Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks during a press conference on November 3, 2026, in Washington, DC. – Tom Brenner/Getty Images Chuck Schumer is confident he’ll continue leading Senate Democrats after they captured the chamber’s majority in dramatic fashion on Tuesday. Not all Democrats are so sure. During a post-election gathering Saturday in Washington, DC, two Senate Democrats — Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan — declined to back Schumer for the job, and Slotkin said she would not rule out running herself. A third Senate Democrat who appeared at the conference, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, said he planned to support Schumer but echoed calls for Senate Democrats “to do things differently than we’ve done before.” “There should be no coronation of the next Democratic leader,” Van Hollen said. “I’ve said very clearly that we need to have a discussion in the Democratic caucus, we need to understand what the Democrats are going to do with this new responsibility and these new powers, and nobody should get a blank check without a full understanding of the caucus as to where we’re going to go.” Van Hollen said he has urged Democratic colleagues to “withhold commitments” until Schumer outlines his vision. And Slotkin said Democrats should not give Schumer quorum — the minimum attendance required to conduct Senate business — until he answers their concerns. Schumer remains a heavy favorite to become majority leader. He has no declared opposition and needs to win only majority support from Senate Democrats, whose ranks are poised to grow to at least 54 seats after Tuesday’s elections. But Saturday’s comments showed how even Democrats’ sweeping midterm victories could not paper over their long-simmering disagreements about who is best to lead them. That debate may be especially elevated among Senate Democrats looking at potentially running for president in 2028, a group that includes Van Hollen, Slotkin and Kelly. In addition to the reservations among the returning Senate Democrats, several incoming freshmen have vowed not to back Schumer for leader or at least withheld their support for now. Scott Colom, the Democrat in a Senate race in Mississippi that remains too close to call, has also been noncommittal on Schumer, calling for more geographic diversity among party leadership. In an interview with The New York Times that published Friday, Schumer said he did not expect to face any opposition. “Our caucus is focused on moving forward,” Schumer told the newspaper’s “The Daily” podcast. “Everyone’s very happy with what we all did.” Several Senate Democrats have already said Schumer has earned his right to return as their leader after the better-than-expected outcomes in Senate races. Kelly added his name to that list Saturday. “Chuck worked really hard to get this majority, so my plan is to support him,” Kelly told reporters after his appearance at the post-midterms summit, Crooked Con. Slotkin struck a different tone as she addressed the conference, which booed and jeered at the mention of Schumer’s name throughout the day. “If he wants to be majority leader, what is your plan for the first 100 days?” she said. “How are you going to do things differently so that Democrats get their sh*t together? If you can’t produce that, I’m not voting for you.” Asked whether she would run for the top job, Slotkin said it was “an open field, and I think those conversations are happening rapidly.” “I’m not ruling anything out,” she said. Van Hollen, for his part, suggested he was unlikely to run, even though at least one incoming freshman — Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan — has said he could support him. Van Hollen told CNN on Saturday that running for majority leader was “not my focus” and that he was instead weighing a 2028 presidential campaign. He said he has not heard “directly” from Schumer since the midterms but expected to speak to him in the coming week. Slotkin, who has long called for a “new generation of leadership,” said she hopes incoming freshmen follow the example she set in her first House run in 2018. She campaigned promising not to support Nancy Pelosi for House speaker — and followed through when she voted present in the speaker’s election in January 2019. “These people who just won in tough places, I think, will have a hard time, both as leaders but also just as politicians, going back on their word as their first thing that they do,” she said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.comThis article originally appeared on CNN at https://www.cnn.com/2026/11/07/politics/senate-democrats-new-majority-leader

Nov 7 (Reuters) – Israel’s president on Saturday chose Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strongest rival, to try to form a new government following a deadlocked election that left neither man with a clear path to power. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, is fighting ‌to stay in office after his religious-nationalist coalition lost its majority in an October 27 election but still emerged as the ‌largest bloc in parliament. Eisenkot, a former military chief, has declined to join forces with Arab parties, whose support would give him a majority of seats in parliament. But Arab leaders, incensed ​by what they view as the racist policies of Netanyahu and his far-right allies, still nominated Eisenkot to try to form a government first — giving him the most endorsements. “President Herzog has invited Gadi Eisenkot to the President’s Residence, where he will be tasked with forming the government tomorrow,” said the spokesperson of President Isaac Herzog, whose largely ceremonial role involves nominating a candidate to form a coalition after elections. In a post on X, Eisenkot wrote, “Now is the time ‌to form a national emergency government. I will do ⁠everything I can to ensure we are worthy.” EISENKOT FACES LONG-SHOT BID TO FORM GOVERNMENT Weeks of protracted negotiations are expected to follow Eisenkot’s nomination. He has 28 days to try to forge a government, with a possible 14-day extension. His potential ⁠pathways to power include trying to form a minority government with Arab party votes on key issues; forming a coalition with ultra-Orthodox parties that he and his allies have shunned in the past; or forging a unity government with Netanyahu. Analysts say that all three options are unlikely to take shape. If Eisenkot fails, another ​candidate ​can try to form a government and if that candidate fails, parliament can nominate ​another. There is a deadline for the process of around ‌100 days. If no one succeeds, another election is held. Likud won the most seats of any single party with 27 in the 120-seat Knesset, but Netanyahu’s wider religious-nationalist coalition garnered only 53 in total, short of a 61-seat majority. Eisenkot’s Yashar party emerged as the second-largest party with 21 seats, while his coalition, spanning four centre-left to right-wing Jewish-led parties, won just 48 seats. Two parties representing Israel’s Arab minority won an unprecedented 19 seats. EISENKOT CRITICAL OF SETTLER VIOLENCE A son of Moroccan immigrants, Eisenkot, 66, would be the country’s first prime minister from Israel’s Mizrahi community, Jews who trace their roots ‌to the Middle East and North Africa. Reserved and media-shy, Eisenkot only entered politics in ​2022. He briefly served in Netanyahu’s wartime cabinet following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on ​Israel before returning to the opposition. From opposition, he publicly rebuked Netanyahu ​over his leadership, including his management of the military campaign in Gaza, and has sworn that he would not ‌serve in government with him. Eisenkot’s public standing is also bound ​up with the personal price his family has ​paid since 2023: a son and two nephews were killed fighting in Gaza. Eisenkot highlighted his security credentials on the campaign trail, citing his “Dahiyeh doctrine” of responding to attacks with disproportionate force, which he deployed as a commander during Israel’s 2006 war with Iran-backed Hezbollah in ​Lebanon. Eisenkot has criticised settler violence against Palestinians, which has ‌surged since 2023, raising tensions in Israel’s ties with Western states, and he opposes Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners Itamar Ben-Gvir and ​Bezalel Smotrich, who have both faced sanctions by some Western countries for inciting violence against Palestinians. (Reporting by Enas Alashray, Menna Alaa ​El Din and Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Timothy Heritage) This article originally appeared on Reuters at https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/israeli-president-picks-gadi-eisenkot-193153373.html

Two experienced skydivers were killed in a horrifying midair collision in Southern California after their parachutes became tangled just moments before landing, authorities said. The victims have been identified as Levi Pimentel, 29, of Illinois, and Georgia Jean, 56, of South Dakota, who died Friday afternoon after plunging to the ground near Lake Elsinore. The women collided about 150 feet above the ground as they approached the landing area, causing their parachutes to become entangled, according to Skydive Elsinore, the company involved in the fatal jump. Emergency personnel respond after two skydivers died following a midair collision in Riverside County. RVC NEWS Two skydivers lie on the ground receiving medical attention after colliding in midair in Riverside County. RVC NEWS Both women then suffered critical injuries when they landed. Authorities rushed to the area around 11:47 a.m. and transported the women, but both died at Inland Valley Medical Center later Friday. Fire officials said both skydivers suffered major traumatic injuries and were found near the airfield already receiving medical attention. Josh Hall of Skydive Elsinore said the women were experienced, licensed skydivers and suffered no equipment failures. Both were visiting from out of town. “Eyewitnesses report that the freefall portion of the jump was normal and uneventful, and that both skydivers opened their parachutes at the expected altitude,” Hall said in a news release. Skydivers fall through the sky over the Swiss Alps. Getty Images Emergency personnel respond after two skydivers died in a reported midair collision in Riverside County, California. RVC NEWS Emergency personnel respond after two skydivers died in a midair collision in Riverside County. GOOGLE MAPS “The two skydivers collided at approximately 150 feet above the ground. The collision caused their parachutes to become entangled, and both sustained critical injuries when they reached the ground,” he added. Strong winds, including gusts of up to 20 mph, were present when the women were skydiving. It’s unclear if winds contributed to their deaths. The company, which operates in the Inland Empire, said it was devastated by the loss. “Skydive Elsinore extends its deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of both skydivers, and is grieving alongside all those affected,” the company said. Lake Elsinore is a city in West Riverside County about 70 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedInCalifornia Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, XCalifornia Post Opinion California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!California Post App: Download here!Home delivery: Sign up here!Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here! This article originally appeared on California Post at https://nypost.com/2026/11/07/us-news/two-skydivers-killed-in-midair-collision-near-lake-elsinore-identified/

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge said Saturday she intends to appoint an ex-top federal prosecutor in the nation’s capital during President Donald Trump’s first term to investigate whether she was purposefully misled by lawyers and administration officials in a lawsuit challenging one of his prized Washington construction projects, the renovation of a historic public golf course along the Potomac River. Jessie Liu, a former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, would examine whether officials with the Interior Department and the National Park Service and attorneys with the Department of Justice violated ethics or misled U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes during the course of the case that was initiated in February by the DC Preservation League and two golfers. The Republican administration plans to close the East Potomac Golf Course and park on Nov. 15 with the intention of constructing a “World Class, championship-level golf course that is capable of hosting major events.” An injunction issued by Reyes last month temporarily bars the government from removing or damaging any additional trees on the course and the administration must give 10 days’ notice in writing before making any “irreparable modification” to any “forms or features” of the course while the lawsuit is active. Reyes is giving each side a chance to be heard on her plan to name Liu as special master in the case. They must do so in writing by Friday, when the next court hearing in the dispute is scheduled. Reyes, who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, wants to know whether federal officials lied about the extent of renovation plans during months of hearings. She also wants to know if they were truthful about various steps they took, including cutting hundreds of trees early last month. She announced during a hearing Oct. 30 that she was starting a formal investigation of the government’s conduct. Earlier in the case, she had rejected numerous motions from the plaintiffs to step in, saying she trusted the government attorneys. As the city’s chief federal prosecutor, Liu oversaw some of the matters referred to her office by then-special counsel Robert Mueller during his investigation into possible ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia. Trump later nominated her to be associate attorney general, the third-highest ranking Justice Department job. Liu withdrew from consideration after running into opposition on the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee because of her past membership in a lawyers’ group that has supported abortion rights. She eventually resigned from the group because, she said previously, it took left-leaning positions, and she is now part of her own law firm, Liu Shur Kravis LLP. David Super, a law professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, said the initiation of a formal investigation by a judge to look into the conduct of a trial’s participants “can be a precursor to holding someone in contempt of court.” Super said it also is a reflection “of the difficulty she had in determining who initiated the tree-cutting in defiance of the assurances DOJ provided. She doesn’t have the time to keep holding long, complex hearings and so wants a special master to narrow the issues.” Reyes ordered the Oct. 30 hearing after multiple Truth Social posts by Trump indicated there were plans for the golf course and construction was expected to begin Nov. 15. Trump said the park would be closed for 15 months while work goes on. The presidential posts, which began Oct. 18, created a tense dynamic in multiple court hearings afterward when administration officials could not confirm the existence of the plans under questioning from Reyes. She eventually asked whom she should trust. The Justice Department filed notice Oct. 28 that the plans were real. ___ Bedayn reported from Austin, Texas.This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/judge-wants-former-us-attorney-174249261.html

(Adds dropped word in paragraph 12) By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Reuters) – Building on a months-long naval blockade on Iran, the US military said on Saturday it is launching a task force to help crack ‌down on Tehran’s movement of advanced weapons and other sanctioned material over its land borders and through the ‌Caspian Sea. Task Force Iron Gate, which was first reported by Reuters, will be based in Tampa, Florida, and will coordinate with other US government agencies. ​Beyond movement of weapons, it will also focus on halting the flow of dual-use technologies used by Iran and stemming what Washington calls illegal revenue streams. The establishment of the task force is the latest illustration of how the US is still searching for ways to increase pressure on Tehran, more than eight months after launching with Israel a war against the Islamic Republic. While US ‌strikes have dealt devastating blows to Iran’s conventional ⁠military and the US naval blockade has severely restricted its crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea, Iran still poses a formidable threat to the region and its ⁠rulers have tightened their grip on the country. IRAN’S SECRET NETWORK A Reuters investigation found Iran has created a secret network of military agencies to import at least $2 billion in hardware, explosives and heavy-duty trucks since January 2025, evading both the US naval blockade and Western ​sanctions. The ​material entered Iran by cargo ship across the Caspian Sea from ​Russia, by truck from Central Asia, and by freight ‌planes from China, the Reuters investigation showed. US Central Command said the task force will coordinate with other government agencies. A US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that was expected to include the Treasury, State and Justice Departments but also the intelligence community. “Strengthening CENTCOM’s collaboration with US interagency partners will further constrain Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and replenish their military,” Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of Central Command, said in a statement. Central Command estimated that its ‌naval blockade has prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion in ​crude oil. Still, Iran has proven resilient and gloated following US midterm election ​results that punished Trump’s Republican Party, giving control of ​Congress to opposition Democrats. Vice President JD Vance blamed the Iran war for electoral rout, and ‌appeared to question whether the conflict was worth it. Mediators ​have intensified efforts in recent ​days to end the war between Iran and the United States amid fears it could reignite after the US midterm elections. Trump has been threatening to carry out a new offensive against Iran, putting countries in the Gulf ​on edge, since Tehran has threatened broad ‌retaliation against Gulf infrastructure. Reuters has reported that US intelligence assessments in recent months have indicated that renewed strikes ​on Iran would not fundamentally change Tehran’s negotiating position or lead to the fall of Iran’s government. (Reporting ​by Phil Stewart; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Tomasz Janowski) This article originally appeared on Reuters at https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/exclusive-expanding-naval-blockade-us-133922238.html