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Congress is back after GOP's midterm defeat. And, Trump appoints new chief of staff

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Melton, B. (2026, November 9). Congress is back after GOP's midterm defeat. And, Trump appoints new chief of staff. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2026/11/09/g-s1-152627/up-first-newsletter-stephen-miller-trump-congress-nvidia-cop31

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NPR · collected 2026-11-09 · by Brittney Melton

Quick Summary

President Trump appointed Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff following the Republican Party's defeat in the midterm elections. This move signals Trump’s intention to challenge the incoming Democrat-controlled Congress. Meanwhile, the 119th Congress faces the task of keeping federal government funding active past December 11 using a short-term continuing resolution due to time constraints and political challenges.
Written by AI on 2026-11-09, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

After the Republicans' defeat in the midterm elections, President Trump appointed Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff on November 9, replacing Susie Wiles. This marks Trump's first significant personnel change since the election results became clear. Stephen Miller, who previously held the position of deputy chief of staff, played a crucial role in shaping many of Trump’s controversial policies, especially those related to immigration. Voter data suggests that Democratic gains were partly due to public dissatisfaction with Trump's strict immigration enforcement measures. By choosing Miller, Trump signals his intention to challenge the incoming opposition-controlled Congress and continues to grapple with the perception issues arising from ambiguous statements on social media platforms.

Written for “Congress Back After Midterm Defeat” on 2026-11-09, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted verbatim and was checked against the article text before being stored, so you can find it in the original.
Reading Leans left (beta estimate) Confidence medium
Leaning: leans left for article 138360 (medium confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-11-09

Story

Congress Back After Midterm Defeat
Politics · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans left and hedges 7% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Al Jazeera
Leans left Hedges 0 of 3 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe different points in time regarding the aftermath of the midterm elections, with one reporting on Trump's appointment after the defeat and the other detailing the loss of congressional control.”
CBC News
Leans left Hedges 7 of 92 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles cover different aspects of the political landscape following the midterm elections: Article A focuses on Democrats taking control of Congress, while Article B discusses Trump's personnel change in response to his party's defeat.”
Dawn
Leans left Hedges 5 of 58 claims Outlet record 72/100
“Article A reports the Democratic victory in the midterm elections, while Article B discusses subsequent events including the appointment of a new chief of staff after the election results.”
CBS News
Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 68/100
“Article A discusses the Democrats' wins in midterms leading to control of both House and Senate. Article B covers Trump's appointment of a new chief of staff after the midterm defeat, which is related but not the same specific event.”
Fox News
Hedges 7 of 52 claims Outlet record 67/100
“The articles describe different aspects of a political shift following midterm elections but do not cover the exact same incident or outcome.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
54
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
7%
4 of 54 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
60/100
NPR's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-09 · how these are computed

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NPR · 1165 article(s) · 3 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 3 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Brittney Melton
33 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
They will likely use a short-term continuing resolution to extend funding, because they lack the time and political will to negotiate the typical 12 appropriations bills.
In contrast, there has been less volatility in the job market, and today the Labor Department is set to release the latest jobs report.
If those races favor Democrats, their majority could grow to 54, plus the two independents who caucus with them.
It turns out when you wage the kind of war that you said you wouldn't get into — that drags on, raises gas prices and piles on people who were already feeling the pinch, don't be surprised when you pay the price.
- 🎧 Trump said yesterday that if a portion of his supporters voted, they could win in a "landslide," but he appeared to recognize the challenges ahead
The latest drama may not sway late deciders, but it's not the discussion the El-Sayed campaign wanted.
The shift in strategy, plus polling data, suggests that Republicans may face challenges, at least in the House, Miller says.
As Election Day approaches, data suggest that the focus is now less on whether a Democratic wave will happen and more on its potential magnitude.
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.
But there are also signs suggesting that a potential wave may be limited.
Also by Brittney Melton
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 33 articles by Brittney Melton →

Topics

Congress Democrats NPR Republicans U.S.

Subjects

Trump PERSON · 8× China GPE · 5× Huang PERSON · 5× Nvidia ORG · 5× NPR ORG · 4× Chinese NORP · 3× Congress ORG · 3× Democrats NORP · 3× Republicans NORP · 3× U.S. GPE · 3×

Narrative

A 2021 study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) found green wavelengths in lakes in the boreal Arctic zone declined by 15% from 1984 to 2019, making these lakes appear darker to the naked eye.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-09
They will likely use a short-term continuing resolution to extend funding, because they lack the time and political will to negotiate the typical 12 appropriations bills.

Claims (54 extracted, 4 hedged)

And, Trump appoints new chief of staff Good morning. asserted
Trump → appoint → staff
You're reading the Up First newsletter. asserted
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. asserted
you → subscribe → day
President Trump has appointed Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles. asserted
Trump → appoint → Wiles
Miller, who was deputy chief of staff, has been key in shaping many of Trump's controversial policies, particularly on immigration. asserted
who → shape → immigration
Voter data indicates that the Democrats gained support partly due to Trump's immigration enforcement. asserted
Democrats → indicate → enforcement
- 🎧 Miller supports unchecked executive power. asserted
Miller → support → power
By selecting him, Trump is signaling his readiness to confront an opposition Congress, NPR's Mara Liasson tells Up First. asserted
Liasson → select → Congress
The president has also posted on social media that he offered the White House Press Secretary job to Dana White, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. asserted
he → post → Championship
He later said it was a joke. asserted
it → say → ?
As president, the public takes his words seriously, and the fact that people cannot take his statements at face value poses a challenge for the U.S., Liasson says. asserted
Liasson → take → U.S.
The 119th Congress is reaching its final weeks before a new Democrat-controlled House and Senate step in. asserted
House → reach → weeks
Lawmakers' key agenda item is keeping the federal government open, as funding runs out on Dec. 11. asserted
funding → keep → Dec.
They will likely use a short-term continuing resolution to extend funding, because they lack the time and political will to negotiate the typical 12 appropriations bills. asserted
they → use → bills
- 🎧 Attendance could be a problem for many of the Republicans defeated in the midterms, NPR's Eric McDaniel says. uncertain
McDaniel → defeat → midterms
With only a two-vote majority in the House, any absenteeism could jeopardize Republican plans to end their time in power on their own terms. uncertain
absenteeism → jeopardize → terms
McDaniel says Senate Republicans will likely want to confirm as many judges and Trump appointees as possible before Democrats take over in January. asserted
Democrats → say → January
Once the Democrats take control, McDaniel says those confirmations won't happen without significant compromises from the White House. asserted
confirmations → take → House
Massive artificial intelligence chip maker Nvidia is launching an internal investigation after reports that its CEO was involved in a close relationship with a woman accused of being a Chinese spy. asserted
CEO → launch → woman
The New York Times reported that a Chinese intelligence operation targeted Jensen Huang to send advanced Nvidia AI chips to China. asserted
operation → report → China
NPR reached out to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., for comment but has not received a response. asserted
NPR → reach → response
China denied the allegations on Monday in a press briefing. asserted
China → deny → briefing
- 🎧 Nvidia plays a crucial role in the U.S. economy as a leading company at the center of the AI revolution, NPR's John Ruwitch says. asserted
Ruwitch → play → revolution
Huang has significant access to Trump, communicating frequently and even traveling to China with him. asserted
Huang → have → him
When asked about Huang and the incident, Trump said he thinks "Huang is a fine person." asserted
Huang → ask → Huang
The U.S. restricts exports of advanced chips to China, including Nvidia's best chips. asserted
U.S. → restrict → chips
Huang has argued that allowing China to buy these chips would slow the growth of its chipmaking industry and benefit America. asserted
China → argue → America
Despite ongoing investigations, Nvidia believes that neither national security nor its secrets are compromised. asserted
security → believe → investigations
The House of Representatives has requested a closed-door briefing from Huang regarding his interactions with a suspected Chinese intelligence asset. asserted
House → request → asset
Climate change is transforming the vibrant colors of nature, from Arctic landscapes to coral reefs. asserted
change → transform → reefs
The effects of these color shifts are complex, and scientists are racing to understand them. asserted
scientists → race → them
Here's how climate change is altering the colors of the world: asserted
change → alter → world
Every summer, climate-driven wildfires blanket Arctic ice in soot. asserted
wildfires → drive → soot
These dark particles from oil and gas operations, commercial shipping and tourism absorb heat from the sun, accelerating melting ice and contributing to sea-level rise. asserted
particles → absorb → rise
As permafrost thaws deeper into the soil, nutrients become more available, enabling larger vegetation to take hold and turning the landscape greener. asserted
nutrients → thaw → landscape
A 2020 study in Nature Communications found that about 38% of sites in Alaska, Canada and western Eurasia showed greening. asserted
% → find → greening
- ➡️ Thawing permafrost can also mix soil with lake water, turning them darker. asserted
permafrost → thaw → them
A 2021 study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) found green wavelengths in lakes in the boreal Arctic zone declined by 15% from 1984 to 2019, making these lakes appear darker to the naked eye. asserted
lakes → find → eye
The darker a lake gets, the more heat it can store. asserted
it → get → heat
Some insects have changed color due to warmer climates. asserted
insects → change → climates
…and 14 more, not listed.
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