Election Day, Freezer Attacks, & Robot Dog Walker

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
November 03, 2026

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Americans vote today for all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats as Republicans defend control of Congress. Voters will also choose 36 governors. A Democratic majority in either chamber would give the party power to block legislation and launch investigations into the Trump administration during the final two years of his term.
More than 54 million Americans had voted early as of Monday compared with 45.9 million in the entire 2022 midterm election. Campaign advertising is also expected to set a record. AdImpact projects $11.6 billion in spending this cycle compared with $11.2 billion during the 2024 presidential election.
Democrats need a net gain of four Senate seats to overturn Republicans’ 53–47 majority. Their path includes defending open seats in Michigan and New Hampshire while pursuing Republican-held seats in Maine and North Carolina.

Suspected cyberattacks disrupted refrigeration systems at supermarkets across Europe on Monday, sending temperatures soaring and forcing stores to discard spoiled food.
The attacks appear to exploit vulnerabilities in internet-connected refrigeration controls that allow operators to adjust temperatures remotely. In Belgium, hackers reportedly activated defrost settings at dozens of stores. One Swedish supermarket reported that hackers set its freezers to 122°F, while similar incidents affected retailers in Luxembourg, Ireland, Estonia, and the Netherlands.
The disruptions follow an October cyberattack that affected hundreds of French supermarkets through older refrigeration systems. Security researchers had previously warned that some of the equipment was vulnerable to remote hacking. Authorities are investigating the latest incidents, but no group has claimed responsibility or been publicly identified as the culprit.

Astronomers have discovered a large object beyond Pluto that could become the sixth officially recognized dwarf planet in our solar system.
Chile’s Vera C. Rubin Observatory discovered the object, named 2026 ED138, orbiting the Sun about 46 times farther away than Earth. Researchers estimate it measures between 370 and 930 miles across, potentially more than half Pluto's diameter. It had escaped detection because its unusual orbit places it against the crowded backdrop of stars in the Milky Way.
Scientists still need to determine whether the object is large enough for gravity to pull it into a nearly round shape, a requirement for dwarf planet status. The Rubin Observatory began a 10-year sky survey in July and could uncover more hidden worlds as it repeatedly scans areas that earlier telescopes struggled to search.

Lindsay Clancy’s lawyers asked a judge Monday to dismiss charges in her three children’s killings, arguing a retrial after September’s hung jury would violate double-jeopardy protections. (More)

All nine people aboard a business jet died when it crashed into a Palm Beach County neighborhood. Federal investigators are still examining what happened. (More)

Southwestern communities remained under flood warnings Monday after heavy rain forced evacuations across Arizona and the Four Corners region. (More)

Ukrainian officials and volunteers evacuated 180 people during a brief localized ceasefire in the Kherson region before attacks resumed. (More)

More than 300,000 people have fled fighting in western Yemen and urgently need shelter and essential supplies, according to the U.N. migration agency. (More)

Canada and the United States reported progress toward a trade agreement Sunday but announced no completed deal to resolve their tariff dispute. (More)

U.S. stock markets closed mixed on Monday (S&P -0.51%, Nasdaq -1.07%, Dow +0.41%) as investors shifted from technology stocks into other parts of the market. (More)

Marvell agreed to buy optical-components maker Lumentum for about $115 billion including debt, to expand its role supplying AI data centers. (More)

Global factory surveys showed continued growth in October, but rising energy costs and supply delays squeezed manufacturers. (More)

Former Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz face trial on charges of accepting bribes to help gamblers bet on individual pitches. (More)

Florida State fired football coach Mike Norvell Sunday after a loss to Clemson left the Seminoles 3–5 and triggered a buyout of roughly $50 million. (More)

Paul Anka, David Foster, Andy Garcia, David Mamet and Barbara Mandrell will receive this year’s Kennedy Center Honors December 7 at Washington’s Capital One Arena. (More)

NASA’s aging Swift telescope is nearing atmospheric reentry after a failed rescue effort left the observatory losing altitude. (More)

Archaeologists found a rare 2,400-year-old Celtic helmet in northeastern Poland, suggesting long-distance connections along ancient amber trading routes. (More)

A dust-obscured Milky Way star cluster may rank among the galaxy’s oldest according to a preliminary study that has not yet undergone peer review. (More)

Astronomers uncover the skies behind famous paintings.

A company is paying $20 an hour to walk robot dogs.

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