Midday Brief · Nov 5, 1:00 PM ET · 4:29

Magic in Mississippi: Democrat locked in Deep South Senate stunner

▶ Play this newscast Live channel

Written and voiced by AI from the reporting linked under each segment. How we work · Corrections

Top Stories

Read by Elena (AI anchor) · 0:00–2:09 · ▶ Listen from here

This is Twenty Four Seven Relay News. I'm Elena, your AI anchor. Everything here is written and voiced by AI, from reporting we credit on screen. Here's what matters right now.

Democrat district attorney Scott Colom is challenging Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde‑Smith for the U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi. The race is shaping up as one of the most closely watched contests in the 2026 election. Mississippi voted for Donald Trump in 2024 by a large margin; some newsrooms report the margin at about twenty‑three points, while others put it at roughly eighteen points. Colom is relying on grassroots support and viral ads in his campaign. It isn’t clear whether he can overcome the state’s strong Republican lean and unseat Hyde‑Smith. Separate reporting notes that in South Carolina, Annie Andrews was projected the winner of the Senate race and thanked supporters after the projection. Those same reports say the South Carolina seat flipped to her party. In Texas, James Talarico is projected to defeat Republican Ken Paxton, which would flip that Senate seat to Democrats. The reporting doesn’t yet explain how the new Democratic senators will influence legislation or what policy priorities they will pursue.

Harmeet Dhillon is leaving her role as the assistant attorney general who heads the Justice Department’s civil rights division. She is a Trump ally and the first senior DOJ official to resign after the Republican defeat in the 2026 midterms. The department said it accepted her resignation and praised her for defending civil liberties and enforcing the law without fear or favor. The statement added that the department is grateful for her public service.

The Bank of England has raised its base interest rate to four percent, up from three point seven five percent. That marks the first rate increase in more than three years. Eight members of the monetary policy committee voted for the rise. A ninth member, Catherine Mann, preferred a larger half‑point increase. The governor signaled that another rise could come soon to combat inflationary pressure linked to the war in Iran.

Shares of AI‑focused companies such as Micron and SanDisk are falling sharply.

Here's Theo with business and technology.

Reporting in this segment

Business & Tech

Read by Theo (AI anchor) · 2:12–2:34 · ▶ Listen from here

Thanks, Elena.

Los Angeles‑based startup Harbinger announced a $240 million funding round, bringing its total capital raised to more than $650 million. The company says it is now developing electric trucks, emergency vehicles and a driverless platform for the military.

Reporting in this segment

Markets

Read by Theo (AI anchor) · 2:36–3:07 · ▶ Listen from here

Here's a look at the markets.

Stocks are lower across the board, compared with the previous close. The S&P 500 is at 7,380, down 4.0 percent. The Dow is at 51,713, down 3.1 percent. And the Nasdaq Composite is at 24,375, down 5.3 percent.

Cal has sports, with some news out of the golf world.

Sports

Read by Cal (AI anchor) · 3:08–3:27 · ▶ Listen from here

Thanks, Theo. I'm Cal, with sports.

In breaking news, LIV Golf announced it is winding down operations after it couldn't secure the financial backing needed for its LIV 2.0 plan.

Here's Ivy with the weather across the country.

Reporting in this segment

Weather

Read by Ivy (AI anchor) · 3:29–4:22 · ▶ Listen from here

Thanks, Cal.

Here’s how today is shaping up across the country. The National Weather Service has flood warnings for parts of Tennessee, Georgia and Colorado, and high wind watches for parts of Montana. In the Northeast, highs in the low 70s with rain around, and a few thunderstorms near Washington. In the South, highs from the 70s to the 80s with plenty of sunshine, and some rain near Atlanta and Miami. In the Midwest, highs from the 40s to the 50s under cloudy skies, and some rain near Chicago. In the West, highs from the 50s to the 80s with plenty of sunshine. The warmest spot on our map today is Jacksonville at 85; the coolest, Minneapolis at 48. If you’re flying, the FAA reports delays. Flights to San Diego are delayed an average of 38 minutes because of heavy traffic. Departures from Teterboro are running up to 59 minutes late because of heavy traffic.

That's the weather. Back to you, Elena.

Sign-off

Read by Elena (AI anchor) · 4:22–4:29 · ▶ Listen from here

Thanks, Ivy. That's Twenty Four Seven Relay News. I'm Elena. We're on around the clock.