The final polls and race ratings show a late shift toward Democrats  —  The party has gained ground in the generic ballot and several key Senate races, according to both the polls and expert handicappers  —  G. Elliott Morris, FiftyPlusOne, and Katie Marriner

Republicans Can Blame Trump for Their Midterm Woes … When it becomes clear Tuesday night or Wednesday morning that Republicans have taken “a thumper,” to borrow Bill Clinton's phrase, President Donald Trump will lunge for scapegoats.  —  Trump will claim Republican candidates should have embraced …

Finally, the Beginning of Trump's End  —  In recent decades, the second terms of American Presidents have not ended well.  Ronald Reagan had the Iran-Contra affair; Bill Clinton, after attempting to cover up his affair with a former intern, became the first chief executive impeached since the mid-nineteenth century.

U.S. Military Strikes Iran's Qeshm Island in What U.S. Officials Call a Defensive Measure  —  The action was limited, the officials said, with no immediate plans to escalate.  The strikes come on the eve of the midterm elections.  —  The U.S. military struck Iran's Qeshm Island on Monday …

U.S. Conducts Defensive Strikes on Iranian Targets in the Strait of Hormuz  —  A U.S. official told the AP that the target was “Iranians using surface to air missiles against U.S. assets.”  — Copy  —  The United States has conducted defensive strikes on some Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz …

Trump Delivers a Closing Midterm Message.  Mostly About Landscaping.  —  On the eve of the election, the president held forth in great detail on columns, drain pipes and granite at the newly refilled Reflecting Pool.  —  President Trump was standing in front of the Reflecting Pool on Monday afternoon …