Good morning. It’s Monday, Oct. 12, and this quiz shows you whose votes are going to matter most in next month’s midterm elections. Let’s start with the latest from the campaign.
President Donald Trump’s midterm road show is exposing Republican troubles.
Trump boards Air Force One for a trip to San Antonio last week. (Evan Vucci/Reuters)
The issue: Republicans need Trump to mobilize voters, but his low approval ratings limit where he can help. In some tight races, GOP strategists fear he might hurt their chances.
Senate Republicans are worried: The party faces the prospect of losing control of the chamber. Some senators are warning that the consequences for Trump could be disastrous.
Trump is facing backlash from both parties for making a diesel deal with Russia.
This weekend: Trump said he planned to buy Russian fuel in a bid to lower prices. The announcement sparked anger among world leaders, Democrats and some Republicans.
Why it matters: The deal effectively aligns the U.S. and Russia against Ukraine’s bombing of Russian energy infrastructure. Kyiv has targeted refineries with precision drone strikes.
The only debate of South Carolina’s unexpectedly close Senate race was held last night.
Sen. Darline Graham, center, takes notes before a debate with Democrat Annie Andrews, left, and Libertarian Kasie Whitener. (Sam Wolfe/Reuters)
Key takeaways: Sen. Darline Graham (R) clashed with Annie Andrews (D) about who is less qualified. And Andrews was rebuked by Graham after she accused her of changing her name.
In Michigan: Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed yesterday disavowed an opinion column he wrote in 2012 criticizing President Barack Obama’s “failures” in his first term.
Former DOGE foot soldiers are profiting from their government experience.
Last year: Billionaire Elon Musk unleashed a small army of Silicon Valley techies to drain what he called the “swamp” of Washington, wielding DOGE to slash at bureaucracy.
Since then: DOGE alumni have leveraged their time in government, a Post analysis found, building companies that seek to secure government contracts and approvals.
Why? Less competition and slowing price increases mean it’s finally a buyer’s market. In some cases, list prices are dropping and sellers are offering big concessions.
There’s just one problem: Interest rates hit 7.4% this week for a 30-year mortgage, the highest level in three years. The steep rates are causing some would-be buyers to hesitate.
Your knees might be more resilient than you think, the latest research shows.
(Aaron Steckelberg/The Post)
From midlife onward: Knees can start to trouble us. Some changes seem inevitable. Others can be reduced or avoided, especially with activities such as walking and squatting.
Take action: Find science-backed ways to take care of your knees at different ages here. Surprisingly, runners generally are less likely than others to develop painful knee arthritis.
This 104-year-old woman finally has her brother’s World War II dog tag.
Dorothy Stewart said she is grateful to have a piece of her brother back. (Greater Beverly YMCA)
In 1943: Bernard Parnell died in a training exercise off the coast of Florida. His body was never recovered. He was 23, and sister Dorothy Stewart was 21 at the time.
More than eight decades later: A years-long search for Parnell’s family paid off. Stewart, who turns 105 in December, was handed the dog tag at a ceremony last month.
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