Early Vote Tally Jumps to 30 Million

More than 30 million votes have already been cast in this year's November 8 midterm elections, according to the U.S. Elections Project.

A Wednesday afternoon update by Michael McDonald, the University of Florida professor who leads the election data project, said at least 30 million early ballots have already been returned to election officials across the country with six days remaining until Election Day. As of 5:15 p.m. ET, the U.S. Elections Project reported 30,148,621 early votes. Most of those early votes—more than 17.3 million—were cast using mail-in ballots.

Texas currently leads all other U.S. states in terms of total early votes received, with nearly 3.8 million ballots returned by Wednesday afternoon. Florida had the second-largest number of early ballots returned at more than 3.3 million, and California was third with more than 3 million early ballots returned.

In Georgia, election officials celebrated Wednesday as the state's early vote tally reached 2 million.

Gabriel Sterling, an official with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's office, said on Twitter that voters and local election workers in Georgia "are doing us all proud."

Biden Speaking Soon on 'Protecting' Democracy

President Joe Biden will be attending a Democratic National Committee (DNC) event in Washington, D.C. Wednesday night.

The president will be speaking about "preserving and protecting" American democracy. His remarks are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will stream live on his YouTube channel.

Biden's scheduled speech comes six days before the November 8 midterms, which mark the first time Americans across the country are going to the polls since the 2020 presidential election.

Biden is expected to warn voters about "ultra MAGA" politicians who support former President Donald Trump, and encourage voters to cast ballots against candidates who dispute the results of the 2020 election. That ongoing dispute is "the path to chaos in America," Biden is expected to say, according to remarks of his prepared speech obtained by The Associated Press.

The president is also expected to warn American voters that the future of democracy will be impacted by how they vote.

A White House adviser told Axios that Biden will speak near Capitol Hill at Union Station, in part because his remarks will be delivered near the location of the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

RNC Recruits Thousands of Poll Workers, Watchers

The Republican National Committee (RNC) recruited more than 70,000 people to work as poll workers and watchers ahead of the November 8 midterms, according to a report by OpenSecrets.

The nonprofit, which assesses campaign finance data, reported Tuesday that the RNC is also working with lawyers who will talk with poll watchers and provide advice as needed.

More than 11,000 of those new poll workers have been recruited to serve in Michigan, according to The Associated Press.

Some counties don't have enough election workers, but others have experienced a rise in poll workers that is worrying local election officials. Michigan Democrat Jocelyn Benson, who serves as her state's secretary of state, told The Associated Press that the motivation inspiring some people to step up and serve as poll workers "concerns" her.

"Since the spring, clerks have come at us with concerning questions they're getting and in some cases, hundreds of poll worker applications that seem to be motivated by nefarious intent," she said.

NAACP Met With Elon Musk Over Hate Speech

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) met with Elon Musk to discuss concerns about hateful conspiracy theories and threats to election integrity.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson said the civil rights organization met Musk, whose recent acquisition of Twitter has spurred fear that hateful content and conspiracy theories will be rampant on the platform.

"The bird cannot be free as long as election denialism, hatred, misinformation and disinformation exist on Twitter," Johnson tweeted, referencing Musk's tweet.

The NAACP said a report shows hate speech on Twitter increased by 50 percent in the first 12 hours following Musk's acquisition.

"Now let that sink in. Nazi memes, racial slurs, and extreme far-right propaganda do not belong in the 'town square' of ant democracy or online platform," Johnson said in a statement.

Failing to take the necessary actions "will put human lives at risk and further unravel our democracy," Johnson said.

Johnson added that it is critical that Twitter's existing election integrity policies remain in place until at least after the midterm elections have been certified.

"Any content or account promoting election denial and other harmful lies about election results cannot be allowed to exists on [Musk's] platform," he said.

Biden Speaks on Infrastructure Job Training

The White House said Wednesday that more than 350 organizations across the country are making job training investments in the broadband, construction and electrification sectors.

The investments are being made as part of an Infrastructure Talent Pipeline Challenge President Joe Biden's administration announced in June. The White House has described the initiative as "a nationwide call to action for employers, unions, education and training providers, states, local governments, Tribes, territories, philanthropic organizations, and other stakeholders to make tangible commitments that support equitable workforce development" within those sectors.

Biden delivered remarks about the challenge's progress during a Wednesday afternoon event at the White House. After taking the podium, Biden said that while it costs employers more to hire union workers than non-union workers, those costs are "less over time" because the companies ultimately get "the best product for what you're paying for."

"Today, I'm proud to announce that more than 350 organizations across the country, nearly 50 states and territories, have responded to my call and committed to the challenge," Biden said. Organizations "are forging partnerships with unions, community colleges, local nonprofits to create apprenticeships that train workers to develop the necessary skills."

This is "the first time we have high-paying jobs and not enough people to do them," Biden said, adding it is "a nice problem to have" and one his administration is "solving quickly."

These efforts are resulting in new apprenticeships and efforts by some companies to hire and train workers from historically underrepresented communities, according to a White House fact sheet. Some organizations are also providing child care or transportation in support of their workers.

Through these job training efforts, "we're regaining the momentum and taking back our competitive edge," Biden said.

NYC's Naked Cowboy Endorses Lee Zeldin

New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin has received a new endorsement from a New York City celebrity.

Zeldin shared a video on his Twitter of the Naked Cowboy, a fixture of the Times Square scene, sporting Zeldin stickers on his guitar.

The Naked Cowboy, whose real name is Robert Burck, sang a song in support of Zeldin, who has gained traction in the Governor's race against incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul.

"Lee Zeldin for governor of New York. The twin party Democratic rule clearly doesn't work," he sang.

The song also includes lyrics about restoring law and order, repealing cashless bail, firing "woke" district attorneys and calls to reduce taxes and regulation.

Burck also called for an end to teaching Critical Race Theory and "gender fluidity."

In past elections, Burck has shown his support for former President Donald Trump. He sand a song about "Making America Great Again" outside of Trump tower back in 2016.

During the 2020 election, Burck was back with Trump stickers on his guitar in Times Square, and even showed up to Trump rallies.

Fed Chair Anticipates More Rate Increases

The Federal Reserve will likely announce more interest rate increases in its effort to reduce high inflation, Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday.

"Today, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) raised our policy interest rate by 75 basis points and we continue to anticipate that ongoing increases will be appropriate," Powell said during a press conference.

Powell said the Fed will continue to reduce the size of its balance sheet and noted that restoring price stability "will likely require maintaining a restrictive stance of policy for some time." He added that the Fed has the resolve and the needed tools to restore price stability, which he called its "bedrock."

"Without price stability the economy does not work for anyone," he said. "Without price stability we will not achieve a of sustained period of strong labor market conditions. "

Powell said the U.S. economy has "slowed significantly" from last year's "rapid pace."

Consumer spending growth has slowed from last year, reflecting less real disposable income. Housing market activity has "weakened significantly" due to high mortgage rates. The labor market, however, "remains tight" with decades-low unemployment rates and elevated wage growth.

Employment has risen by an average of 289,000 jobs per month over August and September. But Powell added that the labor market is still "out of balance" with the demand much higher than the supply of workers.

The Fed is aware of the "hardship" high inflation imposes on Americans, Powell said.

Financial conditions have tightened, but it will take time for the full effects of monetary restraint to be realized, Powell said.

At some point, Powell said it will become appropriate to slow the pace of rate increases. When asked by a reporter when that will happen, Powell said it could occur at the next meeting or the one after that.

"We still have some ways to go and incoming data since our last meeting suggests that the ultimate level of interest rates will be higher than previously expected," he said.

He said decision depend on incoming data and their implications for the outlook for economic activity and inflation.

While answering questions from reporters, Powell said he has not seen inflation coming down.

"We're exactly where we were a year ago," he said.

This has narrowed the path to a "soft landing," but Powell said that it still remains possible.

"We have some ways to go, we have some ground to cover with interest rates before we get to that level of interest rates that we think are sufficiently restrictive," he told reporters.

Rates will be higher than previous estimates, he said. Powell also said the Fed needs ongoing rate increases in order to get inflation down to its two percent goal. It is "premature" to pause rate hikes, he added.

He adds that "no one knows" if there is going to be a recession.

Twitter Flags White House Tweet on Social Security

The White House removed a tweet about Social Security checks after Twitter flagged the post and added context.

The tweet was posted Tuesday after President Joe Biden delivered remarks about Social Security and Medicare in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. "Seniors are getting their biggest increase in their Social Security checks in 10 years through President Biden's leadership," the tweet said.

Twitter then flagged the tweet with a message that said other users provided context "they thought people might want to know." Twitter's added message said the bump in Social Security benefits was "due to the annual cost of living adjustment, which is based on the inflation rate." Inflation reached a 40-year high earlier this year and is one of the top issues for voters heading into the midterm elections next week.

The White House's tweet was later removed.

Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, shared a screenshot of the tweet and asked, "Why did the White House delete this tweet? If Biden wants 'credit' for inflation, he has it!"

Reporters also asked why the tweet was deleted during a Wednesday press briefing. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House's digital team removed the tweet because it did not have the kind of context that White House officials usually provide with those kinds of posts.

"Look, the tweet was not complete," she said. "Usually when we put out a tweet, we post it with context, and it did not have that context."

Administration officials have previously said Medicare premiums are expected to decrease while Social Security benefits increase, according to Jean-Pierre.

"That's a little bit of context that was not included," she said. "This means that seniors will have a chance to get ahead of inflation due to the rare combination of rising benefits and falling premiums."

Biden to Speak Soon About Infrastructure

President Joe Biden will soon begin delivering remarks about infrastructure at the White House.

The president will speak about the ways in which his administration is "working to strengthen the infrastructure talent pipeline" and uniting various partners "to train Americans for good-paying jobs in broadband, construction, and manufacturing following passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act."

Later today, Biden will also speak at a Democratic National Committee event in Washington, D.C. His remarks at that DNC event are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

He is scheduled to begin speaking at 2:40 p.m. ET. His remarks will stream live on the White House's YouTube page, or watch live below:

Which States Have the Most Early Votes?

Nearly 29.8 million early votes have been cast nationwide as of Wednesday afternoon, with six days to go until the midterm elections, according to data compiled by the University of Florida's Election Project.

About 12.6 million of those votes were cast in person, with another 17 million by mail-in ballot. The most early votes have been cast thus far in Texas and Florida, according to the project's data.

Early Votes By State:

• Texas: 3,754,087
• Florida: 3,304,040
• California: 3,023,737
• Georgia: 1,947,275
• North Carolina: 1,435,173
• Michigan: 1,224,236
• Arizona: 1,137,939

Fed Raises Interest Rates Another 0.75 Percent

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates once again today, in an effort to combat continued high inflation.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Fed announced the fourth straight rate hike of three-quarters of a percentage point. This raises the benchmark rate to a range of 3.75 percent to four percent, the highest in 14 years.

"The Committee anticipates that ongoing increases in the target range will be appropriate in order to attain a stance of monetary policy that is sufficiently restrictive to return inflation to 2 percent over time," the Fed said in a statement.

This year, the Fed has raised its key rates five times, surging borrowing rates and heightening the risk of a recession.

"In assessing the appropriate stance of monetary policy, the Committee will continue to monitor the implications of incoming information for the economic outlook," the Fed said.

The steady rate increases have made mortgages, auto loans and other purchased items more expensive for consumers.

"The new rate pretty dramatically increases your monthly payments and your cost," Scott Hoyt, an analyst with Moody's Analytics, told the Associated Press. "It also affects consumers who have a lot of credit card debt — that will hit right away."

Fed Chair Jerome Powell is expected to hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. to face questions about the latest move.

Laxalt Leads Masto in New Nevada Poll

Republican Adam Laxalt is 5 percentage points ahead of incumbent Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto in the race to represent Nevada in the U.S. Senate, according to polling results released on Tuesday.

The Senate race has tightened over the last several weeks as early voters cast their ballots. Only six days remain until the November 8 election, and polling averages compiled by FiveThirtyEight suggest Laxalt is ahead by an average of 0.6 points.

The latest poll released by Emerson College Polling/KLAS-TV/The Hill indicates Laxalt's lead may be larger than those polling averages. Of the 2,000 likely voters polled between October 26 and 29, 50 percent said they support Laxalt, who previously served as Nevada's attorney general, while 45 percent said they support Masto, who is running for her second term in office.

Three percent of respondents told pollsters they were undecided on which candidate to support. Support for Laxalt and Masto increased by 1 point each when those undecided voters' leanings were taken into account.

Laxalt's polling lead has increased over the last several weeks. A poll conducted in early September by Emerson College Polling found Laxalt just 1 point ahead of Masto, with 11 percent of voters undecided. But another recent poll conducted in late October by Suffolk University for USA Today said Masto had a 1-point lead over Laxalt. The race remains tight with less than one week left until Election Day.

Herschel Walker Responds to Jabs From Obama

Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker took aim at former President Barack Obama's resume after Obama questioned his qualification for holding public office.

The former football player responded to jabs from the former president by highlighting his business efforts.

He said he "signs the front of a check," something neither Obama nor Senator Raphael Warnock have done.

"I've created businesses, I sit on the public traded board," Walker said in a FOX News interview. "But my resume against [Obama's] resume, I would put it up any time of the day," he said.

This comes after Obama took aim at Walker's qualifications and fitness for public office during a rally for Democratic Senator Warnock in Georgia last week.

Despite being "one of the best running backs of all time," Obama said Walker is not qualified to be a U.S. Senator.

"In college, he was amazing. One of the best running backs of all time," the former president said. "But here is the question: Does that make him the best person to represent you in the US Senate? Does that make him equipped to weigh in on the critical decisions about our economy and our foreign policy and our future?"

Obama called Walker "a celebrity that wants to be a politician," saying there is "little evidence" that Walker has ever shown any inclination towards public service or helping people in any way.

Walker defended himself against these claims, saying he is a politician.

"I'm not a pilot. I'm a football player, I'm a politician, I'm a lover," he said. "I'm that warrior for God that he should have been when he was born, but he's not."

He also said all Obama does is "hang out with celebrities" in his "big house."

Walker added that Obama has "never worked a day in his life" and has never "build a company."

Musk Overseeing Twitter Ahead of Elections

The extent of Elon Musk's influence on Twitter moderation is uncertain after his purchase of the company was completed in late October, though he remains publicly active on the platform with just days remaining until the midterm elections.

Musk has said he will not make any major decisions on Twitter account suspensions until a content moderation board is in place. He made this statement after several Twitter users speculated about whether banned accounts—like the one belonging to former President Donald Trump—will be allowed to return now that Musk, who has advocated for fewer content restrictions, controls the company.

Early Wednesday morning, Musk tweeted that people who were removed from Twitter for violating platform rules will not be allowed to return "until we have a clear process for doing so, which will take at least a few more weeks."

He added that Twitter's new content moderation team "will include representatives with widely divergent views, which will certainly include the civil rights community and groups who face hate-fueled violence."

Despite Musk's comments about waiting to take action on banned accounts until new content moderation personnel have been appointed, he has responded to questions and comments from political figures on Twitter over the last week, according to the Associated Press.

Musk also appeared to have stepped in to restore account access to Mark Finchem, a Republican candidate for Arizona Secretary of State. Finchem released a statement on Monday saying his account was temporarily suspended. After the suspension was brought to Musk's attention, Musk tweeted he was "looking into it." Finchem returned to Twitter later that day and thanked Musk for restoring his access to the platform.

Trump PAC Spends Millions on Ads in Final Days of Race

Former President Donald Trump's super PAC MAGA Inc has given millions of dollars to Republicans for midterms advertising in key states, just days before the election.

In Pennsylvania, MAGA Inc. recently added $782,000 in ad reservations for the U.S. Senate race between Republican Mehmet Oz and Democrat John Fetterman. The PAC has spent a total of $3.4 million in the race, according to CNN.

MAGA Inc. has spent $3.9 million in Arizona's Senate race after adding an additional $1 million in the final week of the race. The group's contribution hopes to boost Republican candidate Blake Masters, who is trialing Democratic Senator Mark Kelly in a close race.

In the competitive Georgia Senate race, MAGA Inc. has also provided $1 million in the final days of the campaign. The PAC has spent a total of $3.6 million in support of Trump-pick Herschel Walker who is taking on incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock.

Trump's Director of Communications Taylor Budowich has shared some of the television ads MAGA Inc. has released during the midterm elections, including in Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Biden to Deliver Two Speeches Today

President Joe Biden is expected to deliver a speech about protecting democracy Wednesday night with less than one week remaining until the midterm elections.

His remarks will follow another speech earlier Wednesday focused on infrastructure.

Biden's afternoon speech will be about "working to strengthen the infrastructure talent pipeline," according to the White House Press Office. It will also explore ways in which Biden's administration "is bringing together employers, unions, and other partners to train Americans for good-paying jobs in broadband, construction, and manufacturing following passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act."

Biden is scheduled to deliver his afternoon speech at the White House at 2:40 p.m. ET. The event will stream live on the White House's website and YouTube channel.

A few hours later, Biden is expected to deliver a speech at an event hosted by the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C. His remarks will air live on C-SPAN and will also stream live on C-SPAN's website.

Biden is scheduled to begin his evening speech at 7 p.m. His speech will focus on "protecting American democracy," according to C-SPAN's event description.

40% of Americans Believe 2020 Election Was Stolen

A new poll shows 40 percent of Americans believe the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

A poll conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies on behalf of Newsweek found that Donald Trump's "Big Lie" that the last election was stolen still lingers in the minds of many voters.

The survey, conducted on October 30 among 1,500 eligible voters in the U.S., found that 40 percent of respondents agreed with the now-debunked theory promoted by the former president, claiming that the 2020 presidential election was marred by electoral fraud.

Trump, along with many of his 2022 midterm endorsements, continue to push theories of voter fraud. Trump said the election was "rigged and stolen" and has shared memes on his Truth Social account claiming he won the 2020 election over President Joe Biden.

Of these, 24 percent "strongly agreed" that the election was stolen while 16 percent "agreed."

On the other side, 36 percent of respondents disagreed that the election was stolen. Of this group, nine percent disagreed and 27 percent strongly disagreed that the election was stolen.

Among the 36 percent of respondents who believe in the legitimacy of the 2020 election, 45 percent said they don't understand why some may have doubts about its integrity. About 35 percent said it was understandable.

Some 15 percent of respondents neither agreed nor disagree with the idea that the 2020 election was stolen, while eight percent said they didn't know.

Armed Group Ordered to Stay Away from Ballot Box

A federal judge ordered an armed group to stay at least 250 feet away from ballot drop boxes following complaints of voter intimidation in Arizona.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Liburdi barred members of Clean Elections USA from filing or following anyone within 75 feet of a ballot drop box or the entrance to a building that houses one.

After reports that group members were wearing masks and carrying guns, the judge also said the group cannot speak to or yell at people voting within that perimeter unless spoke to first.

"It is paramount that we balance the rights of the defendant to engage in their constitutionally protected First Amendment activity with the interest in the plaintiffs and in voters casting a vote free of harassment and intimidation," Liburdi said.

According to its website, Clean Elections USA is "a grassroots organization committed to election integrity." The group believes the false claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

"While there are many who say the 2020 election was the most secure in American history, we know this is far from the truth," the group website states.

Clean Elections USA founder Melody Jennings was also ordered to issue a clarifying statement and share the state rules for ballot drop off.

"AZ-it is not always illegal to deposit multiple ballots in a ballot box," she said on her Truth Social account. "Any past statement that it is always illegal to deposit multiple ballots in a ballot drop box is incomplete."

The temporary restraining order comes at the request of the League of Women Voters of Arizona after Clean Elections USA encouraged people to watch 24-hour ballot boxes in Maricopa County.

As of Nov. 1, Maricopa County received 734,528 ballot packets with verified signatures, according to County Recorder Stephen Richer.

Trump Could Announce 2024 Run Next Week

Former President Donald Trump teased a run in the 2024 presidential election, while campaigning for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.

While speaking at a rally last week, Trump said he'd "probably" run for office again.

"In order to make our country successful, safe and glorious again, I will probably have to do it again," he said as the crowd of supporters cheered.

Trump's former aides have predicted he will launch his presidential campaign after the Nov. 8 elections.

"I'm like 95 percent he's going to run," Reince Priebus, Trump's former White House chief of staff, told the Associated Press.

"The real question," he added, "is are other big challengers going to run? If President Trump runs, he will be very difficult for any Republican to defeat."

Trump allies believe an announcement on his run will come within two weeks, after the November 8 midterm elections.

Throughout the midterm season, Trump has endorsed several Republican candidates down the ballot. Several of those candidates have pushed Trump's false claims that the 2020 Presidential election was "stolen."

He has held 30 rallies across 17 states and more than 50 candidate fundraisers. His new MAGA Inc. super PAC has spent more than $16.6 million on ads in competitive swing states, according to the ad tracking firm AdImpact.

In total, Trump's Save America PAC said it's raised nearly $350 million for GOP candidates and committees through online fundraising.

This comes as Trump and his business are under several investigations on the state and federal level. This includes New York Attorney General Letitia James' investigation into the business deals of the Trump Organization, Georgia's probe into his efforts to pressure election officials to overturn the 2020 election, the Justice Departments investigation into classified documents at Trump's Mar-a-Lago home and the subpoena from the committee investigating Trump's role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Trump may compete against his former running mate and Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the GOP nomination if he decides to run in 2024.

The former president has shared several recent polls on his Truth Social account that show he would beat other potential Republican candidates in a hypothetical 2024 primary.

Trump has also shared polling data that indicates he would beat Democratic President Joe Biden in a hypothetical general election.

Over 28 Million Early Votes Cast

More than 28 million people have voted early in the 2022 midterms, with six days until election day.

As of Wednesday morning, 28,330,094 early votes have been cast, according to the University of Florida's Election Project. Nearly 11.8 million voted in person and about 16.5 million voted by mail. Texas is leading the country with the most early votes, followed by Florida and California.

In Texas, 3.75 million people have voted early, the vast majority of which voted in person. Further data was not available.

In Florida, some 3.3 people have already voted, the majority voted by mail and more Republicans, 43%, have voted, compared to 38% of Democrats, the data showed.

In California, more than 3 million people have voted early. More than half are Democrats, compared to 28% of Republicans and 22% of others with no or a minor party affiliation.

Suspended Twitter Accounts Won't be Reinstated Before Midterms

Elon Musk has confirmed Twitter accounts banned for "violating Twitter rules" won't be restored for "at least a few weeks," which would be after next Tuesday's midterm elections.

The world's richest man completed his purchase of Twitter late last month, and has vowed to turn the social media giant into a free speech hub.

On Wednesday he said: "Twitter will not allow anyone who was de-platformed for violating Twitter rules back on platform until we have a clear process for doing so, which will take at least a few more weeks."

Those banned include Donald Trump, with the former president having his account suspended for breaking Twitter's "glorification of violence policy," following the storming of Congress by his supporters on January 6 2021.

Returning to Twitter would almost certainly increase the reach of Trump's social media output, currently restricted to Truth Social, though the former president has said he won't be coming back.

Poll Finds Most Americans Blame Joe Biden for Inflation

Most Americans think Joe Biden is "significantly" or "fairly" responsible for the current high level of inflation, according to a new Newsweek poll.

The survey of 1,500 eligible voters, conducted on October 30 by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, found 43 percent believe the president and his policies are "significantly" to blame for the level of inflation.

Another 18 percent said they are "significantly to blame," with 17 percent branding them "slightly to blame." Just 23 percent of voters don't think Biden is responsible at all for the current level of inflation.

The poll also found 40 percent of Americans believe the 2020 presidential election was either rigged or stolen, with 36 percent disagreeing.

Donald Trump is continuing to claim the vote was rigged against him, despite this theory being repeatedly rejected in court and by independent election experts.

U.S. Braces for Fresh Rise in Interest Rates

The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates again on Wednesday, with the Financial Times predicting a new target range of 3.75-4 percent.

This would be a 0.75 percent increase on the current target of 3-3.25 percent, as the Reserve attempts to dampen inflation which remained at 8.2 percent in September.

That month Federal Reserve officials blames persistently high inflation on "labor tensions, a new round of global energy price increases, further disruptions in supply chains and a larger-than-expected pass-through of wage increases into price increases."

If another rates rise is confirmed it would be the sixth increase in a row by the Fed, with rates soaring from a starting point of near zero in March.

A further rate increase would increase the cost of borrowing, and raise mortgage repayments for home owners, less than a week before crunch midterm elections.

U.S. Senate Election Dead Heat Predicted According to New Model

Next Tuesday's Senate elections are a near dead heat according to modelling from election website FiveThirtyEight, who published their latest predictions on Tuesday.

The polling website gives the Republicans a 51 percent chance of winning the Senate, versus 49 percent for the Democrats.

However, the Republicans are strongly favored to seize control of the House of Representatives, with FiveThirtyEight giving the GOP an 83 percent chance of seizing the second chamber of Congress.

The chances of the Republicans winning both the Senate and House is given as 51 percent, versus a 16 percent chance that the Democrats secure both chambers.

FiveThirtyEight said: "After the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, the national environment improved for Democrats. However, Republicans have regained much of that ground in October, keeping with the usual trends of midterm elections."

A Gallup poll released late last month found just 40 percent of Americans approve of Joe Biden's performance as president, down from 42 percent in September.