Axios PM

Big shift to democrats in the House of Representatives as election nears.

Views expressed in this World and US news update are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 09 October 2026, 2214 UTC.

Content and Source:  "Axios PM."

🫏 Axios PM: Big Dem shift - kh6jrm@gmail.com - Gmail

Please check email link or scroll down to read your selections.  Thanks for joining us today.  You can find recent posts and reports in the "Archive" section of this blog.

Russ Roberts (https://trendsingeopolitics.blogspot.com).

View in browser

PRESENTED BY BANK OF AMERICA

Axios PM

By Mike Allen · Oct 09, 2026

Happy Friday! Today's newsletter, edited by Alex Fitzpatrick and Avery Lotz, is 650 words, a 2½-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing. Bulletin: Former DHS spokesperson Katie Zacharia has been offered the job of White House press secretary. Zacharia is a conservative lawyer and commentator who's a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, which oversees Truth Social. Go deeper. Situational awareness: A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit Panama today, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The latest.

1 big thing: House races shift toward Dems

Data: The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. Chart: Erin Davis/Axios The Cook Political Report today shifted 18 more U.S. House races toward Democrats despite Republicans' massive ad spending. Democrats are now expected to gain nine to 19 seats, the nonpartisan forecast says. Cook's Erin Covey writes: "That would give them 224 seats on the lower end and 234 on the upper end." (218 seats make a House majority.) "At this point, Democrats only need to win 20% of the [21] toss-ups to get to a majority, assuming the seats that favor Democrats in our ratings all break their way." The shifts include: Five seats — in Iowa, Pennsylvania and Washington — moving from toss-ups to leaning Democratic, including Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks' (R-Iowa) tough rematch against Democrat ⁠Christina Bohannan. Cook nudged four races — in Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina and Virginia — from leaning Republican to toss-ups. That's good news for Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.), whose district was warped by mid-decade redistricting. Republicans' hold on other races in Kentucky, Maine, Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Indiana slipped, shifting them to Lean R or Likely R. Democrats' hold on Nevada, New York and Nebraska races tightened. Go deeper ... Explore Cook's analysis.

2. AI gender gap

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Women are far more negative about AI than men are, Axios' Emily Peck writes from a new Morgan Stanley report. By the numbers: Morgan Stanley polled 2,000 consumers in late September about their overall perception of AI, positive or negative. It then measured net sentiment (subtracting one from the other). Men were considerably more positive (+30%) than women (-1%). 44% of women said they don't want a data center built near their home, compared with 36% of men. Slightly more women (57%) said they didn't like AI because "it is developing too quickly without enough safeguards." That's compared to 54% of men. Men were more likely to express concerns about data privacy (49% versus 39% of women). Go deeper.

A MESSAGE FROM BANK OF AMERICA

Invested in America’s dreamers

In 1955, when Disneyland needed a bank that shared its vision, we were there. The impact: Disneyland was constructed in Anaheim, Calif. and opened with a fully functioning Bank of America financial center on Main Street. See how Bank of America invests in America's dreamers.

3. ️ Catch me up

Residents board up an ice cream shop yesterday in Gulf Breeze, Fla. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Hurricane Isaias strengthened into a major hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. Forecasters are warning of "life-threatening storm surge" from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Suwannee, Florida, plus damaging winds and power outages across the Gulf and inland. Latest forecast. President Trump ordered a new investigation into allegations of mortgage fraud against Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, directing a committee to question the central bank official at a White House hearing next month. More from Courtenay Brown. Vice President JD Vance said he won't be watching the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan if it is livestreamed. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said yesterday that the Dec. 3 execution by firing squad would be "public." More from Josephine Walker. Chicago sports icon Mike Ditka died today at 86 after years of health issues. The former Bears player and coach left a lasting impression on the city's sports and culture, presiding over one of the best teams in NFL history. More from Axios Chicago's Justin Kaufmann.

4. 1 for the road: Sith saber for sale

Darth Vader poses at a New York event in 2024. Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP A Darth Vader lightsaber prop used in the iconic scene where Vader tells Luke Skywalker "I am your father" is among the highlights of an upcoming Star Wars memorabilia auction. The Vader saber is expected to fetch at least $1 million. It's one of more than two dozen lightsaber props featured in the Nov. 12 auction. Others include dueling lightsabers wielded by Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker in "Revenge of the Sith," expected to go for at least $10,000 each. Go deeper.

A MESSAGE FROM BANK OF AMERICA

Invested in America’s dreamers

In 1955, when Disneyland needed a bank that shared its vision, we were there. The impact: Disneyland was constructed in Anaheim, Calif. and opened with a fully functioning Bank of America financial center on Main Street. See how Bank of America invests in America's dreamers.

Thanks for reading! Please invite your friends to join PM.

Like this comms style and format? It's called Smart Brevity®. Bring it to your org — via hands-on training or internal comms software — to harness its power and impact.

Axios thanks our partners for supporting our journalism. Advertise with us. Read more about Axios' mission, ethics and how we use AI in our journalism. You can reach the authors by replying to this email. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Thank you for signing up for this Axios newsletter. To stop receiving this newsletter, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. If someone forwarded this to you, sign up now to get Axios in your inbox. Axios, PO Box 101060, Arlington VA 22201

Follow Axios across: