What's going on in Pennsylvania?published at 16:38 Greenwich Mean Time 3 November 2022

16:38 GMT 3 November 2022

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

E. Robbins from the UK wants to know more about the midterm elections in Pennsylvania and the health condition of the Democratic candidate for senator.

Pennsylvania was a pivotal battleground in the 2020 presidential election, with Joe Biden’s victory there sealing his victory. Two years later, the state could decide which party controls Congress and who has the upper hand in the 2024 presidential election.

The Senate race between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz is probably the closest – and most closely watched – contest this year.

The two candidates are vying for a seat held by Pat Toomey, a Republican who is retiring from Congress. If the Democrat wins, it would provide valuable insurance against a loss in one of the seats the party is defending, such as Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.

Back in May, Fetterman suffered a stroke that was brought on by an undiagnosed heart condition, and he spent much of the summer recuperating out of the public eye.

His health became a huge issue not only in Pennsylvania but in national politics last week, as he and Oz debated for the first and only time.

The Democrat, who acknowledged having audio processing difficulties resulting from his stroke, struggled at times to respond to questions from the moderators and from his opponent.

Oz – a famous physician who hosted a television talk show for years - has faced his own questions during the campaign, including having to explain why Pennsylvanians should support someone who, until last year, lived in a mansion in neighbouring New Jersey.

I wrote about Fetterman's health struggles here.

If Democrats lose the Senate, will Biden struggle to win in 2024?published at 16:24 Greenwich Mean Time 3 November 2022

16:24 GMT 3 November 2022

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York

Komgbenda Emmanuel from Nigeria asks if the Democrats lose in the Senate, does it mean President Joe Biden will find it difficult to return to the White House in 2024?

The most immediate impact of the Democratic Party losing the Senate is that it will become extremely difficult for President Biden to pass any major legislation through Congress.

That could, indirectly, impact the presidential election in 2024. Let me explain.

For federal legislation to become a law in the US, it must pass both the lower chamber of Congress, the US House of Representatives, and the upper chamber, the US Senate. Then, the president must sign it into law.

So if Republicans take over the US Senate in the 8 November election, they can simply block Democrats’ attempts to pass legislation on President Biden’s agenda. In fact, Republican Senate leadership could simply decide not to bring any of these bills up for a vote.

President Biden’s most immediate concern is that he won’t be able to pass anything through Congress if Republicans take over one or both chambers. That will impact his ability to govern.

Voters will be looking at Biden’s record of achievement, and if he isn’t able to deliver on major promises because Congress won’t pass them, he has fewer accomplishments to show to the American people as they choose their next president in 2024.

Will defeated Republican candidates challenge the result?published at 16:13 Greenwich Mean Time 3 November 2022

16:13 GMT 3 November 2022

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

Andrew Aldrich from the UK asks how likely losing Republican candidates are to challenge results, and potentially cause further civil unrest in the US.

After the 6 January attack on the US Capitol, politically motived violence after a close election is no longer unimaginable.

By the BBC’s calculations, 35% of the Republican candidates for office fully and publicly deny Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. It’s a reasonable assumption that if they lose their own races by a close margin they will challenge those results as well.

Whether simply failing to accept the results of an election and refusing to formally concede would be enough to trigger more civil unrest in the US is a more difficult question to answer, however.

The 6 January attack on the US Capitol was the culmination of two months of heated rhetoric and false assertions by Donald Trump, a man with a uniquely powerful platform from which to speak and a particularly strong connection to his loyal supporters who were emotionally invested in his victory.

The US government, however, warned last week of a heightened potential for ideologically motivated attacks in the days around the election, however.

And as the recent attack on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s husband has shown, it takes only one individual to fan the flames of violence.

What are the midterm elections?published at 16:08 Greenwich Mean Time 3 November 2022

16:08 GMT 3 November 2022

We'll kick it off with an easy one and then throw to Anthony. What are the midterm elections?

The US midterm elections decide the make up of Congress, which has two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

There are 100 senators - two for each state - who sit for six-year terms. The House of Representatives is much larger, with 435 members that represent smaller US districts. They sit for two-year terms.

All House seats and one-third of Senate seats are up for grabs.

The elections are important because Congress has the power to pass or block laws in the US.

Here’s a useful breakdown of who controls which part of Congress now, and what’s at stake in this election.

Image source, Getty Images

Your Questions Answeredpublished at 16:05 Greenwich Mean Time 3 November 2022

16:05 GMT 3 November 2022

You've been submitting questions about the midterm elections and now our reporters are going to answer them.

Anthony Zurcher and Kayla Epstein have been around the country talking to voters and have covered US politics for years. We're putting your questions to them now - stay tuned.

If your question is not answered, submit it here. We know the midterms are confusing - no question is a silly question.

You can also get in touch in the following ways:

• Email: yourquestions@bbc.co.uk

• Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay, external
• Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

Image source, .

Democrats currently hold a majority in the Senate - the upper chamber of Congress - as well as the House of Representatives.

But their majority is slim. Super slim.

The Democrats have 48 seats, but two Independent senators vote with the Democrats, giving them 50 votes. The Republicans have 50 seats.

That makes the Senate an even split. Tie-breaking votes are cast by the vice president - in this case Democrat Kamala Harris - giving President Biden's party the majority, for now.

Image source, .

Image source, Getty Images

Midterm elections are generally seen as referendums on the first two years of a president’s four-year term – and the party in power often takes a beating.

Joe Biden’s approval rating has been poor for more than a year, with many voters citing high inflation and economic concerns as the primary reasons.(It’s worth noting, however, that there’s little a president can do to fix high inflation in the short-term.)

In his first two years in office, Biden has pushed through a number of new laws on climate change, gun-control and infrastructure investment.

But according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on 18 October, about one in three Americans still point to the economy as the country’s biggest problem. Only 40% of respondents approved of Biden’s performance.

And things might get worse for his approval ratings - if control of one of the two chambers of Congress goes to the Republicans, they will have the power to stop Democratic bills from passing and prevent Biden from achieving many of his policy goals.

Image source, Gett

Public support for US assistance to Ukraine as it battles Russia's invasion is becoming a highly partisan issue, with a new poll showing that nearly half of Republicans believe the US is doing "too much" to help.

According to a new poll from the Wall Street Journal, 30% of all Americans believe that the Biden administration is doing too much, up from 6% in March immediately following Russia's invasion.

The newspaper noted that the increase is largely a result of a shift in attitude among Republicans, 48% of whom believe US aid is excessive, up from 6% in the earlier survey.

Several prominent Republicans have expressed doubts about US aid to Ukraine. Earlier in October, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, for example, said that that a Republican-controlled Congress would be disinclined to write a "blank cheque" for Ukraine.

Other Republicans, however - including former Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell - have called for more to be done to help Ukraine fight Russia.

Read more about the potential impact of the midterms on the Ukraine war here.

Mike Wendling
US disinformation reporter

Image source, Tore Maras

President Biden has been lamenting the influence of election deniers – people who believe, contrary to the evidence, that election fraud is rampant and that Donald Trump actually won in 2020.

It's easy to think that deniers are crazy, lying, or both. But the situation is much more complicated.

Recently I spoke to Tore Maras. She’s a QAnon influencer, hosts a conservative podcast, and is a fringe candidate for secretary of state in Ohio. Some of what she says could be plucked from a Biden speech.

"The problem is that there are versions of truth," she told me while on the way to a campaign event. "If I don’t know what's true or false, I live in fog... I'm hoping that the era of tribalism will be challenged."

But then she started telling me her personal version of the "truth" – one that she honestly believes in, but which doesn’t square with reality.

"When I hear people saying elections are safe, we all know that’s a lie," she says.

Experts say the US voting system works remarkably well. And polls show that most Americans do accept the facts. But good luck convincing Tore Maras – or millions of others who fervently believe in debunked allegations of widespread election fraud.

Image source, Getty Images

American politicians are all talking about inflation and the economy, but there's another financial matter that is on many voters' minds this week.

The Powerball lottery's jackpot has reached a staggering $1.5bn (£1.3bn) - the third-highest jackpot in American lottery history.

After Saturday's drawing, the cost of living crisis might be a thing of the past for one lucky American.

The Powerball lottery operates in 45 states, as well as Washington DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Its already massive jackpot climbed by about $300m on Wednesday after the US central bank decided to raise interest rate.

There's a catch to know about (in case you win).

The $1.5bn only applies if you elect to receive the cash in steady pay outs over a 30 year period - during which time the money is invested in US government bonds.

The jackpot figure is based on the assumption that the winner will choose the gradual option, however, no winner has chosen that option since 2014, according to lottery officials.

So if whoever wins elects to take it all now - as one lump sum - the real value of the jackpot is only... $745m (£664m).

Natalie Sherman
New York business reporter

The Bank of England has warned the UK is facing the longest period of economic downturn, or recession, in its history, a slowdown set off by the rising cost of living and the energy crunch.

There is plenty of gloom about the economic outlook in the US too. Many analysts expect the US economy to enter a recession next year – and surveys suggest a majority of the public thinks the country already has.

But by comparison, America's prospects look brighter, as many economists hold out hope that the recession will be relatively short and mild.

That’s a bet in part on the strength of the US jobs market, as many firms have reported having a hard time finding workers for open positions.

The hope is that as economic activity slows, companies will close those open positions, but won’t lay off staff.

Analysts also say households and businesses are in better shape financially than they were prior to previous recessions.

And let's not forget - prices are rising faster in the UK than in the US, with much of the pain coming from household energy bills.

Unlike many purchases, which can be delayed or substituted with a cheaper option, that’s an expense that’s difficult to escape.

Image source, Reuters

As we've been reporting, inflation is a global issue propelled by the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

However, some countries are struggling more than others.

In the UK, the Bank of England has warned the UK is facing its longest recession since records began, as it raised interest rates by the most in 33 years.

In warned the UK would face a "very challenging" two-year slump with unemployment nearly doubling by 2025.

Bank boss Andrew Bailey warned of a "tough road ahead" for UK households, but said it had to act forcefully now or things "will be worse later on."

It lifted interest rates to 3% from 2.25%, the biggest jump since 1989.

By raising rates, the Bank is trying to bring down soaring prices as the cost of living rises at its fastest rate in 40 years.

Read more here.

The issue of inflation has become an important talking point ahead of the midterms, as Republicans attempt to draw attention to what they say is poor economic performance under President Biden.

Yesterday, the US Federal Reserve announced a 0.75% rise in interest rates, as part of efforts to drive up borrowing costs to cool the economy and bring down inflation, which reached 8.2% in September.

But it’s not just the United States that’s seeing high levels of inflation, which has become a global issue.

One reason is the rapid increase in demand for goods as the world returned to normal after Covid, creating a shortage of supply against demand, while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also restricted the supply of goods – notably fuel and food – driving prices up even further.

Today, the UK central bank - the Bank of England - raised interest rates in the United Kingdom by 0.75% to 3%. It's the biggest hike since 1989, and designed to bring down an inflation rate of more than 10% in an economy that is also dealing with the fall-out from last month's finance package under previous PM Liz Truss.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has forecast eurozone inflation of 8.1% this year, while many other countries including India, South Africa and Mexico are seeing a similar figure.

Spare a thought for Turkey, however, where inflation recently went above 85%.

Image source, Getty Images

Donald Trump has sued New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing her of conducting a "war of intimidation and harassment" against him.

It follows a lawsuit that James launched against Trump and three of his children last September, accusing them of fraud committed over a decade.

Trump has long accused the Democrat of abusing her position for political gain.

The former president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Read the full story here.

Image source, Getty Images

Wednesday night marked the end of the Mexican holiday Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), which celebrates ancestors and all those who have died.

The holiday with its Aztec roots is celebrated in the US by Mexican Americans, and increasingly Americans of all backgrounds who didn't get their fill of spooky costumes over Halloween.

It's also celebrated by - you guessed it - politicians looking to curry favour in the Latino community.

Congresswoman Karen Bass, who is running for Los Angeles mayor, and Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, who is seeking re-election, were among the Democrats who attended parades and events around the country.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Hillary Clinton, the former US Secretary of State who lost to Donald Trump in the 2016 election, has been on CNN where she painted the election as "a struggle between democracy and autocracy".

She compared the Republican Party to the leaders of China and Russia, saying the US "should be standing strongly on behalf of our values, like democracy and freedom, opportunity and equality, instead of engaging in culture wars driven by opportunism from the Republican side of the ledger".

She criticised the "crazy stuff" being said by election deniers who "want to keep you scared, who don’t have answers to everything".

"The only thing that can stop us is if we get in our own way, which we seem to be doing a pretty good job of," she told the CNN morning presenters.

Clinton, a former Democratic senator, argued that Democrats should retain control of Congress, because "so much good stuff is right on the brink of happening".

"If we don't confuse ourselves and listen to people that don’t have our best interests at heart."

Radio ad campaigns on transgender children run by former Donald Trump administration officials are targeting swing states ahead of next week's midterm elections.

One ad from America First Legal, a group started by Stephen Miller, who was a top policy adviser in the Trump White House, states that Joe Biden's administration wants to pave the way for children “to remove breasts and genitals.”

“Not long ago, everyone knew that you’re either born a boy or a girl,” the narrator says.“Not anymore.”

“The Biden administration is pushing radical gender experiments on children,” the narrator adds. “Tell Joe Biden and left-wing leaders across America, ‘Handsoff our kids.’”

Geoff Wetrosky, the Human Rights Campaign’s national campaign director, said there were similar efforts to create divisions between the LGBTQ community and Black and Latino voters when campaigning against marriage equality a decade ago.

“This is not a new playbook. It’s just a new chapter and an unfortunate playbook that we think is outdated. And it didn’t work for marriage,” he told Politico.

Image source, Getty Images

Former US President Barack Obama made an appearance at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, last night.

He was interrupted by a heckler, but used the opportunity as a moment to speak about the current animosity between supporters of different political parties.

He said:

The former US president also spoke about a theme that is undoubtedly on the mind of many voters: abortion.

Obama told those in Phoenix politicians should not be the ones making decisions about what women do and don't do with their bodies.

"We all should agree that women everywhere should be the ones making decisions about their own body.

"It shouldn't be controversial to say that the most intimate, personal health care choices should be made by a woman in consultation with her doctor and not a bunch of mostly male politicians."

Image source, Governor Kim Reynolds

Criticism of Democrat support for so-called "woke" culture has formed a key part of messaging by many Republican candidates ahead of the midterms and a campaign ad by the party’s Governor in Iowa is attracting controversy around the issue.

Governor Kim Reynolds - who has held office since 2017 - is up against Democrat Deirdre Dejear, and the incumbent is currently comfortably leading in the polls.

A new political advert by Reynolds begins by highlighting her "faith, freedom and hard work" values. Against a backdrop of corn fields – a landscape for which Iowa is well known – she continues: "Herein Iowa, we still know right from wrong, boys from girls, and liberty from tyranny."

That line about knowing "boys from girls" is an apparent criticism of what is being billed as Democrat support for trans rights amid a culture war that has reached beyond America’s shores. Governor Reynolds adds: "We may get up early, but we’re not woke."

The advert has attracted criticism in some quarters. Keenan Crow, from One Iowa, which campaigns for LGBT rights, called the comments "shameful".

"Trans kids are not a threat to anyone in Iowa," Crow told local television station KCCI.

"They need help, they need support, and they need understanding and this does the exact opposite and this throws them under the bus in a time where they need that understanding."

A look at some of the key midterm-related events that took place across the United States on Wednesday.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA