1/ Trump was involved in “nearly every step� of the hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal and he may have violated federal campaign-finance laws in the process. David Pecker, chief executive of American Media Inc., offered to use the National Enquirer to buy their silence, eventually paying McDougal $150,000 after Trump asked Pecker to kill her story. As a presidential candidate, Trump “directed deals in phone calls and meetings� related to the two women with Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty in August to campaign-finance violations. Cohen also admitted that he arranged payments to Daniels and McDougal at the direction of “a candidate for federal office� with the intention of influencing the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. (Wall Street Journal)

2/ Trump claimed that he did not discuss Robert Mueller’s Russia probe with Matthew Whitaker before appointing him acting attorney general. Trump defended Whitaker, calling him a “highly respected man,� but also said “I don’t know Matt Whitaker.� Trump has been in more than a dozen meetings with Whitaker in the Oval Office. (Washington Post / Politico / CNBC / NBC News)

Whitaker previously served on the advisory board of a company that “bilked thousands of consumers out of millions of dollars.� World Patent Marketing was fined nearly $26 million after the FTC accused it of scamming customers. The FBI is conducting a criminal investigation and Whitaker has “unquestionably recused from any investigation or prosecution of World Patent Marketing.� (New York Times / Washington Post / ABC News / Wall Street Journal)

Trump called George Conway “Mr. Kellyanne Conway� after he wrote an op-ed arguing that Trump’s appointment of Whitaker is unconstitutional because he wasn’t confirmed by the Senate. George is the husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway. (ABC News)

3/ A federal appellate court panel ordered Mueller to explain how the firing of Jeff Sessions could influence the case between the special counsel and Andrew Miller, the former Roger Stone aide who is challenging Mueller’s appointment on constitutional grounds. The judges will likely ask for supplemental briefing to address the legal issues tied to the handover from Rod Rosenstein to Whitaker. (Politico)

1/ Robert Mueller’s team has begun writing its final report. Trump and his lawyers, meanwhile, have been reviewing his written answers to questions from the special counsel. Mueller is required to produce a “confidential report� at the end of his investigation, which includes “the prosecution or declination decisions reached by the Special Counsel.� With Jeff Sessions being replaced with Matt Whitaker, who has been openly critical of Mueller, it is not clear whether the report will release it at all, or in what form. (CNN)

Trump’s lawyer Jay Sekulow claimed there will be “no effect day-to-day� on Mueller’s investigation. Whitaker has taken responsibility for supervising Mueller’s probe even though he has written critically about the special counsel’s work and publicly criticized it. (Bloomberg)

Whitaker will not recuse himself from overseeing Mueller’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. It’s also unlikely that Whitaker would approve any subpoena of Trump as part of the investigation. (Washington Post)

Kellyanne Conway’s husband argued that Trump’s pick of Whitaker was unconstitutional and that he should to be subject to Senate confirmation before serving. (New York Times / Washington Post)

Trump is considering former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to replace Sessions. (CNN / CNBC)

Progressive groups are calling for nationwide protests today at 5 p.m. local time to demand protection for Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. The protests will be held under the banner, “Nobody is Above the Law,� and will be led by the activist group MoveOn. The protests were triggered by Trump’s decision to fire Jeff Sessions and replace him with Matthew Whitaker, who will now have authority over the Russia investigation. Sessions recused himself after he was first appointed in 2016, giving Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein oversight of the probe. Whitaker has publicly called for Mueller’s probe to be reigned in. (Reuters)

2/ Trump hasn’t decided whether he’ll answer any of Mueller’s questions, according to Rudy Giuliani. If Trump declines to answer the questions, Mueller would be forced to make a decision about whether to subpoena the sitting president and force a historic legal fight. (Politico)

3/ Trump suspended the White House press credentials of CNN’s Jim Acosta after a heated exchange at a press conferen...

1/ Democrats won back the House for the first time in eight years, picking up at least 27 seats to give the party a check on Trump and the GOP’s economic policy. “Tomorrow will be a new day in America,� Nancy Pelosi said in a victory speech. “Today is more than about Democrats and Republicans. It’s about restoring the Constitution’s checks and balances to the Trump administration.� Some key races are still too close to call as of Wednesday morning. (Washington Post / New York Times / Politico / CNBC)

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, the pro-Russia Republican incumbent, lost to Democrat Harley Rouda in California’s 48th House district. (Daily Beast / New York Times)

The Nevada brothel owner who died last month won in the race for Nevada’s 36th Assembly District. County officials will appoint a Republican to take his place in the seat. (NBC News)

Trump described the midterm election as “great� for Republicans, but vowed to turn the tables on Democrats who investigate him and his administration. “If the Democrats think they are going to waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of Classified Information, and much else, at the Senate level. Two can play that game!� Trump tweeted. Mitch McConnell cautioned Democrats against engaging in “presidential harassment.� (Washington Post)

If the Democrats think they are going to waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of Classified Information, and much else, at the Senate level. Two can play that game!

2/ Republicans increased their majority in the Senate, building on their one-seat majority in the chamber by winning Democratic seats in Indiana, North Dakota and Missouri. (New York Times / The Guardian / Washington Post)

Ted Cruz narrowly defeated Beto O’Rourke. With 99% of precincts reporting, Cruz had 50.9%, or 4,228,832 votes, and O’Rourke had 48.3%, or 4,015,082 votes. (...

I’ll be keeping this space updated throughout the midterms with the latest polls and live blogs.

Forecasts and Results: New York Times / Real Clear Politics / Five Thirty Eight: House / Senate

Live Blogs: Washington Post / Five Thirty Eight / New York Times / The Guardian / CNN / NBC News / Wall Street Journal / Politico / ABC News

How to watch the midterms: A normal person’s guide to how the midterms will unfold, hour by hour. (Five Thirty Eight / BuzzFeed News / CNN / Bloomberg)

What time do the polls close? The first polls close at 6 p.m. ET with the last closing seven hours later in Alaska. (New York Times / Politico)

Races to watch and how to follow them. (Bloomberg / CNN / ABC News / Politico)

What’s at stake, explained. (Vox)

1/ More than 36 million people voted early this year, almost 10 million more people than during the 2014 midterms. Some experts believe early voting could surpass 40 million people by the time all the ballots are counted. (Politico)

2/ Trump and Jeff Sessions issued baseless warnings about the threat of voter fraud in the midterm elections. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the...

Today in one sentence: Democrats are expected to take control of the House of Representatives but fall short in the Senate; national polls show that 55% of voters prefer Democratic control of the House; some polls, however, show the Democratic edge shrinking; at least 31 million people have voted early nationwide; and U.S. intelligence officials have seen no evidence of any attempts to tamper with the midterm election systems.

With one day to go, I’ll be keeping this space updated throughout the midterms with the latest polls and live blogs.

Forecasts: New York Times / Real Clear Politics / Five Thirty Eight: House / Senate

Live Blogs: Washington Post / The Guardian / CNN / Bloomberg

Voter Guide: How, when and where to vote on Tuesday. (New York Times / Bloomberg)

How to watch the midterms: A guide. (Five Thirty Eight)

Races to watch and how to follow them. (Bloomberg / CNN)

What’s at stake, explained. (Vox)

5 possible outcomes and what they’d mean. (Washington Post)

Election Day misinformation. What to look for. (New York Times)

The Georgia secretary of state and Republican candidate for governor accused Democrats of allegedly trying to hack the state’s voter registration system. Brian Kemp, who is in a tight race with Stacey Abrams, alleged that the state Democratic Party made a “failed attempt to hack the state’s voter registration system� and announced that his office was opening an investigation. Kemp said his office also alerted the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, but he offered no evidence to back up his allegation. Democrats called it a “political stunt� days before the election. (New York Times / NBC News /

1/ Trump once told Michael Cohen that he thinks black people are “too stupid� to vote for him and suggested that all countries run by blacks are “shitholes.� Cohen also claimed that Trump remarked that “only the blacks could live like this� as they drove through a “rougher� Chicago neighborhood in the early 2000s. (Vanity Fair)

2/ The Trump administration will reimpose all U.S. sanctions on Iran that had been lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear agreement. The sanctions will take effect on Monday, but eight “jurisdictions� will be granted six-month waivers, Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, said. Shortly after the announcement, Trump tweeted a poster of himself with the words “Sanctions Are Coming� with the font from the popular HBO show, Game of Thrones. (Associated Press / New York Times / CNN / Axios)

pic.twitter.com/nk2vKvHuaL

3/ The FBI recovered a suspicious package addressed to billionaire Tom Steyer resembling those allegedly sent by Cesar Sayoc. Steyer is a Democrat known for his ads calling for the impeachment of Trump. (CNN / Reuters)

4/ The Nigerian Army used Trump’s speech to justify fatally shooting rock-throwing protesters. The Nigerian army posted a video of Trump’s anti-migrant speech from Thursday in which he said rocks would be considered firearms if thrown toward the American military at the border. The army has been accused of killing 45 protesters. (New York Times / BuzzFeed News)

5/ Trump walked back his threat that troops could shoot at migrants approaching the border if they threw rocks. “I didn’t say shoot,� Trump claimed. “I didn’t say shoot,� Trump claimed. “But if they do [throw rocks at troops] they’re gonna be arrested for a long time.� (CNN / USA Today /

1/ Roger Stone was in communication with Steve Bannon about upcoming WikiLeaks disclosures during the 2016 presidential race. After WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange publicly claimed to have hacked emails from Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, Bannon emailed Stone on Oct. 4: “What was that this morning???� Stone responded that Assange feared for his personal safety, but would be releasing “a load every week going forward.� Last week, Robert Mueller’s team interviewed Bannon for a third time, including about his communications with Stone. (New York Times / CNN / Washington Post)

Earlier this week Stone claimed he never discussed WikiLeaks with anybody from the Trump campaign. “There are no such communications,� Stone said, “and if Bannon says there are, he would be dissembling.� (Washington Post)

📖Read the emails between the Trump campaign and Roger Stone. (New York Times)

Jerome Corsi met with Mueller’s investigators and is scheduled to appear before the federal grand jury probing Russia interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Friday. Corsi is one of at least 11 individuals associated with Stone who have been contacted by the special counsel. (ABC News)

2/ Trump tweeted a racist video falsely accusing Democrats of allowing a man who murdered two police officers into the country. The ad shows Luis Bracamontes, a Mexican man who had previously been deported but returned to the U.S. and killed two California sheriff’s deputies, in court with text overlays that say he “killed our people!� and that “Democrats let him into our country� and “Democrats let him stay.� It’s followed by footage of people who appear to be part of a migrant caravan pushing down gates with text then asks: “Who else would Democrats let in?� The ad offers no evidence for claims that Democrats let Bracamontes, who was deported twice, into the country. (ABC News / CNN / The Guardian)

3/ Before Saudi Arabia acknowledged that Jamal Khashoggi’s death was a “terrible mistake� and a “terrible tragedy,� the crown prince claimed that Khashoggi was a dangerous Islamist. In a phone call with both Jared Kushner and national security adviser John Bolton, Prince Mohammed bin Salman argued that Khashoggi was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Mohammed is expected to retain power despite an international consensus that he’s responsible for the killing. (Washington Post /

1/ The suspect in the shooting that left 11 people dead at a Pittsburgh synagogue was charged in a 44-count indictment with murder, hate crimes and other offenses that could bring the death penalty. Robert Bowers entered the Tree of Life synagogue armed armed with Glock .357 handguns and a Colt AR-15 rifle, and told police he was there to “kill Jews.� (Washington Post / Associated Press)

2/ Pipe bomb suspect Cesar Sayoc “conducted a domestic terror attack,� according to federal prosecutors. Sayoc researched the addresses of his targets online and had photos of them on his cellphone. Sayoc allegedly intended to “maximize harm� to his 15 targets. Justice Department prosecutors said Sayoc began planning the “domestic terror attack� in July while living in his van, which was covered with photos praising Trump. (NBC News / ABC News)

3/ The Trump administration doesn’t plan to renew the anti-domestic terror program, which funds the development of new approaches to prevent terrorism before it begins. The Department of Homeland Security said it has no plans to continue the program past the end of its funding in July 2019 and has told grant recipients that the funding was a “one-time� opportunity. (NBC News)

4/ Jamal Khashoggi was strangled and dismembered as soon as he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul as part of a premeditated plan to kill the Saudi journalist and dispose of his body, according Turkey’s public prosecutor. The statement from Irfan Fidan is the first official description by a Turkish official about Khashoggi’s death and follows two days of meetings with Saudi Arabia’s top prosecutor, Saud al-Mojeb. A senior Turkish official said Mojeb did not give Fidan the location of Khashoggi’s body or the identity of the “local collaborator� who helped dispose of the Khashoggi’s remains. The Saudis have shifted their story about Khashoggi’s fate, initially denying any knowledge, then suggesting that “rogue� killers were responsible for Khashoggi’s death, before acknowledging that Khashoggi was killed in a premeditated murder. (CNN / Bloomberg / Washington Post / Associated Press)

5/ Trump may deploy 10,000 to 15,000 military personnel to the border with Mexico in response to the caravan of Central American migrants. The deployment would double the number of active-duty troops operating the...

1/ Trump traveled to Pittsburgh to offer condolences to the families of the 11 victims of the mass shooting at Tree of Life synagogue hours after the first funerals were held. Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto explicitly asked Trump not to visit and did not appear with Trump. Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and Pat Toomey also all declined to appear with Trump. More than 1,000 people declared Trump “unwelcome in our city and in our country.� Earlier, Trump said: “I really look forward to going. I would have done it even sooner, but I didn’t want to disrupt any more than they already had disruption.� (CNN / NPR / Washington Post)

Robert Bowers complained about immigrant “invaders� six days before the shooting. There is no invasion, but right-wing media has been heavily using the word “invasion� in relation to the Central American migrant caravan this month. (CNN)

Shep Smith breaks with Fox News on the migrant caravan: “There is no invasion. No one is coming to get you. There is nothing at all to worry about.� The migrants are “more than two months away — if any of them actually come here,� Smith added.(HuffPost)

The Kansas man convicted of a 2016 plot to massacre Somali Muslim refugees asked for a more lenient sentence, arguing that Trump’s rhetoric should be taken into account as the “backdrop� for the case. (Washington Post)

Pence hosted an election event with a so-called “Christian rabbi.� Instead of opening up with prayers for the 11 Jews shot dead, Loren Jacobs praised Jesus Christ and then offered prayers for four Republican candidates. (Yahoo News)

2/ In an attempt to energize his base before the midterm elections, Trump claimed he can defy the constitution and end birthright citizenship via executive order. Trump said he discussed the idea with the White House counsel and that “it’s in the process, it will happen, with an executive order.� (Axios / Politico)

3/ The consensus among legal scholars is that Trump cannot end birthright citizenship by executive order. To end the constitutional right to citizenship for babies born in the U.S. to non-citizen, Trump would have to find a way around the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.� Amendments to the Constitution cannot be overridden by presidential action. (New York Times / Associated Press /

1/ A man armed with a semiautomatic assault-style rifle shot and killed 11 people during Shabbat services at a Pittsburgh synagogue in the deadliest attack on Jews in the history of the United States. Robert Bowers was charged with 29 counts of federal crimes of violence and firearms offenses. He also faces state charges, including 11 counts of homicide. Bowers told police during the shootout: “I just want to kill Jews.� (Washington Post / The Guardian / CNN)

2/ Trump: “If there was an armed guard inside the temple, they would have been able to stop him.� Trump added that the shooting “has little to do� with gun laws, but, “if they had protection inside, the results would have been far better.� (CNN / New York Times / ABC News)

3/ The former president of the Pittsburgh synagogue labeled Trump the “purveyor of hate speech� and said he would not be welcome in the city. Lynette Lederman’s comments followed an open letter signed by a coalition of local Jewish leaders that states: “President Trump, you are not welcome in Pittsburgh until you fully denounce white nationalism.� More than 30,000 people have signed the open letter. (The Guardian / Washington Post)

4/ Trump will visit Pennsylvania to commemorate the the victims of the mass shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue despite Pittsburgh’s mayor requesting that the trip be postponed until after the funerals are held. (NPR / Washington Post / New York Times)

5/ Trump called for unity but blamed the media for the “anger and outrage� in the country, accusing the press of being “the true Enemy of the People� for what he called “fraudulent� reporting regarding the wave of pipe bombs sent to prominent Democrats and the gunman who massacred Jewish worshipers at a Pittsburgh synagogue. The media is “doing everything in their power to blame Republicans, Conservatives and me for the division and hatred that has been going on for so long in our Country,� Trump wrote in a separate tweet, cla...