10 things you need to know today: November 5, 2014

- 1. Republicans retake the Senate, gain seats in the House
- 2. Democrats find few bright spots on election night
- 3. Feds launch probe of JP Morgan foreign trading
- 4. New Ebola outbreak hits Sierra Leone
- 5. U.S. deficit declines dramatically
- 6. Ford issues vehicle recall
- 7. Mexican authorities arrest mayor suspected of abducting students
- 8. Venezuela's president vows to raise minimum wage
- 9. Study reveals long-term shift work may cause memory problems
- 10. George P. Bush is the latest member of the family to get elected in Texas
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
1. Republicans retake the Senate, gain seats in the House
After a long and arduous campaign season, it was a good night for Republicans. The GOP picked up Senate seats in North Carolina, Colorado, Iowa, West Virginia, Arkansas, Montana and South Dakota, giving the party it's first Senate majority in eight years. Republicans also picked up at least nine seats in the House and won several hotly contested governors races, including in Florida and Colorado. Presumptive Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who ended up soundly defeating challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes, hinted at compromise, saying "Just because we have a two-party system doesn't mean we have to be in perpetual conflict."
2. Democrats find few bright spots on election night
Despite a slew of election-night defeats, Democrats were able to hang onto Jeanne Shaheen's Senate seat in New Hampshire with 52 percent of the vote. Republican candidate Scott Brown tried to tie the incumbent to President Obama's, but ultimately his strategy failed. The Democrats also picked up the Pennsylvania governor's seat, ousting incumbent Tom Corbett.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
3. Feds launch probe of JP Morgan foreign trading
The Department of Justice is investigating JP Morgan's foreign exchange trading business. Bank officials acknowledged the criminal inquiry in a government filing that was made public on Monday and said that they were cooperating with investigators. In addition to the DOJ, American banking regulators, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority are conducting civil investigations into JP Morgan's foreign exchange business.
4. New Ebola outbreak hits Sierra Leone
Koinadugu, a remote district in the northern province of Sierra Leone, had largely avoided the Ebola crisis thanks to a self-imposed quarantine. But a new infection chain is threatening the area and raising concerns that the death toll could skyrocket. Even after four months of isolation, a Red Cross team had to be dispatched to Koinadugu to give medical burials to 30 people. Another 25 have contracted Ebola and 255 more are being monitored for the disease, according to reports.
5. U.S. deficit declines dramatically
The U.S. budget deficit is down to its lowest level since 2008. The government spent $483.4 billion more than it took in last fiscal year, but that was only 2.8 percent of the country's $17.2 trillion gross domestic product. That number is down from a high of 10.1 percent in December of 2009. The combination of the government reducing spending and a growing economy helped spur the decline.
6. Ford issues vehicle recall
The second largest auto manufacturer in the United States has issued five recalls affecting more than 202,000 vehicles. Ford is calling back 38,645 Crown Victorias, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Cars over fears that a previous recall led to improper repairs to the steering shaft. The company is also recalling 134,947 Flex and F-150 vehicles to fix an air bag malfunction. Another 960 F-150 pickups will need adjustments to the brake pedal, while 25,689 Transit Connects require repairs to their fuel systems.
7. Mexican authorities arrest mayor suspected of abducting students
Mexican federal police apprehended Jose Luis Abarca, the mayor of Iguala, and his wife, Maria de los Angeles Pineda, for allegedly abducting 43 students on their way to a political protest. The pair, which was taken into custody in Mexico City's Iztapalapa neighborhood, did not resist arrest. Despite locating the "probable mastermind" behind the kidnapping, authorities still haven't found the missing students.
8. Venezuela's president vows to raise minimum wage
For the third time this year, Venezuelans will see a double-digit increase in the minimum wage. President Nicolas Maduro said he would raise the country's base pay by 15 percent to 4,889 bolivars — or $776 — a month. In January and May, the minimum wage was raised 10 percent and 30 percent, respectively. High inflation continues to cripple the Venezuelan economy.
9. Study reveals long-term shift work may cause memory problems
A new study suggests that shift work can deteriorate a person's memory and thinking. The research, conducted by the National Center for Scientific Researchers in France, found that long-term shift workers who worked variable hours for 10 years experienced roughly 6.5 years of age-related decline in their cognition skills. The experiment followed 3,000 people over a decade and also found that it took at least five years to reverse the effects shift work can have on the brain.
10. George P. Bush is the latest member of the family to get elected in Texas
Not only was George P. Bush elected Tuesday as the Texas land commissioner, but he was the first member of the Bush clan to win his first election. The oil and gas investment consultant will now negotiate and enforce leases for mineral rights on state-owned land.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Laura Colarusso is a freelance journalist based in Boston. She has previously written for Newsweek, The Boston Globe, the Washington Monthly and The Daily Beast.
-
The daily gossip: Travis Kelce chats about Taylor Swift's Chiefs game visit, Hollywood writers thrilled with details of new contract as strike ends, and more
The daily gossip: September 27, 2023
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The Trump Organization is over
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
Corrupted Ukraine
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 27, 2023
Daily Briefing A New York judge rules Trump defrauded banks, Biden visits auto workers on picket line, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 27 September 2023
The Week’s daily digest of the news agenda, published at 8am
By The Week Staff Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 26, 2023
Daily Briefing Congress returns to work with shutdown looming, Ukraine says it killed Russia's Black Sea Fleet commander, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 25, 2023
Daily Briefing GOP leaders pressure far-right holdouts to help prevent a shutdown, Hollywood writers reach tentative deal to end strike, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 24, 2023
Daily Briefing Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian population to leave region amid fears of persecution, Atlantic coast remains under flood warnings from Ophelia, and more
By Justin Klawans Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 22, 2023
Daily Briefing Zelenskyy visits Washington as Biden unveils more Ukraine aid, Rupert Murdoch steps down at Fox and News Corp., and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 21, 2023
Daily Briefing Biden extends temporary protections to 470,000 Venezuelans, Republicans grill Garland on Biden and Trump investigations, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 20, 2023
Daily Briefing Zelenskyy, Biden urge UN members to oppose Russian aggression, hardline Republicans block spending bill as shutdown looms, and more
By Harold Maass Published