Monday, November 2

On the day before the midterm elections, President Trump gave his closing speech at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. U.S. officials said the military carried out limited strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island. An Arkansas county voted to bar Justice Department monitors from polling places.

1. 
   Iran
   US strikes Qeshm Island as Iran offers Hormuz terms

   U.S. officials said the military carried out limited strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island on Monday, and said they were not a resumption of major combat operations. Newsmax reported Iran said it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if the United States meets its conditions. Trump said he is in no hurry to decide on resuming strikes.

   The question

   Should the US trade Hormuz reopening for Iran's uranium leaving?

   Don't tradeWorth a deal
   Read the story ›
2. Election monitors
   Arkansas county bars Justice Department poll monitors

   The Washington County, Arkansas, Election Commission decided Monday to bar Justice Department monitors from polling locations on Election Day. The denial was unanimous. The Justice Department has announced plans to monitor voting in Louisiana, and Click2houston reported monitors will go to select Harris County polling locations.

   The question

   Should federal monitors be allowed inside polling places?

   Keep them outsideAllow them inside
   Read the story ›
3. Midterm messaging
   Trump spends election-eve speech on Reflecting Pool

   President Trump spoke Monday at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, discussing renovations and criticizing Democratic Senate candidates in Alaska and Michigan. The New York Post reported he repeated a promise of $5,000 payouts if Republicans retain Congress. NBC News reported he said Republicans "gave this a very strong shot."

   The question

   Is Trump's renovated Reflecting Pool a success?

   Not as claimedBetter than ever
   Read the story ›
4. Senate races
   Haley Stevens explains her endorsement of Mike Rogers

   Rep. Haley Stevens, who lost the Democratic primary, explained in a long social media post why she endorsed Republican Mike Rogers over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan's Senate race. The New York Post reported she said the decision "was not made for me by anyone else." Bernie Sanders condemned GOP rhetoric about El-Sayed.

   The question

   Should Barack Obama campaign for Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan's Senate race?

   Obama shouldn't campaignObama should campaign
   Read the story ›
5. Tariffs
   US to remove South Africa and Rwanda from AGOA program

   The Trump administration will remove South Africa and Rwanda from the African Growth and Opportunity Act trade program at the end of the year, citing unmet eligibility criteria. Al Jazeera reported South Africa will lose duty-free access for about $1.7 billion in annual exports, including cars and farm products.

   The question

   Should South Africa and Rwanda lose AGOA trade benefits?

   No, keep them inYes, remove them
   Read the story ›

• ICE enforcement

  LA Times reported ICE officer Mario Alberto Morales turned himself in and made a first court appearance on a felony aggravated assault charge in Houston.

• Elections 2026

  KTLA reported Mayor Karen Bass and Nithya Raman are in a statistical dead heat, and the New York Post said Raman kept her DSA endorsement 14–13.

• Higher education

  A federal judge dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit demanding Harvard admissions data, including application essays, The New York Times and The Washington Times reported.

• FBI

  Douglas DePodesta, former head of the FBI's Chicago office, sued the Justice Department, alleging he was pressured to investigate Trump's opponents in the Broadview Six case.

• Money and influence

  Business Insider reported senators asked Kalshi and Polymarket to show how they keep election odds from being tainted ahead of the midterm vote.

• World organizations

  UPI reported the United Nations' 35-year Western Sahara peacekeeping mission has ended following a rift between the United States and Russia.

9 stories closed across 9 threads. Each stays on its thread’s timeline and reopens if the reporting comes back.