Last week’s midterms lacked something that has become a hallmark of some in the Republican Party: an effort to sow doubt about election results. The blue tsunami that will send Democrats cruising back into power could be the end of Republicans, including President Donald Trump, stoking claims of fraud.

‘Slowed to a trickle’
In the months leading up to the midterms, some Republicans “spread baseless theories that the vote would be rigged,” and experts had “anticipated a wave of legal challenges from election deniers seeking to contest the results,” said AFP. Some were especially concerned Trump himself would “try to tilt the outcome in his favor, as he did when he tried to overturn his 2020 election defeat.” But none of that occurred, and “evidence-free claims of fraud slowed to a trickle.”

Experts say the size of the blue tsunami made these claims impossible. It was “essentially too big to rig,” said a Trump adviser to CNN. Even allies who propped up Trump’s false 2020 claims accepted the Democratic midterm wins. But other factors may be at play. “I don’t know necessarily that margin of victory makes much difference to those who have profited off of the economy of grift around election conspiracies," said David Becker, the executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research, to AFP.

‘Does not mean an end’
Most Republicans did not contest the elections. In the races involving GOP election deniers, almost “all of them lost, and none of them, or the network of activists and groups backing them, have raised any questions about the results,” said Wired. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wisc.), who questioned former President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, lost his reelection bid and “conceded defeat without any reference to election rigging.” Colorado GOP secretary of state candidate James Wiley “made undermining trust in elections a centerpiece of his campaign,” but after he lost, he conceded the race “without questioning the results.”

But this “does not mean an end to the administration’s war on alleged voter fraud by noncitizens,” said the Los Angeles Times. And Trump himself, despite initially accepting the results, is still casting doubt. “Does anybody really believe that this ‘election’ was honest?” said Trump on Truth Social. “It’s all about the machines, which are far more important than the voter.”

For years, scientists have been stumped by the rise of early-onset colorectal cancer, which appears to be more treatment-resistant than in older patients. A new study may have discovered distinct biological traits that prove the cancers are indeed different.

What did the study uncover?
Scientists have long believed that early-onset colorectal cancer must be “biologically distinct” from the cancer found in older patients, said Stat News, since younger patients tend to be more difficult to treat. Patients under the age of 50 are often diagnosed at “later stages” with “tumors with more aggressive features.” Their outlook, especially for those under 35, may not be as good as that of someone in their 60s, despite receiving “more aggressive treatment” and “being at baseline healthier,” said study co-author Kimmie Ng to Stat News.

Researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Mass General Brigham and the Broad Institute, who published the study in Nature Medicine, found the biggest difference between the two age groups to be a “higher presence of stromal cells” in younger colorectal cancer patients, said The Washington Post. Stromal cells influence a tumor’s growth and can “shield it from immune cells or drugs.” The team also identified dozens of genes associated with cancer’s “propensity to metastasize and spread,” perhaps explaining why early-onset colorectal cancer is faster-growing, said the Post.

What will the findings change?
Researchers hope the paper will encourage more research into the distinct attributes of early-onset cancer tumors and how to approach them. Patients are typically treated the same, regardless of age. But following up on these findings could highlight “therapeutic targets” for a more precise treatment approach for young patients in the future, said Ng to the Post.

While the study doesn’t offer any “immediate new takeaways” for young people concerned about colon cancer, study co-author Ana Anderson suggests following existing guidance to lower your risk, said Business Insider. The recommended screening age was lowered from 50 to 45 a few years ago, but you should see a doctor sooner if you experience common colon cancer symptoms. If you are “extra cautious,” she said, it’s never a bad idea to stay active and cut down on inflammatory foods.

A 1951 Buick Special sedan is parked at the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, on Route 66. The iconic former highway turns 100 years old today, with celebrations along the 2,400-mile route from Chicago to Santa Monica.
Al Drago / Getty Images

Romantasy may be a relatively new publishing category, but it has become mighty popular mighty quickly, and true fans know the combination of romance and fantasy has long titillated readers. These books are the perfect starting point for anyone seeking an introduction to the steamiest among them.

‘Angels’ Blood’ (2009)
Nalini Singh kicked off the “Guild Hunter” series in the late 2000s, “before the term romantasy entered the lexicon,” said Harper’s Bazaar. In Singh’s world, angels, humans and vampires become intertwined in steamy, action-packed ways. The first book follows Elena Deveraux, a vampire hunter hired by the “very hot, very powerful” Archangel Raphael. ($9, Berkley)

‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ (2015)
Sarah J. Maas reigns as the “queen of fairy smut,” as “some fans lovingly call her,” said The New York Times. She was the U.S.’s bestselling author in 2024, writing stories filled with “magical creatures, ancient curses, warring royal courts” and “smoking-hot fairies” who can’t resist each other. ($19, Bloomsbury)

‘Fourth Wing’ (2023)
Rebecca Yarros is a BookTok heavy hitter, captivating fans with the romantic flings of dragon riders in “The Empyrean” books. Even the most “dragon-averse” will “fall head over heels” for this series, which is “just as spicy as it is thrilling,” said Cosmopolitan. ($15, Red Tower Books)

‘Quicksilver’ (2024)
Although it was published two years ago, this bestseller by Callie Hart ranked among Goodreads’ most-read books of 2026. The recognition “underscores just how quickly” the novel has become “one of the biggest breakout hits in contemporary fiction,” said Parade. ($10, Grand Central Publishing)