Oct. 31, 2026 2:13 PM PT

ANCHORAGE — Alaska’s Republican-run state government Saturday urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed at President Trump’s direction to stop the certification of a possible Democratic win in that state’s pivotal U.S. Senate race, writing that there is “no reason for this Court to entertain this meritless lawsuit any longer.”

The scathing filing from the state’s attorney general’s office, headed by Republican acting Atty. Gen. Cori Mills, comes as U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason set a deadline of Saturday for arguments over whether she should dismiss the lawsuit without even a hearing.

The complaint from the U.S. Department of Justice has been roundly criticized by election law experts. It demands that the judge halt certification — only in the event of a win by Democrat Mary Peltola — until it is determined whether voters were confused by the presence of a second candidate on the ballot with the same name as her main rival, Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.

The Department of Justice on Friday added a request that the judge separate all ballots showing votes for the challenger Dan Sullivan until it can be determined whether voters were fooled into wasting their votes for a spoiler candidate. In its Saturday filing, Alaska said this was “both disturbing and impossible.” It added there would be no way to do that without violating voter privacy.

Trump also demanded that Peltola be prosecuted after the New York Times this week reported that internal texts and posts appeared to show the Democrat’s campaign was involved in recruiting the second Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher in the remote fishing village of Petersburg, onto the ballot. But the state filing notes that the two Sullivans are distinguished from each other on the ballot — the senator is listed as a Republican and the incumbent, and the other is simply “Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.” with no party affiliation.

“State officials carefully designed the ballot to minimize voter confusion,” Alaska officials wrote. “The Court should immediately dismiss this lawsuit with prejudice and allow state officials to conduct the general election — including ballot counting and certification — free from unwarranted federal interference.”

The Trump administration argued that a preamble to the 1990s law governing voter registration gave it the responsibility for ensuring states maintained the “integrity” of federal elections. It has claimed it is trying to combat fraud by preventing the Democrat from being declared the victor in a race that could determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.

The Department of Justice issued a wave of subpoenas and announced it was conducting a criminal investigation in the case as the administration has stepped up its use of its legal powers to support Trump’s side in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

Peltola has denied involvement in the presence of the challenger Sullivan on the ballot. The New York Times report was based on interviews with her former campaign manager, texts and contributions from a political group backing Peltola to an out-of-state Democratic consultant who recruited the second Sullivan.

Alaska’s Republican governor, Mike Dunleavy, who announced a state investigation into the situation after the Times article, has condemned the placement of the second Sullivan on the ballot. The Alaska Supreme Court ruled this summer that the second candidate fulfilled all legal requirements to stay on. The state government’s filing on Saturday says that the new revelations about the possible role of Peltola’s campaign don’t change the fact that both Sullivans are legally on the ballot.

“Not every wrong can be righted in federal court,” the state wrote.

Peltola’s campaign and voting rights groups also have urged Gleason to dismiss the case, putting them in unusual alignment with Alaska state officials.

“Imagine if the federal executive could pluck a few words like ‘election integrity’ from some statutory preamble and, on that basis alone, bend the machinery of state elections to his will, preemptively blocking certification of a U.S. Senate election to protect his preferred candidate from defeat and then subjecting voters to a law-enforcement-led inquest about who they ‘really’ supported,” the American Civil Liberties Union wrote in a filing urging the lawsuit’s dismissal.

“Imagine that world and ask whether it is what the Framers wanted or precisely what they most feared.”

Riccardi and Bohrer write for the Associated Press.

There could have very easily been a different outcome.

This was an afternoon when Manchester City accumulated an xG of 1.92, compared to 1.00 for Brighton, so there was no shortage of chances for the hosts.

Home head coach Enzo Maresca will be all too aware that City will have to rediscover their finishing touch – and quickly – if they are to mark his debut campaign in charge with a first Premier League title since 2024.

Manchester City had 21 shots on target without scoring, their highest number without doing so in the Premier League since November 2024, when they managed 24 in a game and drew a blank.

When Maresca sits down to pick apart his side’s shortcomings, he will look rueful at chances from Iliman Ndiaye, Abdukodir Khusanov and Nunes in particular.

But to say Brighton‘s victory only came because of an off performance from City would be an extreme injustice to Hurzeler’s side, who are quickly becoming one of the most well-rounded in the Premier League.

In addition to being the division’s highest scorers – having found the back of the net 24 times in nine matches this season – Brighton have also kept the most clean sheets (six).

Only Premier League champions Arsenal – who have played one game less and travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday – have conceded fewer goals than Brighton‘s seven. Arsenal have shipped five, going into the Liverpool game.

One of the main reasons behind Brighton‘s solid rearguard has been the signing of Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur.

The 19-year-old has been a transformative figure since arriving at Amex Stadium for a club record fee in July, starting all nine Premier League matches.

The Croatian has formed a rock-solid partnership with fellow centre-back Lewis Dunk and built an understanding with goalkeeper Verbruggen, all of whom played the full 90 minutes at the Etihad.

“It was a good game from all of us,” said Verbruggen. “I’m happy to help the team and make some important saves, but I wasn’t the only one.

“I think there were four or five shots blocked in an amazing way as well. It was a joint effort from everyone. We celebrate and go again.”

The District of Columbia (DC) and the state of Virginia have filed a joint lawsuit to halt the construction of a large triumphal arch sought by United States President Donald Trump.

Filed on Saturday, the lawsuit denounces the project as “flagrantly unlawful” and “legally indefensible”.

It calls on the federal court system to bar construction before it starts.

Otherwise, the lawsuit warns, Trump could claim that pausing construction already under way would pose a national security risk, as he has done with other controversial projects in the past.

“This is not the first time that Defendants have rushed to dramatically remake the District too quickly for courts to intervene,” the lawsuit reads. “This Court should not allow this effort to escape judicial scrutiny.”

Saturday’s complaint brings the total number of lawsuits against the arch to three.

Trump has championed the prospect of building a triumphal arch, similar to the Arc de Triomphe built in Paris during Napoleonic times.

Trump’s arch, however, is designed to stand 30 metres (100 feet) taller than the Statue of Liberty. It would tower from the Memorial Circle in Washington, DC, at 76 metres (250ft).

That colossal scale has prompted outrage, particularly from veterans’ groups who fear the arch would block views of Arlington National Cemetery, a hallowed military grave site.

White House officials maintain that ground could be broken as early as next week, on or around November 5.

On Friday, the administration unveiled a 106-page proposal for the arch to be a 12-storey megastructure, featuring a winged bronze statue of Lady Liberty lifting an eternal flame.

The arch would include two mezzanines and an observation deck with panoramic east-west views, as well as programme spaces, offices and a “fire command centre”.

Trump has previously said the arch would double as a military hub with snipers and drone capabilities.

Construction on the arch would also result in significant traffic changes in the area, including rerouting traffic to nearby roads.

In Saturday’s lawsuit, Attorneys General Brian Schwalb of Washington, DC, and Jay Jones of Virginia pointed to the project’s disruptive footprint as a major concern.

“As soon as defendants break ground on this project, they will inflict irreparable harm on both the District and Virginia,” the lawsuit said.

It warns that the anticipated three-year construction project will stymie commuter traffic, slow down emergency vehicles and generate significant pollution, including “stormwater runoff into the Potomac”.

The lawsuit calls on the court to force the Trump administration to get congressional authorisation before any construction can begin.

The new legal challenge comes on the heels of an October 8 filing by Arlington County, which was the first governmental body to mount a legal action against Trump’s planned monument.

In that lawsuit, the county’s governing board argued that the project would cause “significant harm” to its residents and likely require changes to nearby flight paths.

The first complaint came in February, when a group of Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian launched an effort to stop the arch.

District Judge Tanya Chutkan is overseeing that case, and she is weighing whether to issue a preliminary injunction to temporarily freeze any construction plans while the court hears arguments.

At a hearing on Friday, Chutkan deferred an immediate ruling but signalled that she would be issuing a decision expeditiously.

She previously ordered the administration to give the court 48 hours’ notice before undertaking any activities related to the construction of the arch.

The monument has already received early approval from the US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were all tapped by Trump.

ITV’s Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins shared their thoughts on the final episode of Win Win with Postcode Lottery

Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins give one player £1 million on ITV’s Win Win with Postcode Lottery.

The wait is finally over. ITV viewers will soon discover which contestant will walk away a staggering millionaire and a range of incredible prizes, as the last episode of Win Win with Postcode Lottery airs tonight (October 31).

Each week, the contestants who have won their round have been given a choice: take home the prize they’ve won or take a seat on Millionaire’s Row for a chance to win the huge jackpot and all the prizes throughout the competition.

Ahead of the series finale, presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins gave their thoughts on how they’re feeling ahead of discovering the winner. As Mel confessed it’s a mixture of “sweat, adrenaline and excitement”, Sue emphasised how much is at stake for the players.

Mel commented: “One of those people will win that; it’s mind-blowing. Remembering back to the final of last series, the atmosphere was very tense.” At the same time, Sue added: “Yeah, much quieter. People are serious about it.

“And I think people then think about their choices. Should I have traded? Should I have taken the prize? It gets to the really sharp end of the business. It’s just overwhelming when somebody wins because you’re not only winning the cash, you’re winning all those holidays.

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“Enough holidays to last you a lifetime, really. We’ll be coming on most of them. I don’t think people got the T’s and C’s that we were coming on, did they? They should have done; we’ll be there.

Last year, ITV viewers saw Sienna McSwiggan take home the huge jackpot. She also won two cars, two luxury holidays, a trip to Australia to see The Ashes and tickets to see Take That in concert.

At the time, she only had £1 in her bank account before receiving the life-changing money. Sharing a video on TikTok at the time, telling her mum she’d become a millionaire, Sienna said: “Telling my mum who has gone through so much that I’ve won a million pounds on a TV show is the best feeling in the entire world.”

Speaking about the previous winner, Mel said: “We caught up with her this year, and good news, she is super steady, sensible, doing all the right things. So, it was a great night actually.” Sue added: “You do worry a bit. You think this is going to just spin them out of orbit, but she’s a smart one, and she’s just really enjoying the money.”

The final of Win Win with Postcode Lottery is available to watch on ITV1 on Saturday, October 31 at 7.30pm

When Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman was asked recently about the ways the LAPD was falling short, she pointed out that the agency had stopped posting neighborhood-level crime statistics. The lack of data, she said, gives an incomplete picture of how safe the city is — and also undermines the public’s already shaky trust in police.

Her comments during a recent mayoral debate thrust the issue of police secrecy into the spotlight, while giving voice to a growing number of critics of LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell who argue that his department is moving in the wrong direction when it comes to transparency.

Frustration by neighborhood groups over the missing crime data has boiled over in recent weeks, thanks in part to Raman’s comments. But it also comes as free press advocates complain that the department’s responsiveness to public records requests has slowed, and as officers increasingly face accusations of targeting journalists in the field during protests.

When Mayor Karen Bass and LAPD officials were asked about the disappearing crime data at a news conference last week, a senior department official fielded the question and chalked it up to a “software issue,” which the department was working on and hoped to have resolved soon. A Bass spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon.

In an interview with KNX radio this week, McDonnell claimed that changes to internal policies and state law had made the LAPD more transparent today about its operations and functions than ever before.

McDonnell declined an interview request through a spokesperson on Friday.

“The Department remains committed to transparency and to keeping the public informed,” the spokesperson, Officer Jeff Lee, wrote in an email. “That includes public access to crime data, timely handling of California Public Records Act requests within available resources, and respect for the rights of members of the media covering public events.”

In the spring of 2025, roughly a year after the LAPD released thousands of police officer photos that it later tried to claw back, the department quietly stopped posting files released in response to public records requests, cutting off access to a trove of documents that were once available through the the city’s data portal. Department watchdogs have long argued that such records allow residents to evaluate how the LAPD and other agencies are performing.

Reports based on the investigations of police shootings and other serious uses of force that used to be released shortly after they were presented to the Police Commission, the LAPD’s civilian oversight body, now take months to be produced.

The department’s inability to respond to records requests in a timely fashion seems designed to defuse public outrage, critics argue; dragging out the time it takes to release records means that information becomes available long after most citizens have moved on, they contend. Activists routinely pack the Police Commission’s Tuesday meetings to decry what many refer to as “secret police.”

McDonnell has acknowledged delays in producing records, saying that the unit tasked with reviewing and releasing the information is “grossly understaffed.” But progress on filling some of these vacancies has been slow.

LAPD officials have said that a recent change to state law that now requires police departments to release more information about officer misconduct and cases that involve serious uses of force has placed additional burden on the unit. Adding to the backlog are prolific requesters who flood the department with complex and time-consuming inquiries, all of which have to undergo several levels of review to avoid the release of private data, they argue.

McDonnell has also come under fire for his officers’ behavior toward journalists during protests last year against President Trump’s immigration crackdown. In July 2025, a federal judge issued an order prohibiting LAPD officers from targeting media members with crowd-control weapons.

In the months since, media groups have denounced the department for continuing to violate the order, which has deepened the tensions between police leaders and the press. Since June 2025, the city has been hit with dozens of legal claims from protesters and journalists who claim that LAPD officers used excessive force against them.

Police officials have accused some independent journalists of behaving more like demonstrators than reporters, and argued that the use of less-lethal weapons was justified after officers were provoked or had their commands disobeyed in chaotic situations.

Press freedom advocates say that under McDonnell, the department’s relationship with the local news media has gotten increasingly strained.

McDonnell, some argue, has made himself available only to news outlets that provide favorable coverage of the department.

In more ways than one, McDonnell seems out of step with modern expectations around government transparency by a public that is increasingly wary of public institutions, said Adam Rose, a deputy director of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation.

Rose said he often disagreed with McDonnnell’s predecessor, Michel Moore, but that the former chief at least made himself accessible. Moore used to opine on national issues and occasionally tried to get in front of brewing controversies, Rose said, but he was also willing to hear out concerns about the treatment of journalists.

McDonnell, he said, hasn’t even bothered to give out his cellphone number.

“[Moore] had at least the courtesy and dignity to address groups speaking on behalf of journalists who while trying to cover the department were injured,” Rose said.

Last November, McDonnell abruptly ousted the department’s former top civilian spokesperson, Jennifer Forkish. Some of her duties were reportedly absorbed by Robert Port, a veteran documentary filmmaker with no PR experience whose own hiring was shrouded in secrecy. Port’s job proposal suggested that he was sought to use his Hollywood connections to help burnish the department’s battered public image.

Port told the news outlet L.A. Material that he was working on a reality show that promises to take viewers behind the scenes of patrolling the city’s streets. The department has sought $15,000 from the City Council to hire an outside law firm to represent the city with negotiations with a company called 44 Blue Productions LLC.

Forkish, the former spokesperson, told The Times that she has heard from journalists “here in Los Angeles and around the world who say they’re struggling to get responses to media inquiries and public records requests.”

“As an Angeleno, that concerns me,” she wrote in a text message. “Responding to the press is part of being accountable to the public, and transparency is essential to maintaining public trust.”

Attorneys who have sued the department, either on behalf of aggrieved officers or members of the public, argue that maintaining secrecy allows the LAPD to dismiss criticism on the grounds that outsiders don’t understand what’s happening.

“The LAPD has now evolved into an inward-facing organization.” said Jorja Leap, a professor of social welfare at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. “It’s a pivotal moment. I still see people within the department working on community relations — I don’t want this to be a lost opportunity.”

A look at the top performers from high school football games across the Southland this week.

RUSHING

• Jacory Coleman, Baldwin Park: Rushed for 450 yards and four touchdowns in win over South Hills.

• Ceasar Reyes, Garfield: Rushed for 305 yards and four touchdowns in win over Roosevelt.

• Kennie Leggett, Corona Centennial: Rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns in win over Murrieta Mesa.

• Tahj Stevens, Murrieta Valley: Rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns in win over Norco.

• Rick Matsuda, South Pasadena: Rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns in win over San Marino.

• Carson Vandermade, Mission Viejo: Rushed for 123 yards and three touchdowns in win over San Juan Hills.

• Chris Noubi, South Torrance: Rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns in win over Peninsula.

• Reyez Ortiz, Hillcrest: Rushed for 242 yards and six touchdowns in win over Valley View.

• AJ Monroe, St. Pius-St. Matthias: Rushed for 236 yards and three touchdowns in loss to Cathedral.

• Arman Papazyan, Glendale: Rushed for 349 yards and four touchdowns in win over Hoover.

PASSING

• Koa Malau’ulu, St. John Bosco: Passed for 357 yards and three touchdowns in loss to Mater Dei.

• Paytyn Guess, Mater Dei: Completed 11 of 15 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns in win over St. John Bosco.

• Hudson Shaddow, El Dorado: Passed for 253 yards and four touchdowns in win over Irvine.

• Parker Armstrong, San Juan Hills: Passed for 345 yards and four touchdowns in loss to Mission Viejo.

• Ian Ditch, Mary Star: Passed for four touchdowns, ran for two touchdowns in loss to Carson.

• Deshawn Laporte, Quartz Hill: Passed for 305 yards and five touchdowns in win over Lancaster.

• Taylor Lee, Oxnard Pacifica: Passed for 398 and five touchdowns in win over Simi Valley.

RECEIVING

• Kayden Borden, Murrieta Valley: Caught six passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns, plus returned kickoff 83 yards for touchdown vs. Norco.

• Blake Wong, Norco: Caught eight passes for 128 yards and one touchdown in loss to Murrieta Valley.

• Justin Karg, El Dorado: Caught eight passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns vs. Irvine.

• Tristan Brown, Mater Dei: Caught four passes for 104 yards and one touchdown vs. St. John Bosco.

• Anthony Jacobs Jr., Oxnard Pacifica: Caught six passes for 208 yards and four touchdowns vs. Simi Valley.

DEFENSE

• Jaden Walk-Green, Corona Centennial: Returned his sixth career interception for a touchdown vs. Murrieta Mesa.

• Micah Cavalluzzi, El Modena: Had five tackles for losses vs. Irvine.

• Mario Nunez, Garfield: Had four solo tackles, plus interception, vs. Roosevelt.

• Kekoa Peko, St. John Bosco: Had two sacks vs. Mater Dei.

• Hudson Manning, Chaminade: Had two sacks in win over Loyola.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Keon’Dre Smith, Bellflower: Returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown and caught two touchdown passes in win over Gahr.

• Jeremiah Salvant, Tustin: Had a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and interception in win over Capistrano Valley.

• Monica Flores-Segovia, Carson: Made 43-yard field goal vs. Mary Star.

• Jacob Riley, L.A. Hamilton: Returned two punts for touchdown in win over Fairfax.

It is being called the biggest cryptocurrency heist in history – and the shocks are still reverberating through the industry.

The target of this recent hack was Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange.

Attackers stole about $6.3bn in client assets.

Analysts suspect hackers backed by the North Korean government carried out the theft.

Critics are calling for more regulations to restore the trust of investors.

So, is cryptocurrency still safe? And can these kinds of attacks even be prevented?

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom

Guests:

Lee Reiners – Lecturing fellow at Duke University and a former US Federal Reserve Bank examiner

Geoff White – Investigative journalist and author of The Lazarus Heist

Anupam Chander – Professor of law and technology at Georgetown University, who specialises in the global regulation of new technologies

As voters cast their ballots in the much anticipated midterms on Tuesday, TV networks will give their viewers a closer look at how the election sausage is made.

As usual, anchors and analysts will be at their network news desks when votes are counted to determine whether the Democrats can take the House and the Senate from Republicans for the final two years of President Trump’s second term, along with gubernatorial races across the country.

But TV news organizations are rolling out additional tools and options for viewers who want a more granular look at how the vote is counted and winners are declared, responding to a heightened interest in national politics and a demand for greater transparency in an age of media distrust.

“In the last few years, as we’ve seen incredibly close elections with higher turnout and tight political divides, people are understandably looking for more transparent ways to understand how and why elections turn out the way they do,” said Jennifer Agiesta, CNN’s vice president of election and data reporting innovation.

Chuck Todd, the former NBC News political director and “Meet the Press” moderator who was among the first analysts to do deeper dives into voting data on TV, compared the increased appetite to how viewers watch sporting events. Tighter races pull in more eyeballs, especially at a time when the electorate is deeply divided over Trump’s actions and polices.

“Do people sit and watch and want more things when things are blowouts, or do people want more information when it’s decided by a nose hair?” Todd said. “You can’t discount that this is a generation of political competitiveness that feels existential.”

Todd noted that in the 21st century, the House, Senate or White House has changed hands in 11 out of 13 elections, while all but one of the seven presidential contests have been won by less than five percentage points.

While NBC News is delivering an unprecedented 13 hours of midterm coverage to its affiliates, data junkies can see analyst Steve Kornacki’s real-time number crunching at the county and precinct level on the “Kornacki Cam” stream, available on YouTube and and the network’s streaming platform. Kornacki drew millions of viewers online with his big board and trademark khakis throughout the primary season, when he streamed on nights the network was not on the air. This time around, the network will turn to him throughout the night for a broader look at the results, but he’ll be streaming continuously for those who need an immediate numbers fix.

“I’m hoping they will live stream on the phone and the broadcast on TV,” Kornacki said in a recent interview. “They can be complementary.”

Kornacki will have plenty of company in this election cycle. While CBS News chief political correspondent Ed O’Keefe has the assignment of breaking down the numbers on TV, the network is also serving up a live stream of “The Nerd Show,” with Anthony Salvanto, the network’s director of elections and surveys, and Caitlin Huey-Burns, a CBS News congressional correspondent. They will provide a continuous deep dive into the numbers as they come in.

Nexstar’s cable news channel NewsNation will have a camera fixed on the analysts from Decision Desk HQ, the upstart company that provides voting data to media outlets and corporations.

“You are going to hear my voice about the data, what we’re seeing, not seeing, why we think we can make a projection or why we need to hold off,” said Scott Tranter, Decision Desk HQ’s director of data science. “Sometimes we get data that may look good, but it may not be enough [to call a race]. So you kind of get that back and forth, that ebb and flow.”

Subscribers to Nexstar’s digital political site The Hill will be able to see voting data at the same time as the Decision Desk HQ team, which was the first to call the race for President Trump in 2024.

Todd is among the growing number of independent journalists who have launched their own programs on streaming platforms. He will host a live stream on election night with veteran Washington pundit Chris Cillizza through their Noosphere platform, which will also have full access to Decision Desk HQ data. Todd and Cillizza are partners with Decision Desk HQ on the special, which will be developed into a daily program in 2027.

CNN is also offering its digital users more advanced voting analysis though a new tool called Sightline. Sightline will provide the data the network uses to determine the outcome of races, showing the outstanding vote total, geography, vote method and comparisons with past elections. Viewers can see the information before CNN chief national correspondent John King presents the results on the network’s Magic Wall.

Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer will deliver results and vote counts on an augmented reality set. But users of the Fox News app will have an AI-powered function that provides instant access to the network’s reporting on any contest.

“The idea is to really offer a personalized experience for the users of the national picture or their state or race that they want to look at specifically,” said Doug Rohrbeck, executive vice president of Washington News & Politics for Fox News Media. “The folks who log on can ask about specific races, voting trends, candidates, when polls close and a grid of the balance of power as it’s populating.”

The major networks each have their own decision desk where statisticians, political scientists and analysts pore over vote counts, historical trends and polling to determine a winner. They are typically insulated from the anchors and pundits during coverage, but occasionally show up on the air when necessary.

Showing the work carries its own risk. Early returns can swing sharply as mail-in and election day ballots are counted at different times, and those shifts have been seized on as evidence that something is amiss. Fox News had to put its decision desk chief Arnon Mishkin on camera in 2020 when the network’s viewers and the Trump White House were angered over its early but accurate projection that Joe Biden won Arizona in the presidential election.

NBC News is betting on openness. The network aired a lengthy segment on the Thursday’s edition of “Today” to explain how its decision desk operates and comes up with its election night projections.

“The audience wants to know the work behind the calls and they really want to understand it,” said Rebecca Blumenstein, president-editorial for NBC News. “By showing that work, we feel that it’s a really important part of building trust.”

Another element driving interest is online prediction markets, where users can wager on election results — and the betting companies are now paying for some of the coverage. Kalshi is a sponsor of CBS News’ coverage and of Todd’s election night stream. DraftKings is sponsoring election coverage on CBS’ owned television stations, including KCBS in Los Angeles.

It could take days to determine which party has the majority in the House and Senate. But Kornacki said there will be a strong indicator in the 7 p.m. Eastern hour when results come in from Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, where both parties are competing for an open seat held by Rep. Andy Barr, a Republican who is running for Senate. Trump has won the district by 15 points or more in each of his three presidential runs.

“It’s an early test,” Kornacki said. “If the Democrats were able to win that or be really close, that’s a sign they’re having the kind of night that they’re kind of dreaming of.”