Israel's final election results confirmed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies lost their parliamentary majority and that weeks of difficult negotiations among very different parties, from ultra-Orthodox Jewish to secular to Arab-led, lie ahead.

The nation's major political parties are at a crossroads. Win or lose Tuesday, the end of the 2026 midterms marks the beginning of a high-stakes fight over the direction of the Republican and Democratic parties as the Trump era nears its end.

Early voting is continuing to significantly outpace the last midterm election, with millions more Americans casting ballots in advance and particularly sharp increases in states hosting competitive Senate races, according to an Associated Press analysis of voting data five days before Election Day.

Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, said Thursday it's investigating reports of a potential security issue as its founder said the incident "does look like a hack on Binance." The company said late Thursday the estimated total impact was at more than $6 billion, which could be one of the most significant of such security incidents on record.

Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola denied Thursday that she knew anything about an effort to put another candidate on the Alaska ballot with the same name as the Republican incumbent as the Justice Department escalated a criminal investigation with new grand jury subpoenas.

A humanitarian mission entered the devastated city of Oleshky on Friday, officials said, as Russia and Ukraine observed the most significant truce of the 4½-year war that began with Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

Results released by election officials on Thursday showed Netanyahu's bloc winning 53 seats in the 120-member assembly, well below the 68 seats it had controlled at its peak in the previous parliament.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump handed out candy to hundreds of costumed kids outside the White House residence at Thursday's annual Halloween celebration.

A reporter from Reuters asked the president why he no longer plans to attend a rally in Kansas Saturday for Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, who is in a competitive reelection race.

Almost half of Americans, 47%, say they are experiencing real pain from rising prices – a sharp rise from previous years.

A federal judge rejected on Wednesday a Trump administration request to stop California from processing the ballots of up to 20,000 people over allegations they are likely noncitizens, warning it would "wreak havoc" on the midterm elections.

Israel is facing political uncertainty after an election that produced no clear governing majority. But what do the results reveal about how Israelis want leaders to confront the country's challenges? Nick Schifrin discussed that with Tamir Hayman, former chief of Israeli military intelligence and current executive director of the Institute for National Security Studies.

Journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa chronicled her fight against the Duterte regime in the Philippines in her 2022 book, "How to Stand Up to a Dictator." She detailed attacks on her reporting and her newsroom's struggle to defend press freedom and democracy. In a new book, Ressa warns of other threats to those same freedoms. Amna Nawaz spoke with Ressa about "The Fight Back."

Much of the debate over higher education today centers on cost, career prospects and whether a college degree can prepare students for a rapidly changing job market. But in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, one of the oldest skills taught on college campuses may be more valuable than ever. Paul Solman reports for our higher education series, Rethinking College.

Tap the kegs and break out the bratwurst, the Milwaukee Brewers are World Series champions! Milwaukee is the smallest market in the major leagues. But this year, the Brewers dominated the regular season, and then rolled through the playoffs with ruthless efficiency. To break it all down, Stephanie Sy spoke with Jason Gay, a sports columnist at The Wall Street Journal.

Twenty-five states sued the Trump administration in June over the new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidance tied to the 2025 law known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill."

The AP will tabulate results for nearly 7,000 races, including national congressional contests, state legislative and gubernatorial races, as well as some local elections for mayor, city council and school board.

Alaska's governor is ordering an investigation into Democrat Mary Peltola's Senate campaign over reports that it recruited a spoiler candidate to dilute Republican votes. That's as President Trump repeated calls for Peltola's prosecution during a trip to another deep red state where his endorsed candidate is facing headwinds. Liz Landers reports.

In our news wrap Thursday, a local ceasefire in Oleshky held for a third day with humanitarian aid set to enter the Russian-held Ukrainian city soon, the Pentagon is reportedly accusing a recently fired Army general of misconduct amid allegations that he leaked classified information to the media and stage and screen legend Patrick Stewart has died.

Democrats are favored to take the House in November, but the size of their potential majority could hinge on a handful of competitive races. Four are in Pennsylvania, where President Trump and Republicans made significant gains in 2024. Now, Democrats are betting that the president's low approval ratings and frustration over high prices will shift the political landscape. Lisa Desjardins reports.