Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

The election will determine control of Congress, with Democratic Party leaders assessing the results as they come in. Representative Pete Aguilar, who represents California’s 33rd Congressional District, is sharing how Democratic leaders are responding to the unfolding outcome.

OpenAI has hired Jill Hazelbaker, one of Uber’s most senior executives, to lead its global communications and corporate affairs operation as the artificial intelligence company faces growing scrutiny and moves closer to an initial public offering. Hazelbaker will become OpenAI’s chief corporate affairs officer, working with the company’s leadership to improve public understanding of AI and build trust in its mission. She will report to co-founder and president Greg Brockman and is due to start in early December. “As AI becomes part of more people’s lives, how we communicate, engage, and earn public trust has never been more important,” Brockman…

David Eason and Madi B have split after just over a month of dating, with the former “Teen Mom” star now single again. The couple ended their relationship over the weekend after deciding they wanted slightly different things from life. Sources with direct knowledge said there was no dramatic incident behind the break-up and that the decision was mutual. Both Eason and Madi had a say in ending the romance and want to preserve the friendship they developed, according to the sources. They were also said to have formed a strong connection during their time together. Eason is understood to…

Texas voters are going to the polls in the 2026 midterm elections, with the closely watched US Senate contest between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico at the centre of the state’s federal races. The result could have national significance, with Democrats hoping to end a three-decade losing streak in statewide Texas elections while Republicans seek to protect one of their most important political strongholds. The contest is also being closely followed for its potential impact on control of the Senate. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/66df71a7c2bfa962cffd4134ef1a0364)) Paxton, Texas’s attorney general, secured the Republican nomination after defeating incumbent Senator John Cornyn in a hard-fought…

Sydney residents are assessing damage after a night of wild weather brought down trees, flooded roads and damaged roofs across the city, with the west bearing the brunt of the storms. The Blacktown SES unit received more than 50 calls for assistance from Tuesday night into the early hours of Wednesday as rain, thunder, lightning and strong winds swept through the area. Images taken by SES crews showed a white SUV trapped beneath a large uprooted tree, while other trees were reported to have fallen across roads, homes and powerlines. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued across a wide section…

Voting in the 2026 US midterm elections is winding down, with polls set to close in waves across the country. The earliest closures are due at 11pm GMT in Indiana and Kentucky, marking the start of the nationwide sequence of polling station deadlines. Polls in other states will close later as election day draws to a close.

A four-tiered patriotic cake featuring an “I voted” pin, a ballot box, an American flag and a frosting bald eagle has won Connecticut’s 2026 Election Cake Bake-Off. The winning entry was created by a mother-and-daughter team led by Sophia Grestini of Amy’s Cakes LLC in Cheshire. It was crowned the official Connecticut Election Cake of 2026 after the competition at Hartford’s Old State House on October 26. A 250-year-old election cake tradition The annual contest draws on a tradition that began in Hartford in 1771, when Connecticut was one of the few areas in the 13 colonies where residents could…

New Zealand’s unemployment rate rose to 5.7% in the third quarter, marking its highest level since 2015. The latest figure records a further deterioration in the country’s labour market, with unemployment climbing during the three months to the end of the quarter.

The family of a man who died alongside NASCAR driver Greg Biffle in a plane crash is asking a court to halt the sale and distribution of assets from Biffle’s estate. Elena Smith, administrator of the estate of Craig Wadsworth, alleges that property and personal memorabilia have been disposed of while wrongful death claims against the estate remain unresolved. Wadsworth, described as Biffle’s longtime right-hand man, was among seven people killed when a private jet crashed shortly after taking off from Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on December 18, 2025. Smith claims Biffle’s niece, Jordyn Biffle Carpenter, who is…

Voters across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are heading to polling stations on Election Day as the 2026 midterm elections begin to shape the balance of power in Washington. The contests are being closely watched for their potential impact on control of Congress, with results expected to emerge after polls close and ballots are counted throughout the evening. Voting began at 6am in New York, where polling stations remain open until 9pm. Polls close at 8pm in both New Jersey and Connecticut, although anyone already in line by closing time will still be allowed to vote. Westchester ballot scanner…