Israel's election remained too close to call on October 28 after record voter turnout, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu competing against Gadi Eisenkot, a center-right former military chief of staff. Election officials told NPR they expected to complete the count by the afternoon of October 29. Even then, negotiations over a governing coalition could leave the country's leadership unresolved for days or weeks.
NPR's Daniel Estrin reported that Eisenkot appeared ahead overnight before Netanyahu moved into the lead by morning. The leading candidate will have six weeks to assemble a coalition, but neither contender has a clear route to a majority. A strong performance by Arab-led parties could help Eisenkot secure parliamentary support. His camp, however, remains reluctant to enter a coalition with those parties amid mistrust and the demonization of Arab political leaders following the October 7, 2023, attacks, Estrin said.
Meanwhile, figures from the Democratic Republic of Congo put Ebola infections above 10,000 since the outbreak was declared in May. Nearly 5,000 people have died, approximately one-third of them children. The outbreak has spread more quickly than any previously recorded and covers the widest geographic area, extending from Nigeria to Kenya. Its death toll is the second highest.
In the United States, midterm advertising spending has exceeded a record $11 billion, according to Ad Impact. NPR found that candidates in four major Senate contests spent more than $15 million on fundraising advertisements during the 2025-26 election cycle. President Trump has campaigned in close races in states including Texas, Mississippi and Kansas as the election approaches.
Reporting from the Midwest, Morning Edition found concerns ranging from household costs to immigration enforcement. Some Springfield, Ohio, voters said anger over the administration's treatment of Haitian residents had prompted them to vote early. The administration revoked Temporary Protected Status for Haitians during Trump's second term and has pursued an aggressive deportation campaign against residents who had been living legally in the country under that protection.
In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed narrowly secured the Democratic Senate nomination, giving the party's progressive wing a victory. Some Black voters in Detroit remained skeptical of him after his weak primary performance there. Voters also described exhaustion and worries about gasoline and healthcare costs. Trump and former President Barack Obama campaigned for their respective parties' Senate candidates over the weekend.
Economic pressures also framed expectations for the Federal Reserve's October 28 meeting. Consumer prices increased 3.7% in September from a year earlier, a faster annual rise than in the previous month, according to the Labor Department. Prices are climbing faster than average wages. Although policymakers raised interest rates in September, investors expected no increase at this meeting and considered another rise possible in December.
