America Tonight
Election court fights • Record early voting • Texas Senate push
October 31st, 2026AD
THE FIVE NATIONAL STORIES AMERICANS SHOULD KNOW TODAY
TONIGHT’S FIVE
1. Courts weigh election disputes
2. Early voting passes 51 million
3. Texas Senate’s final push
4. Trump’s Journal suit dismissed
5. Lawsuit challenges planned arch
COURTS WEIGH ELECTION DISPUTES
Three days before the midterms, the Trump administration faced new court scrutiny over its pressure on election officials, NBC News and Reuters reported.
A California federal judge’s Friday order bars threats or intimidation aimed at stopping officials from processing ballots of voters the government alleges are ineligible.
Separately, Judge Tanya Chutkan held a Saturday hearing on the administration’s noncitizen voter-data policy. NBC reported that a ruling was expected in the coming days.
The Justice Department also said its California mail-ballot dispute would likely go to the Supreme Court, Reuters reported.
EARLY VOTING PASSES 51 MILLION
More than 51 million Americans had cast ballots early, in person or by mail, Reuters reported Saturday, citing the University of Florida’s Election Lab.
That exceeds the nearly 46 million who voted before Election Day in the 2022 midterms. The figures are a snapshot, not a final count.
Texas early voting topped 7 million, the Guardian reported, citing the same lab.
Tuesday’s election will determine control of Congress. Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority and a narrow House edge, Reuters reported.
TEXAS SENATE CAMPAIGNS MAKE FINAL PUSH
Ken Paxton and James Talarico entered the final weekend of their closely watched Texas Senate race with campaign stops in two major cities, The Associated Press reported.
Paxton spoke in Fort Worth on Saturday morning. Talarico was scheduled to rally supporters in Houston later Saturday.
The Texas Tribune reported that Paxton appeared to cancel his planned final rally at the Alamo. His campaign instead added Monday events in Conroe at 11 a.m. and Allen at 5:30 p.m., Central time.
The campaign did not immediately answer the Tribune’s questions about the change.
TRUMP’S JOURNAL SUIT DISMISSED
A federal judge in Florida dismissed President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal with prejudice Saturday, NBC News reported.
The case concerned the newspaper’s 2025 article about a birthday letter Trump allegedly sent Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.
Judge Darrin P. Gayles said Trump had not plausibly alleged that each defendant acted with actual malice.
According to NBC’s account of the order, the judge cited Trump’s second attempt to plead the claims in explaining the dismissal with prejudice.
VIRGINIA AND D.C. CHALLENGE PLANNED ARCH
Virginia and the District of Columbia filed a federal lawsuit Saturday seeking to stop construction of the triumphal arch planned for Memorial Circle in Washington, NBC News reported.
The Trump administration has said construction would begin Nov. 5.
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argued in the lawsuit that construction would cause immediate, irreparable harm to their jurisdictions.
Those are the plaintiffs’ arguments, not a court finding.
WASHINGTON WATCH
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1st, 2026AD
Sunday, Nov. 1: Trump is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m. Central in Dubuque, Iowa, and 6 p.m. Central in Salina, Kansas, KCRG reported.
Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3.
That’s America Tonight.
The headlines change every day.
The consequences last for years.
Hood County Express — Est’d 1/26
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