Democrat Scott Colom has defeated incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith in the U.S. Senate race in Mississippi.
The Associated Press called the race late Wednesday afternoon as the counting of absentee and provisional ballots extended Colom’s lead to nearly 5,000 votes.
In a major electoral upset, Democrat Scott Colom will become Mississippi’s first Black U.S. senator since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, The Associated Press reports in a race call.
With Colom’s win, Democrats will hold at least 55 seats in the Senate.
The @scott_colom campaign confirms that Senator Cindy Hyde-smith called Colom about 15 minutes ago to concede the race. He thanked her for her service.
Iran’s top national security official on Wednesday warned the U.S. that it would strike American bases beyond the Gulf, including in Europe, if the United States resumes air strikes.
The warning comes a day after three men were indicted in New York for allegedly plotting to attack U.S. Air Force planes at a base in England.
One of the suspects, with deep ties to Iran, allegedly directed the plot from a federal detention center in New York.
The threat prompted the U.S. to relocate bombers from the British base in September.
@nickschifrin has more.
NEW: In a major electoral upset, Democrat Scott Colom will become Mississippi’s first Black U.S. senator since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, The Associated Press reports in a race call.
With Colom’s win, Democrats will hold at least 55 seats in the Senate. https://t.co/6jfHfDCLiS
"For far too long, Jeffrey Epstein operated with impunity, shielded and enabled by powerful connections and a justice system that failed the survivors of his crimes for decades," the report said. "The United States should not be a haven for human or sex trafficking." https://t.co/N5VAmnEe0G
"Certainly, God is good," Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said Tuesday at a news conference, not long after Koah Sharp was found. "He was screaming at the top of his lungs, which is a good thing in the baby world, I would guess." https://t.co/py0XGUHdPw
A U.S. Army sentinel guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery reprimanded a group that included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during Veterans Day events at the solemn landmark.
In video taken at the site Wednesday, a person is heard laughing after posing for a group photo in front of the tomb. The sentinel, who is part of the regiment that guards the tomb 24 hours a day, rain or shine, shouted as the group walked off, “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.”
The Associated Press reported that the group included Hegseth, his wife Jennifer Hegseth, Pentagon chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that “while commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”
“The secretary and the entire department have always honored — and will always honor — the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep America safe,” Parnell added.
While the tomb is considered one of the nation’s most sacred spaces, disruptions there do happen. In a 2022 U.S. Army interview, then-Relief Commander Staff Sgt. Chadwick Winget said intentional disruptions were rare: “It’s usually just them being oblivious. … They’re talking and not realizing how loud they’re being, or laughing or making jokes amongst their group. It detracts from the other people that are trying to pay their respects.”
Mississippi's U.S. Senate seat remains too early to call, while the vote count is ongoing in Alaska's U.S. Senate race.
More than a dozen House races are still up in the air. Meanwhile, two governorships remain undecided. https://t.co/yVph0uXzAW
Rachel Maddow says “Department of Fate” will be her last book.
“If I’m being honest, and I’m trying to be humble about the limitations of my brain and my contributions, I don’t know that anybody should have more than five book-length arguments in them to present to the American people, particularly if they have another job,” she said. “So this is it.”
In “Department of Fate,” Maddow, an MS NOW host and author, explores the checkered past of the Department of Justice. She argues the DOJ is “America’s most consequential institution.”
@Maddow sat down with Amna Nawaz (@RealAmnaNawaz) for the latest episode of PBS News’ podcast, “Settle In,” to discuss the book and the 2026 midterm elections.
When asked about Jensen Huang's affair, President Donald Trump said this week that he had spoken to the tech executive as the scandal grew.
"I think he'll be in good shape," Trump said, adding that "he said he had absolutely no idea that the person in question was a spy." https://t.co/L62P1Je73z
Bid on lunch for two with me in Washington, D.C. during @homesforourtroops’ 10th Annual Veterans Day Celebrity Auction and help build homes for severely injured post-9/11 Veterans! Bidding is open on @ebay through 11/20: #HFOT#VeteransDay
https://t.co/MW79KAU5D7
The move comes as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has spent the last several months executing a massive economic campaign against Iran aimed at severing all of Tehran's remaining financial ties around the world. https://t.co/sodIyGjONc
The Trump administration has proposed new restrictions on the nation’s largest food assistance program that could leave millions more Americans without benefits.
The proposal would eliminate automatic eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, for households already receiving another form of government assistance.
An estimated 6.3 million people could be affected, on top of more than 5 million people who have already lost benefits following a tax law enacted last year.
Supporters argue the changes would reduce government spending on assistance programs. Critics warn they would make it harder for struggling families to put food on the table.
PBS @NewsHour Classroom — Lesson plan: Veterans Day and the meaning of sacrifice
Students will study some of the issues that veterans face today and how these challenges are being treated.
https://t.co/22vZq3Zipd
The letter, obtained by PBS News, accuses Democrats of "abusive and capricious threats" against President Donald Trump and members of his administration. https://t.co/OUGXUPBAAN
With Congress back this week, Republicans and Democrats alike are wasting no time preparing for the new session that begins in January.
House Republicans elected Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan to be their next leader. Although Democrats haven’t voted yet on their leadership team, Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the speaker.
“What I do believe is that the American people gave Democrats in the House and the Senate a decisive majority and want us to get things done on their behalf,” Jeffries told @RealAmnaNawaz. “They want us to fight for an affordable America.”