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2026 Midterm Election Ballot Measures: What Races We’re Watching

29 October 2026 at 19:20
More than 140 statewide ballot measures will go before voters during the midterms. Here are the races we’re watching.

© John Tully for The New York Times

Voters casting their ballots in Franconia, N.H., in the state’s primary earlier this year.

How Netanyahu Used Fear, Again, to Win More Votes Than Anyone Else

29 October 2026 at 13:29
Despite years of political baggage, the Israeli prime minister outperformed expectations, and his rivals, by playing on Jewish voters’ fears of Arab political power and potential security threats.

© Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacts to exit polls during a speech at his party headquarters in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

The Red States That Could Decide the Senate

Democrats need to flip four Republican-held Senate seats to regain the majority, but some of their targets are in states President Trump won by double digits in 2024. Our election data reporter Evan Reynolds explains just how difficult that might be.

What Does the Cheesecake Factory’s Designer Think of Obama and Trump’s Jabs at His Décor?

28 October 2026 at 20:55
Long before its baroque décor and class identity became midterm talking points, this durable restaurant chain survived some withering critiques.

© Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images for The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory has defined the term “upscale casual dining,” and closely read the psyche and the appetite of the American diner.

Inside Democrats’ Secret Effort to Stack Alaska’s Midterm Ballot With Another Dan Sullivan

28 October 2026 at 17:37
Operatives aligned with Mary Peltola, the Democratic nominee for Senate, spent months recruiting candidates to peel votes from Senator Dan Sullivan, the Republican.

© Haven Daley/Associated Press

A sample ballot showing candidates for next week’s U.S. Senate race in Alaska lists two Dan Sullivans (highlight added here to both), along with Mary Peltola, the Democrat, and a fourth candidate named Gerald Heikes.

The Federal Reserve Will Release Its Interest Rate Decision Today. Here’s What to Watch.

28 October 2026 at 12:05
The central bank is widely expected to hold interest rates steady on Wednesday, just days before the midterm elections.

© Al Drago for The New York Times

The Federal Reserve is expected to press pause on raising interest rates after delivering a rate increase last month for the first time since 2023.
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