American Civil War

Two days before Michigan's pivotal Senate election, Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican nominee Mike Rogers over her own party's nominee, Abdul el Sayed, who had narrowly beaten her in the August primary. The Michigan Democratic Party expelled Stevens in response, and two of her senior congressional aides resigned. Top Democrats including Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi condemned the move, while President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson praised it. The race for the open seat vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters is seen as critical to Senate control, and the episode exposed deep rifts within Michigan's Democratic Party over Israel policy and ideological direction.

El Sayed downplayed the controversy publicly, while progressive figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Zohran Mamdani rallied behind him ahead of Election Day.

Zach Lahn, the conservative former lobbyist who won an upset victory in Iowa's 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary, is facing scrutiny over his ties to Kansas. Though born and raised in Iowa with longtime family roots there, Lahn relocated from Kansas back to Iowa in 2024 before launching his campaign. Critics, including supporters of Democratic opponent Rob Sand, have seized on his continued involvement in Kansas affairs, raising "carpetbagger" comparisons and questions about whether he has fully established himself in the state he hopes to govern.

The residency debate adds an early wrinkle to the 2026 Iowa governor's race, potentially shaping voter perceptions ahead of the general election matchup with Sand.

Liberty Hill, North Charleston's oldest surviving community and a historic Black neighborhood founded in 1871, will appear before the S.C. State Board of Review on Nov. 20 as it seeks designation as a national historic district, with final approval resting on the National Park Service. The community, built by four men on 112 acres along East Montague Avenue, declined after the nearby Navy Base closed in 1996 and now faces development pressure from surrounding growth.

Alongside the federal nomination, the city has announced streetscape upgrades—improved medians, lighting, crosswalks and historic signage—funded partly through a $2.5 million council district allocation, plus plans for a future Neighborhood Conservation District to limit development size and preserve the area's character.

St. Philip's Church Cemetery in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, was named the ninth most beautiful cemetery in the country by National Parks Guide, an Instagram account highlighting notable U.S. destinations. The cemetery sits on the grounds of St. Philip's Church, established in 1680 as Charleston's oldest congregation and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973. Notable burials include former Vice President John C. Calhoun, Constitution signer Charles Pinckney, and Declaration of Independence signer Edward Rutledge. The site has withstood fires, the Civil War, an earthquake, a tornado, and Hurricane Hugo over its history.

Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, made famous by the novel "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," topped the list. Other top-ranked cemeteries include Green-Wood in Brooklyn, Sleepy Hollow in Concord, Massachusetts, Laurel Hill in Philadelphia, and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans. Arlington National Cemetery placed sixth.

Denver has joined the League of United Latin American Citizens, Common Cause and UnidosUS in a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Markwayne Mullin, ICE and Acting ICE Director David Venturella, seeking to block armed immigration agents from being stationed at polling sites during the midterms. The suit argues such deployments would violate a Civil War-era law barring armed federal forces at election sites except to repel armed enemies, and cites past ICE activity near polling locations in Texas, California and New York as evidence of a broader "Polling Place Policy."

DHS disputes that any such policy exists, saying enforcement is intelligence-driven and tied to specific threats or active warrants, a point Mullin has echoed. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Clerk and Recorder Paul López say the city has trained election workers to identify and respond to federal agents, and vowed to remove and prosecute any agents unlawfully present. The case adds to Denver's ongoing legal clashes with the administration over immigration enforcement.

Florida's primaries produced a mixed picture for both parties ahead of November's general election. Rep. Byron Donalds won the Republican gubernatorial nomination with Trump's endorsement and a large financial edge, beating Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former House Speaker Paul Renner and newcomer James Fishback despite Gov. Ron DeSantis's public misgivings; Donalds would become Florida's first Black governor if elected. Former Republican congressman David Jolly, running with Gwen Graham as his lieutenant governor pick, won the Democratic nomination over state Rep. Dotie Joseph and others, pitching himself as a centrist who wants to end the culture wars. The two will meet in November to succeed the term-limited DeSantis, in a state where Democrats haven't won the governorship in over 30 years.

Progressive state Rep. Angie Nixon defeated establishment-backed Alex Vindman for the Senate Democratic nomination despite being outspent; she faces Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, who won her primary with Trump's backing, in the special election for Marco Rubio's former seat. Incumbents Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Jared Moskowitz turned back challengers, including Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, in redrawn districts under Florida's new Republican-favored congressional map. Trump-endorsed Cory Mills lost his House primary amid domestic violence allegations, while far-right figures Dan Bilzerian and Madison Cawthorn were also defeated, alongside Rep. Randy Fine's contentious win.