The Breakfast Table

On Tuesday 3 November, Americans voted in midterm elections. They decide which party controls Congress, the group of lawmakers who write the country’s laws, for the last two years of President Trump’s term. Voters chose all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate.

Many voters said money worries were on their minds. They cited high prices and the war with Iran. More than 59 million Americans voted early, according to the University of Florida Voting Lab.

Forecasters widely expected Democrats to win the House, while control of the Senate was less clear. Those are forecasts, not results. CBS News notes that close races may be called later, and that this is not in itself a sign of fraud.

Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu crossed India’s south Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole in the early hours of Tuesday 3 November. India’s weather department said winds were around 100 to 110 kilometres an hour, with gusts up to 120.

About 10,000 people moved into relief shelters. Strong winds and heavy rain knocked down trees and electricity poles and flooded low-lying areas. Schools in some districts stayed closed, and 19 domestic flights were cancelled. Andhra Pradesh’s disaster authority said no deaths or injuries had been reported so far.

Farms took a hit. The Tribune reported more than 30,000 hectares of crops damaged across 15 districts, mostly paddy, cotton and maize. Families can report problems such as power cuts and fallen trees through a WhatsApp service called Mana Mitra. The weather department expected the storm to weaken, but heavy rain to continue.