President Donald Trump defended Ohio Republican Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign ad featuring his opponent Amy Acton's estranged mother, telling him to keep it up and "say thank you, God." Trump thought Republicans criticizing the ad were "weak," and viewed backlash within the party as damaging, a source said. cnn.com/2026/10/22/politics/…

A mysterious group that has spent at least $2 million boosting a little-known socialist candidate in Ohio’s competitive Senate race is being funded by Republicans, according to a new campaign finance filing. cnn.it/3VOFSqp

The Supreme Court ruled that New Hampshire can limit the use of student IDs for voting, siding with Republicans who argued that a lower court ruling that blocked enforcement of the policy came too close to Election Day. cnn.it/4khse94

Justice Department prosecutors are investigating allegations of contract misconduct at the Department of Homeland Security, including the role of Corey Lewandowski who worked as de facto chief of staff to former Secretary Kristi Noem, according to multiple people familiar with the investigation. cnn.it/4jU6pfZ

Judge warns Trump his $10B lawsuit against the BBC could be tossed over a fight for records and insists the president must sit for a deposition. cnn.it/4zMUogP

Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, who long advocated for the legalization of marijuana, indicted on drug and money laundering charges. cnn.it/4dVdmcN

Democrats have a 10-point advantage over Republicans nationwide in voters' choice in their own congressional district, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. President Donald Trump's approval rating sits at 33% among US adults, the CNN Poll of Polls average shows, and cost-of-living concerns, including the economic fallout from the war with Iran, weigh heavily on many voters' minds. But the red makeup of this year's Senate map should not be underestimated. cnn.it/4dTgsOn

The Trump administration told a judge that construction on the president's controversial 250-foot triumphal arch could begin in just two weeks, days after the midterm elections. cnn.it/4eb0gID

A federal judge has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to stop certain investigative actions in its hunt for noncitizen voters, writing that the department's efforts rely on faulty data that includes US citizens legally allowed to vote. cnn.it/4z4Vrcb

Michigan and Kansas held some of the final major Senate debates of the 2026 midterm elections on Wednesday night. And they were a study in contrasts. Takeaways from the two crucial debates: cnn.it/4izjKJi

The State Department publicly warns Americans about violence in parts of Latin America. Privately, it tells officers reviewing asylum claims a different story, according to internal documents reviewed by CNN. cnn.it/487HldZ

Supreme Court blocks President Trump from suspending hormone therapy and other treatments for transgender inmates in federal prisons. cnn.it/4k9ywaQ

For Democrat Scott Colom, his quest to win a US Senate seat in Mississippi is a long shot but not a lost cause. The 43-year-old local district attorney is hoping to topple Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in a deep-red state that hasn't sent a Democrat to the chamber in nearly four decades or elected a Black candidate in a statewide race since the Reconstruction era. President Donald Trump won the state two years ago by 23 points. cnn.it/4ByoKWe

The Democratic Party, riding a tide of anti-Donald Trump sentiment, enters the final stretch of the midterm campaign with a 10-point advantage over Republicans nationwide in voters' choice in their own congressional district, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. cnn.it/485O0p0

Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, is spending about $80 million between September and Election Day to support Democrats in the midterms, his team said, providing a significant boost to the party in the closing stretch of the campaign season. cnn.it/3UIq6Nn

With a narrowing window for harsh political winds to shift, Trump and Republicans have seized on the violence as they make their final arguments to American voters. This could happen here, Trump warned his crowd at his rally in Kansas this week, if Democrats win in November's midterms. cnn.it/4846syn

Several Trump administration officials, advisers and close allies describe a toxic mix of jockeying for power and preemptive finger-pointing ahead of the midterms. "It's more brutal than any other situation in modern times in the White House," said one Trump ally. "You can't trust anybody here." cnn.it/4i4HtzC

Some political leaders wonder whether Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has garnered sufficient enthusiasm among Black voters at this stage in the race. “In a close race, even a sliver of doubt about Abdul could lead to defeat,” one prominent Black leader told CNN, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss concerns frankly. “And this race feels far closer than it should.” cnn.it/4ixBGE0