseth, to high prices. - Nov. 3 — Democrat Zach Dembo flipped Kentucky's 6th District, by about 9 points, versus Trump's 15-point win there in 2024, per the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Lexington Herald-Leader. - Nov. 6–7 — Massie said he would force a vote; Trump said he intends to keep Hegseth, and James Comer (Rep-R Kentucky) declined to defend him.

ContextThe House has 433 members seated: 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats and one independent who votes with Republicans. Impeachment (the House's formal charge) needs 217 votes. That means every Democrat plus three Republicans, or two if the independent joins them. Removal from office takes a Senate trial and 67 votes if all 100 senators attend. Even if all 47 senators in the Democratic caucus vote yes, 20 Republicans must join. The House has impeached two Cabinet secretaries before: William Belknap in 1876 and Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024. The Senate removed neither.

NBC NEWS11 sources

4usUpdatecontestedIran war

Iran tells U.S. to accept its offer to end the war or face escalation; Trump says new strikes 'highly unlikely' if talks progress

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Iran's demands so far unacceptable, and some of them 'outrageous and ridiculous.'

- Oct. 23 — U.S. intelligence chief Jay Clayton warned that Iranian plots to kill Americans were at "advanced stages"; the U.S. cut staff at four regional embassies. - Oct. 26 — Trump called it "decision time": a deal, or resumed attacks to "finish it off." A third U.S. carrier headed to the region. - Oct. 27–31 — Saudi, Turkish, Pakistani and Qatari envoys pressed Tehran toward an interim deal; U.S. forces repositioned so Trump could strike after the midterms. - Oct. 31 — A speedboat crew damaged the tanker Louise 1 in Hormuz with limpet mines; no attacker was named. - Nov. 2 — The U.S. struck Qeshm Island. Iran said it could reopen Hormuz within two days if the U.S. lifted sanctions and its port blockade. - Nov. 4 — Iran claimed its mines destroyed several tankers, which the BBC could not verify; Trump said the war cost Republican votes. - Nov. 5–6 — Trump weighed strikes, talks or more blockade; Vance ran indirect ceasefire talks as Qatar pushed a draft trading blockade relief for UN inspectors. - Nov. 6 — The U.S. hit an Iranian air-defense system on Qeshm; the State Department offered a cash reward for information on Iran's nuclear program.

ContextOn the nuclear condition Trump named, the UN nuclear watchdog said in an Oct. 27 statement that Iran still withholds the access needed to verify roughly 440 kg of highly enriched uranium. Its inspectors have never entered the Isfahan enrichment plant Iran declared just before the June 2025 strikes. Before the war, about 21 million barrels of oil a day moved through Hormuz (Kpler, early 2026). That is about a fifth of the world's oil use, by the U.S. Energy Information Administration's count.

THE HILL6 sources

5usUpdateICE raids

Flight to deport 11 Iranians toward Iran via Pakistan is canceled Sunday, Nov. 8; lawyers say ICE gave three of the five business days' notice a judge ordered

An attorney later told AP at least eight boarded in Mesa, Ariz., before the flight was canceled, and ABC that they were returned to detention in Arizona.

On Oct. 15, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ordered advance notice before the government removes any of these Iranian detainees, after a Justice Department lawyer told her removals to Iran were now planned. A transcript of that hearing, reported by ABC News on Thursday, Nov. 5, showed the lawyer saying the U.S. would get detainees to a third country and Iran would handle the rest of the trip.

ContextThe Iranian American Legal Defense Fund's lawsuit accuses the administration of sharing confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with Iran's government, ABC News reports. The U.S. and Iran have had no diplomatic ties since 1980. Iran's Interests Section, housed in Pakistan's embassy in Washington, handles its consular work. At the Oct. 15 hearing, Reyes said the plan was "like saying we have individuals in 1942 in this country that we are going to send back to Nazi Germany." She warned she would start contempt proceedings against anyone who broke her notice orders.

@REICHLINMELNICK2 sources

6us

Trump tells 60 Minutes his deportations were 'too tough' on working immigrants whose only offense was illegal entry, and he'd 'love to do something on immigration' with Democrats

He blamed the Iran war, gas prices and not being on the ballot himself for Republicans' midterm losses, which CBS News puts at more than 40 House seats and at least 7 Senate seats.

An earlier clip from the same interview, released Saturday, Nov. 7, had Trump predicting "a few" cabinet changes after the midterms. In it he also said he could go six months without insulting Democrats "very easily," moments after saying he calls many of them "Dumocrats."

ContextA president can tell DHS to deprioritize deportations or grant deferred action (a renewable reprieve from removal, sometimes with a work permit), but only Congress can confer legal status. The live bill is the Dignity Act (H.R. 4393) from María Elvira Salazar (Rep-R Florida) and Veronica Escobar (Rep-D Texas). It offers renewable seven-year status for immigrants here before 2021. In return, they would pay restitution, and employers would have to use E-Verify (the federal online check of whether a worker may legally hold a job).

CBS NEWS10 sources

7not newslongformIran war

Senate Democrats plan to end the Iran war with spending cuts, impeachment and lawsuits once they hold the majority

Bloomberg reported Sunday, Nov. 8, that Democrats are signaling they will block Trump's $1.5 trillion defense budget request, a 44% increase over the previous year.

How the $1.5 trillion request compares: Increase over the previous fiscal year: 44% (Bloomberg) House-passed FY2027 defense authorization, July 22: $1.15 trillion, against $900.6 billion authorized for FY2026 (Military Times) Defense share of discretionary funding under the request: 63%, against about 50% in prior years (CSIS)

ContextThe $1.5 trillion request is for fiscal 2027, which began Oct. 1, 2026. Of that, $1.15 trillion is the regular base budget, the same figure the House authorized in July. The other $350 billion would come through reconciliation, a budget bill that can pass the Senate with a simple majority (Breaking Defense).

THE HILL3 sources

8not newslongformCases against critics

Justice Department considered naming The New York Times as a conspirator in its Comey classified-leak case

Prosecutors charged Comey over the leak in October without a grand jury; one earlier indictment was dismissed and another, over an Instagram post, is pending.

What a conspirator label could unlock without an indictment: A 1980 law that shields newsrooms from searches has an exception when the journalist is a suspect in certain national-defense crimes, including the Espionage Act's leak section. In 2010 a judge let the FBI into Fox News reporter James Rosen's Gmail after an FBI affidavit called him a possible co-conspirator; he was never charged. Since May 2, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi's rules let the attorney general approve reporter subpoenas and search warrants, replacing Merrick Garland's stricter 2022 limits.

ContextComey has already been indicted twice, per CNBC. A Virginia grand jury charged him in September 2025 with making a false statement to Congress and obstruction. A judge dismissed that case on Nov. 24, 2025, ruling the prosecutor had been invalidly appointed. A North Carolina indictment in April 2026 charged him with threatening Trump through an Instagram photo of seashells forming "86 47." He is seeking its dismissal. An indictment in the leak case would be his third. Per the Congressional Research Service, no U.S. news organization was indicted or convicted for receiving or publishing national-defense secrets from 1917 through 2025. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiring to obtain and disclose such material, but he was charged personally. At an Oct. 30 hearing before Judge Trevor McFadden, prosecutor Dustin Farahnak said more evidence was going to a Washington grand jury, without naming targets.

THE NEW YORK TIMES1 source

9not newslongformAI safety fight

Staff at the Commerce Department's AI safety testing center now report informally to a White House office

The $10 million-a-year center has had no permanent leader since April, when a director was hired and fired within days; his replacement has since resigned.

What the center's tests have caught so far: OpenAI says the center found two unknown ChatGPT Agent flaws and chained them into an exploit that worked about half the time in testing; OpenAI fixed them within one business day Anthropic credits the U.S. and U.K. institutes together with finding weaknesses in Claude Opus 4 safeguards, prompting patches and a partial redesign The center's July 2026 test of Chinese firm Z.ai's GLM-5.2 found its safeguards allowed help with building cyber exploits

ContextThe center began as the U.S. AI Safety Institute, set up inside the National Institute of Standards and Technology after President Biden's October 2023 executive order on AI. In June 2025, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick renamed it the Center for AI Standards and Innovation and dropped "safety" from the name. Commerce said it would focus on national-security risks such as cyberattacks and biological and chemical weapons. Its testing runs on voluntary agreements with AI companies, per that announcement. NIST's site began calling it CAISSI, the Center for Advancing Innovation and Standards for Super Intelligence, around Oct. 1, 2026. That followed a Sept. 29 executive order telling agencies to say "Super Intelligence" in place of "AI." A Cloud Security Alliance review in October found no NIST or Commerce announcement explaining it. Caroline Siegel Singh of the Federation of American Scientists explained what a setup like this is for. "The hope is that you can put in nonpartisan or bipartisan technocratic experts to enact policy in a way that best serves the American public," she said. All of these facts come from a single AP report. No other outlet has confirmed them.

AP1 source

10not newslongform

Justice Sonia Sotomayor says she hopes the Supreme Court overturns its 2024 presidential immunity ruling in her lifetime

She dissented from the 6-3 decision, and on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Mount Vernon she said the rule of law is in a 'rough patch'.

What the immunity ruling cut from the election case: Federal election case: prosecutors dropped the Justice Department pressure strand, one of five alleged methods, because the Court made it absolutely immune. All four federal counts survived the rewrite; the case ended over the Justice Department's policy against prosecuting a sitting president, not over immunity.

ContextThe Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on July 1, 2024, in Trump v. United States, and Sotomayor wrote in dissent. The ruling gave presidents absolute immunity (full protection from criminal charges) for their core constitutional powers and presumed immunity for other official acts. Private conduct can still be prosecuted. Because the ruling reads the Constitution itself, Congress cannot undo it by passing a law. Only a later Supreme Court ruling can reverse it, or a constitutional amendment, which needs two-thirds of each chamber and 38 of 50 states.

WASHINGTON EXAMINER2 sources

News news6 stories

Ongoing2 earlier updates10 days

This story has run 3 times over 10 days, starting Oct 30.

Oct 30Trump did not act on U.S. intelligence that an executive close to Jensen Huang was gathering information for Beijing
Nov 8UpdateHouse Republican chairs ask Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to brief them Nov. 18 on his ties to an alleged Chinese spy
Nov 9UpdateNvidia board opens independent probe after CEO Jensen Huang admits an affair, reportedly with a suspected Chinese spy; Trump says he's done nothing wrong — this issue

NBC NEWSUpdate

Nvidia board opens independent probe after CEO Jensen Huang admits an affair, reportedly with a suspected Chinese spy; Trump says he's done nothing wrong

The board says it has no reason to believe Nvidia secrets or U.S. national security were compromised, and Huang stays CEO during the review.

Nvidia's board opened an independent investigation into reports that CEO Jensen Huang, 63, was the target of a Chinese intelligence operation. A committee of independent directors runs it, with outside lawyers. Nvidia, the AI chip maker, says Huang will cooperate.

The affair. In a message to employees, Huang admitted he was "unfaithful" to his wife and took "full responsibility." The message did not name the woman. News reports identify her as Alice Huang (no relation), who is or was an executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore data-center company that buys Nvidia's advanced chips. U.S. intelligence assessed that she worked for China's Ministry of State Security, its main spy agency. China called the allegations "groundless speculation."

The White House. Secretary of State Marco Rubio oversaw a classified memo on the relationship that circulated among top officials in spring 2026, the New York Times reports. Separately, Trump was briefed on the intelligence and did not act. Axios dates that briefing to earlier this year; the Times' Maggie Haberman dates it to late 2025. On Sunday, Nov. 8, Trump said, "I haven't heard that he's done anything wrong." He added that he would "certainly take him" on next week's Asia trip.

What next. Huang has until Wednesday, Nov. 11, to accept a Nov. 18 closed-door briefing with three House committees or to offer another date. The request is not a subpoena.

Catch upwhat happened before · 2 earlier issues

Nov 8UpdateHouse Republican chairs ask Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to brief them Nov. 18 on his ties to an alleged Chinese spy

1 earlier issue

Oct 30Trump did not act on U.S. intelligence that an executive close to Jensen Huang was gathering information for Beijing

BackgroundWhat Nvidia's bylaws let the board do without Huang's consent3 facts

A majority of directors in office can remove him as CEO, with or without cause: six votes on the 10-member board.
His stake does not block that vote: 870.6 million shares, or 3.58%, as of March 23, 2026, at one vote per share.
Removing him from the board itself is a separate step that needs shareholders: a majority with cause, or two-thirds without.

PBS NEWSHOURUpdateTrump Jr. wedding party

Attorney General Todd Blanche won't rule out prosecuting Democratic lawmakers; likely Oversight chair Robert Garcia adds Trump Jr. and Kushner to his probe list

Blanche named no criminal law and confirmed no open probe; Garcia says House Democrats will go to civil court, bypassing DOJ, if officials ignore subpoenas.

Attorney General Todd Blanche said on CNN and Fox on Nov. 8 that "there could be" investigations of Democratic lawmakers, and he would not rule out prosecutions. He named no criminal law and confirmed no open probe. Robert Garcia (Rep-D California), likely chair of the House Oversight Committee when Democrats take the majority in January, called it intimidation.

Blanche's warning. He told the incoming committee, "I would be very worried if I was a member on that committee." He said DOJ will defend administration officials facing House probes, including White House aide Stephen Miller: "If you work in this administration, you have a lawyer: It's me."

Garcia's list. He said Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner could "absolutely" be subjects of investigation. Other targets: pardons, White House ballroom donors, the operation that removed Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, the Iran war, Elon Musk's DOGE cost-cutting team and Miller. "The days of us not fighting back are over," he told Politico. Yassamin Ansari (Rep-D Arizona) said the committee's investigative staff will triple.

How we got herethe story so far

Nov. 3 — Democrats won the midterms, including at least 54 Senate seats for January. Garcia posted "Lawyer up" on election night.
Nov. 4 — Trump said he would accept the results and threatened to veto Democratic bills.
Nov. 7 — Trump said he was ordering DOJ to investigate Democrats who threaten impeachment, naming only Elissa Slotkin (Sen-D Michigan).

BackgroundWhat the Constitution shields Oversight members from, and what it doesn't3 facts

Shielded: issuing subpoenas, questioning witnesses, writing committee reports and pursuing contempt, plus aides doing that work (the Speech or Debate Clause, per CRS).
Not shielded: campaign work, press releases and TV appearances, including Garcia's "lawyer up" line. No immunity is not the same as a crime.
Bribery can still be charged if prosecutors prove it without using protected legislative acts (United States v. Brewster, 1972).

Ongoing3 earlier updates22 days

This story has run 4 times over 22 days, starting Oct 18.

Oct 18Democratic ads target House and Senate Iran war votes and single out Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
Nov 6Thomas Massie will force a House vote next week on eight impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
Nov 8UpdateJames Comer declines to defend Hegseth before a House impeachment vote Massie plans to force the week of Nov. 9
Nov 9UpdateHouse Democratic leader Jeffries says he is a 'hard yes' on Massie's resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth — this issue

NBC NEWSUpdateHegseth's Pentagon

House Democratic leader Jeffries says he is a 'hard yes' on Massie's resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth

Massie plans to reintroduce the eight articles as early as Monday, Nov. 9, as a privileged measure, which forces the House to take it up within two legislative days.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (Rep-D New York) said Sunday, Nov. 8, on ABC's 'This Week' that he is a 'hard yes' on the resolution by Thomas Massie (Rep-R Kentucky) to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. One of its eight articles charges a violation of the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the law that caps military action Congress has not approved at 60 days.

“The so-called secretary of defense has abused his power, undermined our national security, and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran Pete Hegseth has got to go.”Hakeem Jeffries (Rep-D New York)

The Republicans. House GOP leaders are bracing for enough Republican defections to pass it, Axios reports. French Hill (Rep-R Arkansas) and Don Bacon (Rep-R Nebraska) are undecided. Hill told CBS that doing a poor job “doesn't mean per se that he's committed an impeachable offense.” One unnamed Republican told Axios: “We should have never done the war before the midterms.”

Hegseth and Trump. Hegseth called Massie a “disgruntled, defeated congressman” pursuing “the politics of personal destruction.” Trump has said he has “every intention to keep” Hegseth. Massie says he will drop the articles if Hegseth resigns.

What next. House Democrats meet Tuesday morning, Nov. 10, to discuss the resolution, their first meeting in Washington since the midterms.

Catch upwhat happened before · 3 earlier issues

Feb. 28 — U.S. strikes on Iran began.
June 23 — Congress passed a resolution directing U.S. forces out of the Iran fight.
Sept. 15 — Massie filed eight impeachment articles against Hegseth, centered on Iran.
Oct. 18 — Democratic ads tied Republicans' Iran war votes, and Hegseth, to high prices.
Nov. 3 — Democrat Zach Dembo flipped Kentucky's 6th District, by about 9 points, versus Trump's 15-point win there in 2024, per the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Nov. 6–7 — Massie said he would force a vote; Trump said he intends to keep Hegseth, and James Comer (Rep-R Kentucky) declined to defend him.

Nov 8UpdateJames Comer declines to defend Hegseth before a House impeachment vote Massie plans to force the week of Nov. 9

2 earlier issues

How the vote could be dodged, and who would step inThe House can still table the resolution or send it to committee without ever voting on the articles.2 details

The House can still table the resolution or send it to committee without ever voting on the articles. A Mayorkas impeachment resolution was sent to committee 209-201 on Nov. 13, 2023.
If Hegseth left, Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg would become acting secretary unless Trump lawfully named someone else.

Red take

Thomas Massie, the Kentucky Republican pressing impeachment, says he will drop all eight articles the moment Pete Hegseth resigns, which tells you this is a firing campaign, not a charge of crimes. The defense secretary works for a president with 'every intention to keep' him, and the House should leave it there. Impeach a cabinet officer over a war the House dislikes, and every secretary serves at Congress's pleasure, not the president's.

Blue take

Pete Hegseth should be impeached, because the charge that matters is breaking a law, not doing a poor job: Thomas Massie, the Kentucky Republican, accuses the defense secretary of violating the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which caps military action Congress has not approved at 60 days. U.S. strikes on Iran began Feb. 28, and in June Congress voted to pull forces out. Shrug that off, and the 60-day cap binds no Pentagon chief again.

Ongoing36 earlier updates61 days

This story has run 37 times over 61 days, starting Sep 9.

THE HILLUpdateIran war

Iran tells U.S. to accept its offer to end the war or face escalation; Trump says new strikes 'highly unlikely' if talks progress

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Iran's demands so far unacceptable, and some of them 'outrageous and ridiculous.'

On Sunday, Nov. 8, Iran told Washington to accept its latest offer to end the war, now more than eight months old, or face escalation. The Hill reported the message as a two-day deadline. Iran has described the two days as the time it would need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once the U.S. meets its conditions, and Araghchi posted that "our 2-day proposal stands," with no expiry date.

Tehran's message. Abbas Araghchi (Foreign Minister, Iran) pointed to the Tuesday, Nov. 3 U.S. midterms: "American voters have made their choice. Time for the White House to make its own." Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, unseen in public since the strike that killed his father, posted that "the process of the US's collapse has accelerated."

Trump's answer. Trump told CNN renewed attacks are "highly unlikely" if talks make progress on Iran's nuclear program and on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. "It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement," he said. A White House spokesperson put it as "the easy way or the hard way. President Trump holds all the cards."

Catch upwhat happened before · 36 earlier issues

Oct. 23 — U.S. intelligence chief Jay Clayton warned that Iranian plots to kill Americans were at "advanced stages"; the U.S. cut staff at four regional embassies.
Oct. 26 — Trump called it "decision time": a deal, or resumed attacks to "finish it off." A third U.S. carrier headed to the region.
Oct. 27–31 — Saudi, Turkish, Pakistani and Qatari envoys pressed Tehran toward an interim deal; U.S. forces repositioned so Trump could strike after the midterms.
Oct. 31 — A speedboat crew damaged the tanker Louise 1 in Hormuz with limpet mines; no attacker was named.
Nov. 2 — The U.S. struck Qeshm Island. Iran said it could reopen Hormuz within two days if the U.S. lifted sanctions and its port blockade.
Nov. 4 — Iran claimed its mines destroyed several tankers, which the BBC could not verify; Trump said the war cost Republican votes.
Nov. 5–6 — Trump weighed strikes, talks or more blockade; Vance ran indirect ceasefire talks as Qatar pushed a draft trading blockade relief for UN inspectors.
Nov. 6 — The U.S. hit an Iranian air-defense system on Qeshm; the State Department offered a cash reward for information on Iran's nuclear program.

Nov 8UpdateU.S. strikes an Iranian air-defense system on Qeshm Island as the State Department offers up to $20 million for information on Iran's nuclear program

35 earlier issues

Red take

Ignore Tehran's threat and keep the port blockade on. Iran's Nov. 2 offer wanted sanctions and the blockade lifted just to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Trump demanded progress on the nuclear program too. Pay that price under threat, as Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei boasts that America's 'collapse has accelerated,' and every hostile government learns that choking a shipping lane buys sanctions relief.

Blue take

United Nations inspectors inside Iran are what Qatar's draft buys, in exchange for blockade relief and a reopened Strait of Hormuz, and Washington should sign it while the talks are live. Two U.S. strikes on Qeshm Island have not opened the nuclear program, and Washington is now offering up to $20 million for information about it. Walk away, and a war already eight months old grinds on with no inspector on the ground.

Ongoing1 earlier update3 days

This story has run 2 times over 3 days, starting Nov 6.

Nov 6Unsealed transcript shows US held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians through a third country mid-war
Nov 9UpdateFlight to deport 11 Iranians toward Iran via Pakistan is canceled Sunday, Nov. 8; lawyers say ICE gave three of the five business days' notice a judge ordered — this issue

@REICHLINMELNICKUpdateICE raids

Flight to deport 11 Iranians toward Iran via Pakistan is canceled Sunday, Nov. 8; lawyers say ICE gave three of the five business days' notice a judge ordered

An attorney later told AP at least eight boarded in Mesa, Ariz., before the flight was canceled, and ABC that they were returned to detention in Arizona.

Lawyers for Iranians held by ICE told U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes that ICE planned to fly 11 of them out of Mesa, Ariz., before dawn Sunday, Nov. 8, bound for Pakistan and then Iran. The flight was canceled without explanation, attorney Ali Rahnama told AP. He said at least eight had already boarded.

The order. Reyes's Oct. 15 order requires five business days' notice before any such removal. The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund, which filed the emergency motion, says the government gave notice on Tuesday, Nov. 3. That left three business days.

The handoff. Rahnama told AP that a senior official from Iran's Interests Section had visited the eight and said Iran would fly them from Pakistan to Iran.

The pattern. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council wrote on X that a court stopped a similar planned flight of Afghan nationals last week. "In the middle of a war, the Trump administration is actively working with the government of Iran to deport people there," he wrote.

Still open. DHS told ABC it "does not comment on prospective removal operations," so whether ICE will try again is unknown.

Catch upwhat happened before · 1 earlier issue

Nov 6Unsealed transcript shows US held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians through a third country mid-war

Ongoing1 earlier update

This story has run 2 times, starting Nov 8.

Nov 8Trump tells 60 Minutes he expects "a few" cabinet changes after the midterms
Nov 9Trump tells 60 Minutes his deportations were 'too tough' on working immigrants whose only offense was illegal entry, and he'd 'love to do something on immigration' with Democrats — this issue

CBS NEWS

Trump tells 60 Minutes his deportations were 'too tough' on working immigrants whose only offense was illegal entry, and he'd 'love to do something on immigration' with Democrats

He blamed the Iran war, gas prices and not being on the ballot himself for Republicans' midterm losses, which CBS News puts at more than 40 House seats and at least 7 Senate seats.

Trump gave his first sit-down interview since the Tuesday, Nov. 3 midterms to 60 Minutes' Ross Douthat. It was taped Friday, Nov. 6, at the White House and aired Sunday, Nov. 8.

Immigration. He said his deportation policy "was too tough" on people with jobs whose only violation was entering the country illegally. He said he'd "love to do something on immigration" with congressional Democrats and suggested long-term residents could stay.

The losses. USA Today counts 42 House seats lost, one more than Republicans lost in Trump's first midterms in 2018. A CBS exit poll found 63% of midterm voters disapproved of his job performance.

His enemies. Asked whether he could forgive James Comey and Nancy Pelosi if that were the price of entering paradise, he said no.

"Can I be honest? I probably cannot do that, no, because I do hate some of my enemies, and I always will."Donald Trump

Still open. Whether Trump turns the remark into policy. He named no policy, date or bill.

Catch upwhat happened before · 1 earlier issue

Nov 8Trump tells 60 Minutes he expects "a few" cabinet changes after the midterms

What a legal-status bill would need to become lawHouse: 218 votes needed; the Dignity Act had 40 named backers in May, 20 from each party3 details

House: 218 votes needed; the Dignity Act had 40 named backers in May, 20 from each party
Senate: 60 votes to end a filibuster, the open-ended debate that blocks a final vote; no published Senate sponsor count
Last bipartisan overhaul to clear the Senate: 2013, 68–32, then died in the House

Quick bites12

The GOP after the midterm rout4 bites

ICE keeps its daily arrest target at about 2,700, up from 2,000, after the midterm losses
BBC NEWS ICE raids
DHS says ICE is 'NOT backing away or slowing down.' ICE sources told CBS News the higher target was set before the midterms. DHS and ICE officials have had no orders to scale back since the election.

The new target works out to about 19,000 arrests per week (CBS News).

Stephen Miller starts as White House chief of staff on Monday, Nov. 9; a U.S. official asked about a pullback said, 'I would count on the opposite.'

U.S. officials told CBS the losses came from the economy, affordability and the Iran war; exit polls ranked immigration third, behind the economy and the state of democracy (BBC News).
Marlin Stutzman (Rep-R Indiana) says Trump should fire people after midterm losses, not promote Stephen Miller to chief of staff
WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Stutzman said "if your team takes a beating as badly as we took this last week, you have to fire people," adding that Miller is "not liked out here in the Midwest."

Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, a Michigan Democrat, said the pick contradicts Trump's stated willingness to work with Congress and called Miller the "most broken man" to run "the most dysfunctional White House."

Bernie Sanders (Sen-I Vermont) said he is "not worried" about Miller's promotion.
Republican-led Congress returns after losing the midterms, with 55 days left and a Dec. 11 shutdown deadline
THE HILL Government funding
House Republicans vote on leaders this week for the minority they take over in January. Before January, the outgoing majority has to fund the government by Friday, Dec. 11. That is when the stopgap law Trump signed Sept. 2 runs out, the Congressional Research Service says.

Lame-duck session: the 55 days (WSJ) until the new Congress is sworn in at noon on Jan. 3; members who lost or are retiring still vote until then

House GOP leadership elections are scheduled this week (The Hill)
Trump vows vetoes for the new Democratic Congress as inflation runs at 3.7%
ABC NEWS Inflation and rates
Trump told supporters he "will VETO anything that hurts America" after the jobs report on Friday, Nov. 6. It showed 165,000 jobs added in October, up from a revised 60,000 in September, the Labor Department said.
The numbers facing divided governmentInflation: 3.7% in the year to September, driven partly by tariffs and the Iran war, per AP.3 details

Inflation: 3.7% in the year to September, driven partly by tariffs and the Iran war, per AP. The Federal Reserve targets 2%.

Social Security: the retirement trust fund runs dry in late 2032 unless Congress acts, the program's trustees projected in June. After that, 78% of scheduled benefits would still be payable.

Marc Goldwein of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: "Until inflation and interest rates are under control, the likelihood of change elections is going to be high."

Also tonight4 bites

DOJ won't investigate Calley Means's lobbying claims against Susie Wiles; Makary says vape lobbyists pressured him
CBS NEWSUpdate
Ex-HHS adviser Calley Means now says he set out to get Susie Wiles removed. Asked if that was his aim, he said 'Yes.' Attorney General Todd Blanche says DOJ won't probe his podcast claims, calling Means a 'disgruntled former administration official.' Makary says lobbyists pressured him. Blair denies pushing vapes.
In a two-hour Joe Rogan interview, Means said outgoing chief of staff Wiles blocked MAHA policies to protect sugar-industry money. Ron Johnson (Sen-R Wisconsin) then cited the claims to accuse the Trump administration of corruption.
What else was saidMeans says Wiles and deputy James Blair pushed HHS to clear fruit-flavored vapes; FDA approved some in early May.2 details

Means says Wiles and deputy James Blair pushed HHS to clear fruit-flavored vapes; FDA approved some in early May. Blair denies it.

Former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary says tobacco and kratom lobbyists used administration connections to pressure him.
Houthi attack damages Riyadh's Aramco Tower; Saudis say damage was minor and no one was hurt
BBC NEWS Houthis and the Saudis
Saudi authorities blamed falling debris after the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two cruise missiles, but BBC Verify footage shows more extensive damage than Riyadh describes.
How this front has escalatedThe Houthis said a Saudi-led airstrike near Sanaa killed at least 33 people the day before the tower strike.3 details

The Houthis said a Saudi-led airstrike near Sanaa killed at least 33 people the day before the tower strike.

The Oct. 10 attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people, per NBC News.

NBC, the FT and Bloomberg date the tower attack to Sunday, Nov. 8; the BBC dates it to Saturday, Nov. 7, citing a Houthi statement.
European officials will join the U.S.-Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11
NPRUpdateRussia-Ukraine war
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Sunday, Nov. 8, that European officials will attend the Nov. 10-11 Abu Dhabi talks, though the Kremlin had ruled out a European role. NPR calls it the first three-way round since Geneva in February. Barrot did not say who will represent France, or whether Europeans will negotiate or only observe.
On Thursday, Nov. 5, Trump met Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev and said a coming deal "might involve all of Europe." On Friday, Nov. 6, European officials said Russia must halt its war before any talk of its wider security demands, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Who said whatKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, Nov. 4, that he hopes Trump keeps up his peace efforts, and called the new…2 details

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, Nov. 4, that he hopes Trump keeps up his peace efforts, and called the new Congress an 'internal matter.'

Volodymyr Zelenskyy (President, Ukraine), to CNN on Friday, Nov. 6: 'We don't want to have Yalta 2.0. We don't want to be divided by Russia.'
Kansas Sen.-elect Adam Hamilton says he won't back Schumer for majority leader
WASHINGTON EXAMINERUpdate
Sen.-elect Adam Hamilton, a Kansas Democrat, told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, Nov. 8, that many Kansans see Schumer as polarizing. He wants "a leader who can lead from the center." Elissa Slotkin (Sen-D Michigan) said she won't back Schumer "until I see a plan," the Washington Examiner reported.
On Nov. 5, a source close to Chris Van Hollen (Sen-D Maryland) told NewsNation he would not challenge Schumer. On Saturday, Nov. 7, Van Hollen urged colleagues to "withhold commitments" until Schumer lays out his vision, Slotkin said she is "not ruling anything out," and Mark Kelly (Sen-D Arizona) said he plans to back Schumer, CNN reported.

Hamilton said Roger Marshall (Sen-R Kansas) mentioned Schumer "17 or 18 times" in their debates; NBC News counted 17 in the final debate alone.

Trump won Kansas by 16 points in 2024.

Democrats have won at least 54 Senate seats, with Mississippi and Alaska still uncalled, per the Washington Examiner.

Elections4 bites

Peltola leads Sen. Dan Sullivan by 637 votes in Alaska with about 25% of ballots uncounted
THE WASHINGTON POSTUpdateAlaska Senate race
Trump keeps claiming a Republican win in Alaska's Senate race with about 25% of ballots uncounted, per AP, The Washington Post reported on Sunday, Nov. 8. Gov. Mike Dunleavy says the next big batches arrive Nov. 13 and Nov. 18, Fox News reports. Democrat Mary Peltola leads Dan Sullivan (Sen-R Alaska) 102,962 to 102,325 in first-choice votes, a 637-vote margin, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Her 48.17% share is short of the 50% needed to win outright, per Fox News. Gerald Heikes has 4,846 votes, and Dan J. Sullivan, the senator's namesake, has 3,600. If no one tops 50%, a ranked-choice count on Nov. 18 moves their ballots to voters' next choices, per the Anchorage Daily News. Certification is set for Nov. 25.
On Friday, Nov. 6, Peltola's campaign sued Alaska for the list of rejected absentee ballots and the reason each was thrown out, the Anchorage Daily News reported. The state Department of Law says those records are preliminary and have long been kept confidential.
Also in the countThe measure to repeal ranked-choice voting is too close to call, with 'No' at 51.85%, per Fox News.2 details

The measure to repeal ranked-choice voting is too close to call, with 'No' at 51.85%, per Fox News.

Dunleavy, to Fox News: "It is very confusing... It's a slow system up here in Alaska."
Wisconsin Gov.-elect David Crowley says he will sign a congressional map redraw if Democrats pass one
WISN Redistricting fights
Gov.-elect David Crowley, a Democrat, told WISN he would sign a bill immediately redrawing the state's congressional maps if the new Democratic legislature passes one early next year. "If the bill was to reach my desk, I will sign it."
Crowley's other first-100-days pledgesHe reaffirmed support for reversing Act 10, then-Gov. Scott Walker's 2011 limit on public-sector collective bargaining.2 details

He reaffirmed support for reversing Act 10, then-Gov. Scott Walker's 2011 limit on public-sector collective bargaining.

He proposed a bipartisan blue-ribbon commission to find a long-term fix after Act 10 is reversed.
Democrats flipped more than 500 state legislative seats, Politico says; Ballotpedia counts a net gain of 262
POLITICO
Politico says Democrats won more state legislative seats than in any year since the post-Watergate election of 1974. Its count of more than 500 is seats flipped. Ballotpedia, which tracks net change, had Democrats up 262 seats as of Nov. 6, below the 308 they gained in 2018. Democrats won control of at least 12 legislative chambers, Politico reports. They created new trifectas, meaning the governor and both chambers, in Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nevada.

Texas House: Democrats won control of a chamber they last held in 2002, Politico reports.

New York Senate: Democrats are on track for their biggest majority since 1846, Politico reports.

DLCC President Heather Williams: "We ran the table. It's amazing."
Popular-vote compact needs 48 more electoral votes; four states with new Democratic trifectas hold 50
FOX NEWS
If Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Nevada joined, the compact would rise from 222 to 272 electoral votes. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said a national popular vote 'makes sense' and that he would work with lawmakers on it, per the Washington Examiner.
How the math worksThe compact takes effect only when its members hold 270 electoral votes; today it has 18 states plus D.C., worth 222, per Fox News.3 details

The compact takes effect only when its members hold 270 electoral votes; today it has 18 states plus D.C., worth 222, per Fox News.

Adding Arizona as well would bring the total to 283.

Hans von Spakovsky told Fox: 'They can't use a compact to, in essence, change the Electoral College.'

Elections2 races

2 closest races

nAlaska governor99.3%Wilson 0.63%Begich 0.05%

POLYMARKET: Alaska governor — general election

Bernadette Wilson (R) faces Tom Begich (D).

A dead heat — the two sides are priced within a point of each other, after Wilson lost about ten points in a week.

Two markets, one question

Alaska governor

Nov 8, 8:39 PM CT
widest venue gap 0.4pp

Polymarket, solid
Kalshi, dashed
shaded = the gap between them

Alaska governor. Bernadette Wilson (R): Polymarket 0.45%, Kalshi 0.80%; Tom Begich (D): Polymarket 0.05%, Kalshi 0.05%. Widest disagreement between the two venues: 0.4pp. Full history is in the table below.

Day7 days ago

Market-implied chance of winning, out of 100 — prices, not polls. Source: Polymarket · Kalshi.

Prices are what each venue’s traders were paying, right-aligned to the snapshot: the last sample is today, the one before it yesterday. Series run 2–8 samples because the venues listed these markets on different days; a short line starts late rather than being stretched across a week it was never priced over.

Money-weighted: Bernadette Wilson 0.6% · Tom Begich 0.05%. Volume is each venue's own reported figure — Polymarket in USD, Kalshi in contracts. They are not a common unit, so read the weighting as a tilt, not a conversion.

Bernadette Wilson (R)7 days ago

Polymarket$326K9.5%

Kalshi252K contracts · 0.5%/1.1%12.0%

venue gap2.5pp

7-day move-9.0pp

Tom Begich (D)7 days ago

Polymarket$175K0.05%

Kalshi275K contracts · 0%/0.1%—

venue gap—

7-day move0.0pp

Every sample behind the chart. Alaska governor, snapshot Nov 8, 8:39 PM CT.
Day	Bernadette Wilson · Polymarket	Bernadette Wilson · Kalshi	Tom Begich · Polymarket	Tom Begich · Kalshi
7 days ago	9.50%	12.0%	0.05%	—
6 days ago	0.20%	13.0%	0.05%	—
5 days ago	0.45%	6.1%	0.05%	—
4 days ago	0.25%	0.7%	0.05%	—
3 days ago	0.25%	1.5%	0.05%	—
2 days ago	0.45%	0.4%	0.05%	—
yesterday	0.45%	1.3%	0.05%	0.10%
today	0.45%	0.8%	0.05%	0.05%

mAlaska SenateMary Peltola 97.65%▲24.6Sullivan 2.33%

POLYMARKET: Alaska Senate — general election

Mary Peltola (D) faces Dan Sullivan (R).

A sitting Republican senator is defending this seat, and Peltola holds a commanding lead, but no race here has moved more this week: Sullivan is down about 25 points.

Two markets, one question

Alaska Senate

Nov 8, 8:39 PM CT
widest venue gap 1.6pp

Polymarket, solid
Kalshi, dashed
shaded = the gap between them

Alaska Senate. Mary Peltola (D): Polymarket 98.4%, Kalshi 96.9%; Dan Sullivan (R): Polymarket 1.55%, Kalshi 3.10%. Widest disagreement between the two venues: 1.6pp. Full history is in the table below.

Day7 days ago

Market-implied chance of winning, out of 100 — prices, not polls. Source: Polymarket · Kalshi.

Prices are what each venue’s traders were paying, right-aligned to the snapshot: the last sample is today, the one before it yesterday. Every series here is 8 samples long.

Money-weighted: Mary Peltola 98% · Dan Sullivan 2.3%. Volume is each venue's own reported figure — Polymarket in USD, Kalshi in contracts. They are not a common unit, so read the weighting as a tilt, not a conversion.

Mary Peltola (D)7 days ago

Polymarket$4.9M74.5%

Kalshi1.1M contracts · 97%/97%72.0%

venue gap2.5pp

7-day move+24pp

Dan Sullivan (R)7 days ago

Polymarket$3.0M26%

Kalshi2.7M contracts · 3.0%/3.2%28%

venue gap2.0pp

7-day move-24pp

Every sample behind the chart. Alaska Senate, snapshot Nov 8, 8:39 PM CT.
Day	Mary Peltola · Polymarket	Mary Peltola · Kalshi	Dan Sullivan · Polymarket	Dan Sullivan · Kalshi
7 days ago	74.50%	72.0%	26.00%	28.0%
6 days ago	92.85%	69.0%	7.40%	31.0%
5 days ago	96.75%	93.2%	3.20%	9.0%
4 days ago	98.55%	94.2%	1.45%	6.3%
3 days ago	98.30%	96.9%	1.65%	3.9%
2 days ago	98.60%	97.3%	1.50%	2.8%
yesterday	98.40%	96.4%	1.55%	3.5%
today	98.40%	96.9%	1.55%	3.1%

“Still in doubt” means no leader above 80% on either book. Prices captured Nov 8, 8:39 PM CT. These are trader-implied estimates, not polls. Separate contracts trade independently, so opposing prices may not add to exactly 100%.

Not news news4 stories

THE HILLIran war

Senate Democrats plan to end the Iran war with spending cuts, impeachment and lawsuits once they hold the majority

Bloomberg reported Sunday, Nov. 8, that Democrats are signaling they will block Trump's $1.5 trillion defense budget request, a 44% increase over the previous year.

Senate Democrats, who won the majority in the Nov. 3 midterms, say some Republicans will help them end the U.S. war with Iran once the new Congress is seated. They name three tools: the power of the purse (refusing or restricting money for the war), possible impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and lawsuits. Only the House can impeach; the Senate's role would be to hold the trial. Bloomberg reported Sunday, Nov. 8, that Democrats are signaling they will block Trump's $1.5 trillion defense budget request, a 44% increase over the previous fiscal year.

Still open. Neither report names the Republicans or says how many have committed.

How the $1.5 trillion request comparesIncrease over the previous fiscal year: 44% (Bloomberg)3 details

Increase over the previous fiscal year: 44% (Bloomberg)
House-passed FY2027 defense authorization, July 22: $1.15 trillion, against $900.6 billion authorized for FY2026 (Military Times)
Defense share of discretionary funding under the request: 63%, against about 50% in prior years (CSIS)

THE NEW YORK TIMESCases against critics

Justice Department considered naming The New York Times as a conspirator in its Comey classified-leak case

Prosecutors charged Comey over the leak in October without a grand jury; one earlier indictment was dismissed and another, over an Instagram post, is pending.

The New York Times reported on Sunday, Nov. 8, that the Justice Department considered naming the paper itself as a conspirator in its case accusing former FBI Director James Comey of leaking classified information. On Oct. 5, prosecutors filed a sealed charging document, called an information, in federal court in Washington. It accuses Comey of leaking national-defense information to the Times in 2016 and of conspiring to do so. A judge unsealed it on Oct. 26. Comey's lawyers say the case is time-barred because the 10-year limit has run out. The conspirator report rests on the Times alone; no other outlet has confirmed it.

Still open. The report does not say whether prosecutors weighed charging the Times as a defendant or only naming it in a filing as an unindicted co-conspirator (a party accused in court papers but not charged). Those are very different steps.

What a conspirator label could unlock without an indictmentA 1980 law that shields newsrooms from searches has an exception when the journalist is a suspect in certain national-defense…3 details

A 1980 law that shields newsrooms from searches has an exception when the journalist is a suspect in certain national-defense crimes, including the Espionage Act's leak section.
In 2010 a judge let the FBI into Fox News reporter James Rosen's Gmail after an FBI affidavit called him a possible co-conspirator; he was never charged.
Since May 2, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi's rules let the attorney general approve reporter subpoenas and search warrants, replacing Merrick Garland's stricter 2022 limits.

APAI safety fight

Staff at the Commerce Department's AI safety testing center now report informally to a White House office

The $10 million-a-year center has had no permanent leader since April, when a director was hired and fired within days; his replacement has since resigned.

Staff at CAISSI, the Commerce Department unit that tests AI models for national-security risks, were recently asked to report informally to a White House office, AP reports. AP did not name the office.

The leadership. Per AP, the center has had no permanent leader since April 2026, when a director was hired and fired within days, and his replacement has since resigned.

The money. Its budget is about $10 million a year, which AP puts at roughly one-eighth of what Britain spends on its counterpart.

The research. AP says the center has also stopped publishing its research. The fear is that its findings could be politicized or softened to suit the AI industry.

Still open. AP does not say which office the staff answer to, or who now decides whether a finished report is released.

What the center's tests have caught so farOpenAI says the center found two unknown ChatGPT Agent flaws and chained them into an exploit that worked about half the time in…3 details

OpenAI says the center found two unknown ChatGPT Agent flaws and chained them into an exploit that worked about half the time in testing; OpenAI fixed them within one business day
Anthropic credits the U.S. and U.K. institutes together with finding weaknesses in Claude Opus 4 safeguards, prompting patches and a partial redesign
The center's July 2026 test of Chinese firm Z.ai's GLM-5.2 found its safeguards allowed help with building cyber exploits

WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Justice Sonia Sotomayor says she hopes the Supreme Court overturns its 2024 presidential immunity ruling in her lifetime

She dissented from the 6-3 decision, and on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Mount Vernon she said the rule of law is in a 'rough patch'.

Speaking at Mount Vernon on Saturday, Nov. 7, Sotomayor said she hopes to see the Court's 2024 presidential immunity decision overturned while she is alive. She said the rule of law is in a 'rough patch' and tied her hope to a broader wish that the Court undo rulings she opposed. Politico and USA Today first reported the remarks Saturday evening, Nov. 7.

“I'm hoping that the court will take back some of the crazy things that it's done. I'm only joking … maybe not.”Justice Sonia Sotomayor

What the immunity ruling cut from the election caseFederal election case: prosecutors dropped the Justice Department pressure strand, one of five alleged methods, because the Court…2 details

Federal election case: prosecutors dropped the Justice Department pressure strand, one of five alleged methods, because the Court made it absolutely immune.
All four federal counts survived the rewrite; the case ended over the Justice Department's policy against prosecuting a sitting president, not over immunity.

Nov 92026

Executive summary10 stories

News news6

Not news news4

News news6 stories

The board says it has no reason to believe Nvidia secrets or U.S. national security were compromised, and Huang stays CEO during the review.

Blanche named no criminal law and confirmed no open probe; Garcia says House Democrats will go to civil court, bypassing DOJ, if officials ignore subpoenas.

Massie plans to reintroduce the eight articles as early as Monday, Nov. 9, as a privileged measure, which forces the House to take it up within two legislative days.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Iran's demands so far unacceptable, and some of them 'outrageous and ridiculous.'

An attorney later told AP at least eight boarded in Mesa, Ariz., before the flight was canceled, and ABC that they were returned to detention in Arizona.

He blamed the Iran war, gas prices and not being on the ballot himself for Republicans' midterm losses, which CBS News puts at more than 40 House seats and at least 7 Senate seats.

Quick bites12

ICE keeps its daily arrest target at about 2,700, up from 2,000, after the midterm losses

Marlin Stutzman (Rep-R Indiana) says Trump should fire people after midterm losses, not promote Stephen Miller to chief of staff

Republican-led Congress returns after losing the midterms, with 55 days left and a Dec. 11 shutdown deadline

Trump vows vetoes for the new Democratic Congress as inflation runs at 3.7%

DOJ won't investigate Calley Means's lobbying claims against Susie Wiles; Makary says vape lobbyists pressured him

Houthi attack damages Riyadh's Aramco Tower; Saudis say damage was minor and no one was hurt

European officials will join the U.S.-Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11

Kansas Sen.-elect Adam Hamilton says he won't back Schumer for majority leader

Peltola leads Sen. Dan Sullivan by 637 votes in Alaska with about 25% of ballots uncounted

Wisconsin Gov.-elect David Crowley says he will sign a congressional map redraw if Democrats pass one

Democrats flipped more than 500 state legislative seats, Politico says; Ballotpedia counts a net gain of 262

Popular-vote compact needs 48 more electoral votes; four states with new Democratic trifectas hold 50

Elections2 racesShowHide

Alaska governor

Alaska Senate

Not news news4 stories

Bloomberg reported Sunday, Nov. 8, that Democrats are signaling they will block Trump's $1.5 trillion defense budget request, a 44% increase over the previous year.

Prosecutors charged Comey over the leak in October without a grand jury; one earlier indictment was dismissed and another, over an Instagram post, is pending.

The $10 million-a-year center has had no permanent leader since April, when a director was hired and fired within days; his replacement has since resigned.

She dissented from the 6-3 decision, and on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Mount Vernon she said the rule of law is in a 'rough patch'.

News

Election related

Elections2 races