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Today’s best stories
The House effectively killed Republican Rep. Thomas Massie’s efforts to indict Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The House voted 211-204 to refer the articles of impeachment to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration. The move avoids any potential vote on impeachment and virtually guarantees that the issue will not be addressed until the end of the current session of Congress. Massie reintroduced the articles of impeachment on Monday, charging Hegseth with serious crimes related to the war with Iran and U.S. strikes against drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth answers questions from reporters during a press conference at the Pentagon on November 10, 2026.
Puce Somodevilla/Getty Images
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Puce Somodevilla/Getty Images
- 🎧 NPR’s Eric McDaniel describes yesterday’s vote as First like a dating game. There were enough Democrats in Washington to pass the impeachment resolution, but there were not enough to vote, so the Republicans had a simple majority. McDaniel spoke with Warren Davidson, a Republican congressman from Ohio, the day before the vote. Davidson said he believed the war in Iran was unconstitutional, but argued that Hegseth was merely a scapegoat for “status quo politics in Washington.”
- ➡️ The GOP had a lot on its agenda yesterday. The Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee has released a report on its investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. The report concluded that the federal government mishandled criminal investigations into the disgraced financier and fallen survivors.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio will be the new House minority leader. House Republicans voted yesterday to replace President Mike Johnson, who is resigning after last week’s midterm defeats. At 62, Jordan brings experience from the House Oversight and Judiciary committees. Both panels are poised to play a central role in the new Congress as Democrats plan investigations into President Trump and his administration.
- 🎧 NPR’s Barbara Sprunt says she saw the election as a choice between continuity and changeand Jordan clearly represented change. Jordan’s selection, along with the appointment of Stephen Miller as the president’s new chief of staff, highlights a shift toward a combative policy approach, Sprunt says. Democratic leadership elections are expected to take place next week and are expected to keep current leaders Hakeem Jeffries in the House and Chuck Schumer in the Senate in place.
US federal prosecutors have indicted three men accused of being Iran-backed agents was allegedly involved in nearly 20 attacks and attempted terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States. The charges include a plot in September against a British air base where American forces were stationed. The Justice Department says some of these attacks were directed live via FaceTime from Iraq.
- 🎧 Federal prosecutors in Manhattan accuse the men of working for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Iraqi militia Kata’ib Hezbollah, both classified as terrorist groups, according to journalist Willem Marx. Seven of these attacks took place in Britain. These included arson, explosives and a near-fatal stabbing of two Jewish men in London. Marx also noted that, in another case, British counterterrorism police arrested a 41-year-old U.S. Army soldier on suspicion of spying for Russia under the National Security Act. Authorities stressed that this espionage investigation was not related to the Iran-related matter. But Marx says the incidents raise significant concerns about security around U.S. military bases in Britain and the safety of nearby residents.
Veterans in the new Congress
by Quil Lawrenceveterans correspondent
Virginia Democratic congressional candidate Elaine Luria arrives to deliver an election night speech at the Holiday Inn Virginia Beach, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Luria faces incumbent Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) in a rematch after losing to her in Virginia’s 2nd District in 2022.
Finn Gomez/Getty Images
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Finn Gomez/Getty Images
A Navy admiral fired by the Trump administration returns to Washington as a Democratic congresswoman. In Virginia, a former Army colonel beat another former Army colonel, and a Navy veteran won a rematch to unseat another Navy veteran. In Florida, a staunchly pro-Trump Air Force veteran narrowly fended off a former Army brigadier general (both also women). In Montana, two veterans lost, splitting votes against a former Republican attorney general with no military experience.
What conclusion should we draw? There isn’t any!
Americans regularly say they admire military service, and political campaigns recruit veterans to run in tough races. Whether it works remains an open question, although some research suggests that Democrats in particular may benefit from veteran status with voters.
The next Congress will include at least 80 veterans, with some races still too close to call. And according to With honorwhich supports veteran candidates from both parties who promise to sponsor legislation on the other side, more than 50 veterans in the next Congress have signed their pledge.
But the number of veterans is decreasing, from 19% currently serving to 15%. It’s probably just a matter of demographics. Relatively few Americans serve in the all-volunteer military today, while past generations were drafted by the millions in Vietnam and Korea. During World War II, military service was almost a given for men. When this generation entered politics, both chambers were about 70 percent veterans for a decade, from 1965 to 1975.
The 120th Congress will welcome more women veterans than ever, approximately double the previous class. An analysis by Veterans Campaign and the University of San Francisco found that Democrats chose veterans as candidates in the toughest races, in districts that President Trump won in 2024 by an average of 22 points.
There is another way veterans can serve: as poll workers. The group Vet the Vote recruits veterans and their families to participate in elections. Starting with a goal of 150,000 volunteers during the 2024 presidential cycle, their campaign counted more than 175,000 this midterm from all 50 states, helping to bolster understaffed and overworked poll workers nationwide. The group says they have volunteers in 4 out of 5 zip codes across the country.
And veterans love to vote. Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families has found that veterans have relatively outnumbered civilians in every election since 2014, a difference especially pronounced in the midterm elections.
Life advice
In this image you can see this moment of pause: Sometimes the hardest part of talking to other people is not finding the right words to say, but deciding whether you should say something.
Abi Inman/NPR
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Abi Inman/NPR
Being honest with people can be tricky. Sometimes deciding to say anything can be more difficult than finding the right words to say. Social psychologist Vanessa Bohns says that giving feedback or criticism often feels like a dilemma. But by exercising caution, you can make better choices about when to share your thoughts. Bohns shared three questions with Life kit that you might consider before expressing your opinion.
- 🗣️ Is this information useful? Honesty is beneficial if your feedback helps someone improve, avoid embarrassment, or learn something about themselves. If your comments are petty, irrelevant, or impractical to implement, it’s probably best to keep silent.
- 🗣️ Would I like to hear that? Just because you don’t want to share the truth doesn’t mean the other person doesn’t want to hear it. A 2022 survey found that people often underestimate the desire for feedback from others, even when it is constructive.
- 🗣️ Do they want your feedback? When in doubt, don’t assume you know what someone needs. Pre-evaluating the value of your advice or a person’s ability to handle the truth can make well-meaning comments seem condescending.
For more tips on how to share good and bad news, listen to this episode from NPR. Life kit. Subscribe to Life kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.
3 things to know before you leave
After playing and singing Rob Thomas’ “Little Wonders” for Army veteran John Fay at the DC VA Medical Center’s Palliative Care Unit, Musicians On Call singer Dante Ciolfi thanks Fay for her service.
Tyrone Turner/WAMU for NPR
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Tyrone Turner/WAMU for NPR
- Musicians On Call volunteer musicians perform for veterans at the VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and other hospital patients across the country. They usually visit hospitals three to four times a month.
- The Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam recently came to life when a renowned tattoo artist brought 17th-century masterpieces to life on visitors’ skin.
- The Professional Women’s Hockey League has announced the name of its new women’s hockey team: the San José Sea Lions. (via KQED)
This newsletter was published by Suzanne Nuyen.
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