Folks, it’s Kacee. We’re ten days out from the Nov. 3 midterms, and a lot of today’s news runs straight through the ballot box. Here’s what you need to know.
The House map is moving. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted 19 more House races in Democrats’ direction, and Kentucky’s open 6th District, which includes Lexington, is now a Toss Up. Cook now rates 220 seats as leaning Democratic or better, two more than the 218 needed for a majority, while Speaker Mike Johnson pressed President Trump for more campaign cash. Read the full story.
The fight over 20,000 California mail ballots. The Justice Department is pressing two courts at once to stop California from counting mail ballots from more than 20,000 voters that federal officials flagged as probable noncitizens. Federal lawyers told Judge David O. Carter they were taking the case to the 9th Circuit, then went back to Carter on Friday asking for an injunction while the appeal moves forward. Read the full story.
Trump votes early, in person. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump cast their ballots in person Saturday at an early voting site in West Palm Beach as early voting opened across Palm Beach County. Asked whether he voted a straight party ticket, he answered, “Very much so,” and said he backed all Republicans on his Florida ballot. Read the full story.
Federal election monitors are coming to Kentucky. The Justice Department will station monitors in Jefferson and Fayette counties, home to Louisville and Lexington, on Election Day. Election officials in Indiana’s Marion and Lake counties got similar notice. Read the full story.
Utah wins the voter-roll case. A federal judge in Salt Lake City dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit seeking Utah’s complete, unredacted voter list, ruling that federal civil rights law does not give the attorney general a right to it. The judge, a Trump appointee, dismissed the complaint with prejudice, so the department cannot bring the same claim again in that court. Read the full story.
Ilhan Omar says investigators have told her nothing. Rep. Ilhan Omar said federal authorities have not told her anything about the criminal case behind this month’s search of her Washington home. That came as President Trump renewed his call at a Florida rally for her to leave Congress, and she has not been charged with a crime. Read the full story.
Kentucky’s pardon amendment. Every Kentucky ballot will carry Constitutional Amendment 1, which would bar a governor from granting pardons or commuting sentences from 60 days before a governor’s election until the new term begins. It would not affect Gov. Andy Beshear this year, since the next governor’s race is in 2027. Read the full story.
Who can fire Seattle’s top federal prosecutor? A three-judge 9th Circuit panel heard arguments over whether President Trump had the power to fire Roger Rogoff, the U.S. attorney that district judges in Washington state picked for Seattle. A lower court had ordered him reinstated, that order is on hold during the appeal, and the panel did not say when it would rule. Read the full story.
No trial date yet in the Charlie Kirk case. A Utah judge ended a three-hour hearing without setting a trial date for Tyler Robinson, the man charged with aggravated murder in the killing of Charlie Kirk. Judge Tony Graf said he will issue a scheduling ruling on Nov. 9. Read the full story.
That’s the day. For the deeper conversation, catch The Kacee Allen Show on YouTube, and if somebody forwarded you this, sign up for the free Daily Recap so it lands in your inbox every night at 8. See you tomorrow.