Haley Stevens backs Mike Rogers.
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Stevens → back → Rogers
And, Gulf states brace for potential attack on Iran
Good morning.
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states → brace → Iran
You're reading the Up First newsletter.
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You → read → newsletter
Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
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you → subscribe → day
Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens stunned the political landscape by endorsing GOP Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers for Michigan's open Senate seat, breaking with her party less than 48 hours before Election Day.
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Stevens → stun → Day
The surprise defection followed weeks of deteriorating relations with her former primary opponent, Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
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defection → follow → opponent
In her endorsement of Rogers, Stevens cited El-Sayed's ties to political streamer Hasan Piker, whose remarks concerning Jewish people and Israel sparked backlash in August.
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remarks → cite → August
El-Sayed sought to distance himself from the controversy, but Stevens has criticized him for not doing enough to reassure Black and Jewish voters who backed her in the primary.
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who → seek → primary
NPR's Sam Gringlas tells Up First that he has met Democrats who didn't support El-Sayed in the primary and are struggling with their votes this fall.
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who → tell → votes
The latest drama may not sway late deciders, but it's not the discussion the El-Sayed campaign wanted.
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campaign → sway → deciders
Many Democrats are angry and now rallying behind El-Sayed.
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Democrats → rally → Sayed
Stevens' longtime chief of staff and many other staff members have quit, and the Michigan Democratic Party chair announced that Stevens is no longer a member.
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Stevens → quit → staff
This turmoil exposes deepening fault lines within the party, not just over Israel but also regarding its future identity, Gringlas says.
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Gringlas → expose → identity
Even if Democrats reclaim one or both chambers of Congress on Tuesday, questions about the party's future are expected to linger, especially as they prepare to choose a presidential nominee in 2028.
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they → reclaim → 2028
Voters are unhappy, NPR's Tamara Keith says, which has shifted a favorable election landscape for Republicans into a challenging position for President Trump and his party.
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which → say → Trump
Democrats are urging voters to give them a chance to drive change.
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Democrats → urge → change
Meanwhile, the GOP — as summed up by House Speaker Mike Johnson — has framed the midterms as a "contrast election between common sense and crazy."
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GOP → sum → sense
Keith says midterms typically serve as a referendum on the sitting president and his party, rather than a contrast.
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midterms → say → president
Here are six things to watch for on election night to see who will end up controlling Congress.
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who → watch → Congress
NPR has a guide on when polls close and where to watch the results come in.
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results → have → guide
Ahead of Election Day, NPR political correspondents answer listeners' biggest questions about the midterms' potential outcomes and what it's like to cover the excitement of politics.
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it → answer → politics
In every election, a key group of voters influences which candidates prevail.
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candidates → influence → voters
NPR's Politics team shares five insights from a year of engaging with voters who supported former President Joe Biden in 2020 and then switched to Trump in 2024.
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who → share → 2024
The NPR App has all of NPR's election coverage in one place — from the biggest stories across the country to the issues that matter close to home.
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that → have → home
After tomorrow's elections, Trump may choose to bomb Iran again — an option he has discussed with Israel.
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he → choose → Israel
The U.S.' partners in the Gulf are on edge and bracing for potential conflict.
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partners → brace → conflict
Qatar has been actively leading negotiations with Iran over the past 72 hours to prevent further fighting.
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Qatar → lead → fighting
Qatar has been tight-lipped about the negotiations, but Iran says there's a two-day plan to stop attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and resume talks with the U.S., depending on the U.S. response.
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Iran → say → response
Trump said that the U.S. has neutralized key components of Iran's military but has a couple of targets left, according to NPR's Aya Batrawy.
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U.S. → say → Batrawy
Gulf states worry that further attacks will destabilize the region and disrupt global energy supplies.
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attacks → worry → supplies
The Supreme Court will hear arguments tomorrow in a case between the Catholic Church and Colorado's taxpayer-funded pre-K programs.
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Court → hear → Church
The case questions whether religious schools can refuse admission to children of gay and trans parents, which would violate a state law against discrimination.
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which → question → discrimination
For decades, the Supreme Court upheld the separation of church and state.
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Court → uphold → church
But in the past 10 years, the court's conservative majority has increasingly shifted focus to the First Amendment's protection of religious freedom.
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majority → shift → freedom
This shift complicates Colorado's inclusive pre-K initiative aimed at ensuring that virtually all 4-year-olds in the state get a pre-K education.
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olds → complicate → education
To meet its goal, the state included religious schools in its program, as long as they comply with state laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.
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they → meet → race
Your turn
"Your Turn" is a special series from NPR's Allison Aubrey, exploring how to navigate your way through midlife.
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Turn → explore → midlife
As work and home obligations take up more of your focus, burnout can slowly sap your sense of joy and wonder in everyday life.
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burnout → take → life
Psychiatrist Judith Joseph says there's a term for this: anhedonia.
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Joseph → say → this
It's the inability or reduced capacity to experience pleasure from things that are normally enjoyable.
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that → reduce → things
…and 35 more, not listed.
The Aporia
