Israel's election too close to call.
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election → call → ?
And, the Ebola outbreak reaches grim milestone
Good morning.
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outbreak → reach → milestone
You're reading the Up First newsletter.
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You → read → newsletter
Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
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you → subscribe → day
Today's top stories
Midterm ad spending has surpassed a record $11 billion, according to Ad Impact.
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spending → surpass → Impact
An NPR analysis found that candidates in four major Senate races spent more than $15 million on fundraising ads in the 2025-26 election cycle.
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candidates → find → cycle
Meanwhile, President Trump has been campaigning in tight races across states like Texas, Mississippi, and Kansas.
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Trump → campaign → Texas
Trump has not been sticking with his standard midterm pitch, which includes touting GOP tax cuts and attacking Democrats, NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben tells Up First.
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Kurtzleben → stick → Democrats
His jokes, including comments about Ohio Sen. Jon Husted's physique, entertain rally crowds but distract from the key issues the median voter cares about, like the economy and gas prices.
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voter → include → economy
Midterm turnout is usually low, but the GOP base still supports him, suggesting many MAGA votes are available, Kurtzleben says.
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Kurtzleben → support → him
But Trump needing to rally votes in very red states indicates a potential problem for his party.
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needing → need → party
The election in Israel is too close to call after voters turned out in record numbers to decide whether to keep Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in office or oust him for an alternative.
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voters → call → alternative
Final vote tallies may take time, and if no bloc secures a majority, it could take days or weeks for party leaders to form a governing coalition and determine the next prime minister.
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leaders → take → minister
Israelis went to bed thinking Eisenkot had the advantage, but by morning, Netanyahu pulled ahead, making the election too close to call, NPR's Daniel Estrin says.
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Estrin → go → morning
Election officials tell NPR that they expect to finish counting votes by tomorrow afternoon.
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they → tell → afternoon
The leading candidate will have six weeks to form a governing coalition, likely competing for support from defectors in each other's camps.
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candidate → lead → camps
Eisenkot could gain the majority of lawmakers' support in parliament, thanks to a strong showing from Arab-led parties eager to see him as prime minister.
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Eisenkot → gain → minister
Eisenkot's camp is hesitant to form a coalition with Arab parties due to mistrust and demonization of Arab political leaders after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, Estrin says.
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Estrin → form → attacks
He adds that both candidates don't have a clear path to a majority coalition.
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candidates → add → coalition
The Federal Reserve typically combats inflation by raising interest rates.
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Reserve → combat → rates
While prices are currently rising faster than average wages, investors don't expect a rate hike at today's meeting.
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investors → rise → meeting
The Labor Department's latest cost-of-living report shows consumer prices rose 3.7% in September compared to last year.
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prices → show → year
NPR's Scott Horsley says that marks a larger annual increase than the previous month.
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that → say → month
Fed policymakers raised interest rates in September, but investors believe the central bank will remain low-key ahead of Election Day and may increase rates again in December.
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bank → raise → December
The Ebola outbreak has surpassed 10,000 people infected since its declaration in May, according to the latest figures from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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outbreak → surpass → Congo
This outbreak has spread faster than any in history.
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outbreak → spread → history
It is also the largest in geographic scope, spanning from Nigeria to Kenya, and is second in death toll with nearly 5,000 deaths.
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It → span → deaths
Around one-third of those who have died have been children.
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who → die → those
On the ground
The results of the 2026 midterm elections will shape the final two years of President Trump's second term and serve as a precursor to the 2028 general election.
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results → shape → election
This month, Morning Edition is reporting from six states that could change the balance of power in Washington.
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that → report → Washington
With Election Day less than a week away, Morning Edition's Michel Martin went to the Midwest to hear from voters about what is important to them this midterm cycle.
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what → go → them
In Springfield, Ohio, the Trump administration has conducted an aggressive campaign to deport Haitian residents who have been living legally in the country with Temporary Protected Status.
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who → conduct → Status
The administration revoked TPS for Haitians during Trump's second term.
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administration → revoke → term
And in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed has narrowly won the Democratic Senate nomination, a victory for the party's progressive wing.
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Sayed → win → wing
The swing state is important to both parties, which is why Trump and former President Barack Obama campaigned for their party's Senate candidate over the weekend.
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Trump → campaign → weekend
Hear what voters in these two states had to say:
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voters → hear → states
In Michigan, many voters expressed burnout as they worry about gas prices and healthcare.
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they → express → prices
Trump's tariffs are hitting Michigan households harder than any other state because many people depend on cross-border trade.
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people → hit → trade
But voters affected said the issue isn't so clear-cut.
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issue → affect → ?
- 🎧 Winning a statewide office in Michigan without Detroit is challenging, and El-Sayed didn't perform well there in the primary.
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Sayed → win → primary
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
