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Follow 2026 midterm elections live updates, including House and Senate races, Texas, Georgia, Ohio and Minnesota, and key results as polls close.

Disney expects to lay off several thousand employees in the latest round of job cuts for the entertainment giant.

“We’re back to the casino-type markets when there was 95% leverage,” said the founder of Pershing Square Capital Management.

Dubai Benchmark Slips Into Contango For The First Time Since July

The curve of the Dubai benchmark is showing signs that rising oil flows from the Middle East are exceeding demand for the first time since early July, when the three-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire allowed millions of barrels to leave unhindered the Strait of Hormuz.Physical flows have been gradually rising for the past two months as Gulf producers accelerated shuttle-shipping through Hormuz with ship-to-ship (STS) transfers in the Gulf of Oman, once tankers have cleared the chokepoint.As a result, the November contract of the Dubai benchmark traded at the start of this week at a discount of about $2 per barrel to the December contract, traders and brokers told Bloomberg on Tuesday.This price curve, known as contango, is the first sign since July that current supply is abundant in the Middle East.The contango structure, in which prices for contracts dated further out in time are higher than the prompt contracts, suggests that concerns about the immediate lack of crude supply have eased significantly.Rising supply from the Middle East has weakened both the Dubai and Murban prices in recent weeks, prompting increased buying from Asian refiners, especially those in India who have preferred additional Middle Eastern cargoes to the more expensive Russian barrels with higher freight costs.At the end of last month, the prices of physical Middle East crude slumped as flows from the region recover and reach pre-war levels in some days and weeks.In contrast with the international benchmark futures prices, the prices of physical crudes from the Middle East have softened, as oil continues to flow out of the Persian Gulf at volumes close to pre-war levels, excluding Iran.Two weeks ago, robust crude oil flows out of the Middle East started to pressure the key metric of strength for physical supply out of the region. The premium of Oman crude over Dubai, the measure of the Middle East’s market strength, slumped to the lowest level since the end of July.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 11/03/2026 – 12:15

Voting machines in Westchester County, New York, the state’s seventh most populous county, are not accepting paper ballots at polling locations throughout the county, the Westchester County Board of Elections said in a statement Tuesday morning.”The Westchester County Board of Elections (BOE) is aware of an issue involving the paper ballots that is preventing some voting machines from accepting ballots at polling locations throughout the County,” the statement read.The board relayed that it is communicating with state and county officials and with poll workers to address the issue while repeatedly affirming to voters that all paper ballots will be counted.WATCHDOG, GOP LAWMAKER WARN NY VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEMS LACKS KEY SAFEGUARDS”Voters should continue to complete their paper ballots as instructed by poll workers. Ballots that cannot be processed by voting machines will be placed in designated orange emergency ballot bags, which will remain secure and monitored. These ballots will subsequently be counted,” the BOE said.In a statement, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said, “My office is fully aware of the ongoing problems with ballots and voting scanners across Westchester County, and I want to be absolutely clear: this situation is unacceptable.”Voters should remain in line and exercise their right to vote. Every eligible voter will have the opportunity to cast their ballot, and every vote must be counted. I have directed County officials, including representatives from our Law Department, to monitor the voting process and ensure that voters can cast their ballots without interference and that every vote is properly and accurately counted.”Once these issues are resolved, I will convene a bipartisan team to conduct a thorough review of the decisions and failures that led to this debacle, determine where accountability lies and ensure that this never happens again.”Westchester County voters deserve a fair, secure and seamless election process. Today, we have fallen short of that standard. The voters deserve better, and I intend to make sure they get it,” Jenkins said.Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., first alerted voters to an apparent ballot scanner problem in the county in a Tuesday morning post on X.OUTGOING HOUSE DEMOCRAT BACKS INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER FOR RE-ELECTION”There is a problem with every ballot scanner in Westchester County. We do not yet know the exact cause of the issue, whether it is the ballot or the machine. The Board of Elections is working with their vendors to resolve it,” Lawler wrote.”However, every ballot will be counted. Stay on line and vote. Do not leave the polling place without voting,” Lawler’s post concluded.Lawler also revealed while speaking to CNN reporters outside a polling location in Pearl River, New York, that the issue appeared to be that the paper ballots were too thick to be read by the machines.”There was an issue with the thickness of the ballot and the formatting of the machines. And so none of the machines were accepting the ballot across the entire county,” Lawler told CNN.”As is often the case, when there’s an emergency, they take the ballot, and they put it in an emergency voting bag. Every ballot will be counted. And everybody should be rest assured that their vote will count. They should wait on line. I know the lines may be impacted a little bit. With some delays, but do not leave the line. Make sure you vote. Your vote will be counted. The machines are being fixed,” he said.The board echoed Lawler’s insistence that all votes would be counted.”We strongly encourage all voters to remain in line, exercise patience and, most importantly, cast their ballots,” the board added.The board also apologized to voters and to poll workers for the inconvenience.”Let us be absolutely clear: Every eligible vote will be counted. No voter should be discouraged from participating in this election because of this issue. Your voice matters. Your vote matters. Please stay in line and vote,” the board’s statement said.Voter Patrick Reagan, who has been voting in Westchester County for the last 40 years, spoke to Fox News outside a polling place in Yonkers.”I hope all the votes are going to be corrected properly and accounted for. And, you know, it’s a big year for everybody just voting. You know, we need to keep the country safe and good. And I hope, it’s going to turn out the way I wanted to,” Reagan said.Voter Linda Giaimo, a woman who took her friend to vote, said she would be calling the Board of Elections about what was happening on Election Day.”It’s all through Westchester County, that all these machines are down. So now we’ve got to put our vote in a bag and believe that that bag is going to be delivered. I got a problem with this,” Giaimo said.INSIDE HOUSE GOP’S UNPRECEDENTED PUSH TO MONITOR MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND PREPARE FOR LEGAL FIGHTSNew York’s Democratic Attorney General Letitia James also weighed in.”My office is monitoring this issue with scanners in Westchester and is in touch with the state and local Boards of Elections as they work on a solution. Westchester voters can still safely fill out and turn in their ballots at their polling locations. Your votes will count,” she wrote in a Tuesday morning post on X.James also reminded state residents that New York has a dedicated Election Protection Hotline — (866) 390-2992 — to assist New Yorkers experiencing issues at the polls.”Today is your opportunity to make your voice heard, and every eligible New Yorker deserves to cast their ballot without fear or intimidation,” James said in a statement. “My office is here to help New Yorkers navigate any problems they encounter at the polls and ensure their voices are heard. If you experience an issue while voting today, call our Election Protection Hotline. We are ready to help,” she continued.New York’s polls opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 9 p.m.Fox News Digital contacted Rep. Mike Lawler for further comment.

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins called the countywide failure of ballot scanners on Election Day “unacceptable” and a “debacle,” promising a thorough review of the decisions and failures that led to the breakdown.
The race in New York’s 17th District between Republican Mike Lawler and Democrat challenger Cait Conley is among those that could affect control of the House.
Jenkins said in a statement on Tuesday morning that his office is fully aware of the ongoing problems with ballots and voting scanners across the county and that voters should remain in line so every eligible ballot can be cast and counted. He directed county officials, including representatives from the Law Department, to monitor the process and ensure ballots are properly handled.
“My office is fully aware of the ongoing problems with ballots and voting scanners across Westchester County, and I want to be absolutely clear: this situation is unacceptable,” Jenkins said.
“Voters should remain in line and exercise their right to vote. Every eligible voter will have the opportunity to cast their ballot, and every vote must be counted. I have directed County officials, including representatives from our Law Department, to monitor the voting process and ensure that voters can cast their ballots without interference and that every vote is properly and accurately counted,” the statement continued. “Once these issues are resolved, I will convene a bipartisan team to conduct a thorough review of the decisions and failures that led to this debacle, determine where accountability lies and ensure that this never happens again.”
“Westchester County voters deserve a fair, secure and seamless election process. Today, we have fallen short of that standard. The voters deserve better, and I intend to make sure they get it.”
As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, the problems began as soon as polls opened at 6 a.m.
Scanners at most or all polling locations refused to accept paper ballots.
The Westchester County Board of Elections initially attributed the issue to the thickness of the ballots, then issued a corrected statement removing that specific explanation and simply confirming “an issue involving paper ballots that is preventing voting machines from accepting ballots at polling locations throughout the County.”
Voters were instructed to complete paper ballots and place them in designated orange emergency ballot bags that officials said would remain secure and monitored until they could be counted.
Local outlets reported the countywide scope of the failures, with voters in places such as New Rochelle, Ossining, and North Salem describing machines that rejected every ballot.
Rep. Lawler, whose 17th Congressional District includes much of Westchester and is a competitive race, posted early that every ballot scanner in the county had a problem.
“There is a problem with every ballot scanner in Westchester County. We do not yet know the exact cause of the issue, whether it is the ballot or the machine. The Board of Elections is working with their vendors to resolve it,” Lawler wrote in a post on X. “However, every ballot will be counted. Stay on line and vote. Do not leave the polling place without voting.”

There is a problem with every ballot scanner in Westchester County. We do not yet know the exact cause of the issue, whether it is the ballot or the machine. The Board of Elections is working with their vendors to resolve it.
However, every ballot will be counted. Stay on line and vote. Do not leave the polling place without voting.
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) November 3, 2026

In a follow-up post, Lawler wrote, “To every voter in Westchester County: DO NOT LEAVE YOUR POLLING PLACE UNTIL YOU VOTE.
“Every ballot will be counted, and we are already in court to make sure they are counted in **one central location** so that our campaign, election monitors, and our attorneys can watch and oversee the process,” the post continued. “I have confidence that every vote will be counted — just VOTE and have your voice heard.”

To every voter in Westchester County: DO NOT LEAVE YOUR POLLING PLACE UNTIL YOU VOTE.
Every ballot will be counted and we are already in court to make sure they are counted in **one central location** so that our campaign, election monitors, and our attorneys can watch and oversee the process.
I have confidence that every vote will be counted — just VOTE and have your voice heard.
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) November 3, 2026

Lawler also posted a video telling voters polls remain open until 9 p.m., discussing the problems with ballots and machines, and urging people not to leave the line without voting.
WATCH:

It’s Election Day! Polls are open till 9pm tonight. I know there have been challenges in Westchester County with the ballots and the machines, but STAY IN LINE.
Make sure you vote and have your voice heard. DO NOT LEAVE THE LINE WITHOUT VOTING AT YOUR POLLING LOCATION!
Don’t sit on the sidelines, this election matters. Visit https://t.co/HAjSLhPRaZ to find your polling location.
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) November 3, 2026

New York Attorney General Letitia James posted that her office is monitoring the scanner issue and is in touch with state and local boards of elections.

My office is monitoring this issue with scanners in Westchester and is in touch with the state and local Boards of Elections as they work on a solution.
Westchester voters can still safely fill out and turn in their ballots at their polling locations. Your votes will count.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) November 3, 2026

Loomered journalist Charles R Downs responded to her post, “Oh wow, Letitia James just announced that the voting machines in Mike Lawler’s district, one of the areas that will decide control of Congress, have magically broken.”
“The Democrats are already cheating,” he added. “Swamp the vote!”

Oh wow, Letitia James (@NewYorkStateAG) just announced that the voting machines in Mike Lawler’s (@lawler4ny) district, one of the areas that will decide control of Congress, have magically broken.
The Democrats are already cheating.
Swamp the vote!
— Charles R Downs (@TheCharlesDowns) November 3, 2026

The Gateway Pundit will continue to monitor this important election that could decide control of the House.

The post WATCH: Westchester County Executive Calls Ballot Scanner Meltdown in Race That Could Decide Control of The House a ‘Debacle,’ Mike Lawler Tells Voters to STAY IN LINE! appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

(Photo by Joe Kovacs)
Virginia has punished reckless drivers by mandating that they install a speed-limiter through a program that took effect in July, raising due-process concerns about how governments might abuse the information collected by this technology.
Virginia’s Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) program requires drivers convicted of speeding over 100 MPH to install a GPS-monitored speed-limiter, The Wall Street Journal reported. The technology collects precise GPS locations of drivers to determine the speed limit on any given road and physically prevents drivers from speeding, raising concerns that the tech could be used as part of a surveillance state similar to objections raised against Flock Safety license plate readers.
The ISA devices collect information managed by the Virginia state government, according to the advocacy group Families For Safer Streets. The information includes GPS location, direction of travel and the speed of the vehicle. There are no explicit restrictions on the use of ISA data in the new Virginia law; however, the Virginia state Legislature proposed a bill in October to provide guardrails on the use of the collected data.
The proposed regulations do not mandate the deletion of GPS data, only requiring that the collected data remains confidential.
Maryland passed a similar “Super Speeder” law set to be fully implemented by 2027. Democratic state Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher of Maryland acknowledged the privacy concerns.
“This isn’t being installed in all vehicles […] it’s being installed only in the vehicles of super speeders,” Waldstreicher told NBC News4.
About 100 speed limiters have been installed for Virginia drivers since ISA began in July, WSJ reported. ISA requires convicted drivers to pay for the technology and its installation out of pocket. ISA installation costs $100 and requires a monthly fee of $180. Enrollment mandates have ranged from 60 days to six months.
While most of the 100 drivers punished with speed limiters were speeding over 100 MPH, drivers convicted of racing or racking up too many demerit points on their license can also be enrolled in ISA to avoid license suspension, the WSJ reported.
Major problems have been associated with the devices, in addition to the due-process concerns. One driver’s car was limited to 35 MPH while he was driving on the highway, forcing him to pull over, the WSJ reported. Others have reported similar issues due to what state officials call “GPS drift,” where the ISA GPS mistakenly believes the driver is on a nearby road with a different speed limit.
“If we can slow cars down a little bit on those dangerous drivers, we can save lives,” Michael Travars, president of LifeSafer, told the WSJ.
LifeSafer is one of the two device makers of ISA technology in Virginia. Over 10,000 people die a year in reckless driving-related accidents, the WSJ reported.
So far, Virginia, Washington, D.C., New York and Washington State have enacted ISA-like programs, and other states are following suit. In New York, 14% of vehicles accumulate over 46% of the speeding tickets, according to a report by the Manhattan Institute. Over 75% of drivers with suspended licenses continue to drive regardless, according to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA).
Similar privacy concerns have been raised about Flock Safety, a surveillance company employing thousands of cameras and license plate readers for law enforcement access across the country. Flock’s CEO recently claimed without evidence that protests against Flock result from online discourse driven by Russian bots.
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