Democrats gain Senate seats in midterm counts; Talarico flips Texas
Plus, Annie Andrews flips South Carolina's Senate seat, Susan Collins loses in Maine, Byron Donalds wins as Florida governor, Trump says annual Israel aid will end, a fatal Everest helicopter crash — and five rescued after months adrift near Kiribati.
RUSH NEWSTREAMMorningRUSH Democrats gain Senate seats in midterm counts; Talarico flips Texas Photo: Semafor 01Democrats gain Senate seats as Republicans underperform in midterm counts
Americans voted Tuesday in midterms that will decide control of Congress. Early counts and race calls show Democrats gaining Senate seats and Republicans underperforming in several House contests, including districts redrawn to favor the GOP.
02James Talarico defeats Ken Paxton, flipping Texas's U.S. Senate seat
Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in Texas's U.S. Senate race, the first Democratic Senate win in the state since 1988. Paxton is Texas's attorney general; he is not the sitting senator. He beat Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP primary earlier this year.
03Annie Andrews flips South Carolina's Senate seat in a major upset
Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, was projected the winner of South Carolina's U.S. Senate race over Republican Sen. Darline Graham. The race trended on X. Graham had been appointed after the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham.
04Susan Collins loses Maine Senate race to Democrat Troy Jackson
Five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine lost her bid for a sixth term to Democrat Troy Jackson. Collins, first elected in 1996, conceded early Wednesday. Outlets reported Jackson leading by roughly five points as the race was called.
05Byron Donalds wins Florida governor's race
Republican Rep. Byron Donalds won Florida's race for governor over Democrat David Jolly, succeeding term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis. Multiple outlets report Donalds will be Florida's first Black governor. The margin was close compared with recent GOP statewide landslides.
06Trump says U.S. will end about $4 billion a year in aid to Israel
On Election Day, President Trump said on Fox & Friends that the U.S. will stop roughly $3.8 billion to $4 billion a year in security aid to Israel by year's end, while still selling weapons. He said Netanyahu agreed; early coverage said Israeli officials were still responding.
07One killed as two helicopters collide near Everest base camp
Two helicopters collided while trying to land at a helipad in Pheriche, in Nepal's Solukhumbu district near Mount Everest, on Tuesday morning. Authorities said a 47-year-old Indian tourist was killed and others were injured. An investigation is open.
08Five rescued after three months adrift near Kiribati
Five people, including two children, were rescued in Kiribati after drifting for about three months in a small boat. Four others from the original group remain missing. Survivors were found near Fanning Island.