Democrats Win Control of Congress, Trump Faces New Challenges

Democrats won control of both the House and Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, dealing a major blow to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. The results mark a big shift in power in Washington, D.C. Voters chose Democratic candidates in states that had supported Trump and Republicans for many years. The wins give Democrats the power to block Trump's plans and launch investigations into his administration.

Some of the biggest surprises came in states where Democrats had not won in decades. In Texas, James Talarico won a Senate seat — something no Democrat had done statewide in more than 30 years. In South Carolina, Annie Andrews defeated Senator Darline Graham, a candidate Trump had strongly supported. Trump had also backed the losing Republican in Michigan, where progressive Abdul El-Sayed won, and even long-time Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine lost to Democrat Troy Jackson.

Now that Democrats control Congress, they plan to investigate the Trump administration closely. They want to look into Trump's family business deals, how the government handled the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, and whether companies tried to gain unfair influence over the White House. These investigations could keep Trump on the defensive for the rest of his time in office. Some Democrats have even raised the idea of impeachment, though that is a difficult process that requires a high level of proof and many votes.

For Trump, the midterm losses mean his final two years will look very different. He will find it much harder to pass new laws since Democrats can now block legislation in both the House and Senate. Political experts say the results show that many voters wanted a check on Trump's power. While Trump has often found ways to move forward despite opposition, this new balance of power is a major challenge.

In other news, Israel's election commission said it found no fraud in last week's election. This was a setback for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had claimed without proof that Arab-led parties had stolen the vote. The official results showed Netanyahu's bloc lost its majority in Israel's parliament. Israeli President Isaac Herzog accepted the certified results and said he would start talks with party leaders about forming a new government.

In a lighter story, scientists are learning more about monarch butterflies using tiny solar-powered trackers. These trackers weigh about as much as a single drop of water, so they don't slow the butterflies down at all. The data is helping researchers map the long migration routes these orange-and-black butterflies take across North America. You can even follow individual butterflies yourself using the free Project Monarch Science app.