The Morning Briefing: November 2, 2026

Good morning. Voters head to the polls tomorrow in the 2026 midterm elections, talks between the United States and Iran entered a third day, and Wall Street opens a week packed with earnings and a jobs report. Here is what to know before the day starts.

One day until the midterms

Democrats enter the final day of campaigning with a lead in national polling. The RealClearPolling average of the generic congressional ballot puts Democrats ahead of Republicans 51.4% to 43.2%, and prediction markets give Democrats a roughly 94% chance of taking the House, with the Senate closer. More than 43 million Americans had already voted in person or returned mail ballots five days before Election Day, about 10 million more than at the same point in 2022, according to an Associated Press analysis.

President Donald Trump spent the weekend reversing an earlier plan to cancel rallies in Kansas and Iowa, then restoring both stops on Sunday. He campaigned for Senator Roger Marshall in Kansas and for Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson in Iowa, two races polls show as close. In Alaska, a court threw out a Justice Department bid to block certification of the Senate race over a namesake candidate, as reported on this site.

U.S.-Iran talks reach a third day, oil falls

Qatari-mediated talks between the United States and Iran entered a third day, with negotiators discussing a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days of an agreement, according to reports from the talks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that discussions were continuing but no final conclusion had been reached. President Trump has ruled out fresh strikes before Tuesday’s elections but not after them.

Oil prices fell on the talk of a deal. Brent crude dropped about 4% to near $109 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate slipped below $100. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump prefers negotiations over further military action, while Iran has said a deal remains possible. US News America reported earlier that Iranian negotiators left the Doha talks as a draft proposal circulated.

Markets steady ahead of Apple earnings and the jobs report

U.S. stock futures rose early Monday after a down week for technology shares. Nasdaq 100 futures were up about 0.8%, with S&P 500 and Dow futures up roughly 0.5% each. The Nasdaq fell 2% last week and ended October lower after Google and Microsoft gave lower-than-expected forecasts for AI spending.

Apple reports earnings after the closing bell Monday, with Palantir, AMD, Pfizer, McDonald’s and Qualcomm also due this week. The October jobs report arrives Friday, with economists polled by Dow Jones expecting a gain of 55,000 jobs. The Bank of England also decides on interest rates on Thursday.

NFL Week 8: Broncos take the AFC West, Lions end the last unbeaten run

Denver stopped Kansas City on fourth-and-goal in the closing seconds to win 28-24 and move into first place in the AFC West at 6-2, with the Chiefs falling to 5-2. Detroit handed Minnesota its first loss of the season, 19-15, in an NFC North showdown at Ford Field. Buffalo routed Baltimore 36-10 as Josh Allen set the Bills’ franchise record for career touchdown passes, and the Ravens lost quarterback Lamar Jackson to a thumb injury that will require surgery and a stint on injured reserve.

Elsewhere, Cincinnati outlasted Tennessee 43-36 in overtime behind six total touchdowns from Joe Burrow, Arizona rallied from 14 points down to beat Dallas 33-30 in overtime, and Washington closed the weekend by scoring 27 unanswered points against Philadelphia on Sunday night. Full game stories are on this site: Broncos 28, Chiefs 24, Lions 19, Vikings 15, Bills 36, Ravens 10, and Cardinals 33, Cowboys 30.

Ukraine war: ceasefire ends in Kherson, refinery strikes resume

Ukraine resumed strikes on Russian refineries, according to weekend reports, and Moscow has vowed to intensify its own strikes on Ukrainian cities as winter approaches. The two sides are now trading attacks on energy infrastructure: Russia on power and transport in Ukrainian cities, Ukraine on the refineries that fund the Russian war effort.

The longest ceasefire of the war ended in the Kherson region after Russia refused an extension, as reported on this site. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Sunday alongside the heads of German defense companies, saying Ukraine needs full support in the coming weeks.

Around the world: Western Sahara mission ends, Israel faces coalition talks

The United Nations ended its 35-year peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara after the Security Council failed to renew its mandate, closing one of the organization’s longest-running operations, as reported on this site. In Israel, neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot won a parliamentary majority in last week’s election, leaving difficult coalition talks ahead.

Spanish authorities confirmed that foreign nationals were among the 69 people killed in last week’s high-speed train collision near Urda. In France, prosecutors opened a murder investigation after a protest firebombing, and youth protests in Germany over living costs and housing turned violent in places, with further nationwide protests planned for November 14.