Section
Reporting, analysis and the latest stories from The Waterloo Journal.
International
National elections are taking place in more than 50 countries this year. Some have ended entrenched governments; others will test democracies under war, gang control or authoritarian rule.
International November 3, 2026
Texas remains a Republican-leaning state, but its Senate race is close enough to command national attention. Democrat James Talarico has a small polling edge; Republican Ken Paxton has the state’s partisan lean, President Trump’s support and a long record of winning statewide office. The result may turn on whether Talarico can expand the electorate—and whether Paxton’s vulnerabilities push some Republicans to stay home or split their tickets.
International November 3, 2026
Abdul El-Sayed enters Election Day with a narrow lead in most polling averages and a strong showing in one late survey. Mike Rogers brings a long résumé in Michigan and Washington, plus a chance to unite voters uneasy with El-Sayed’s progressive agenda and comments on Israel. A last-minute endorsement from El-Sayed’s former primary rival has added drama, but may not be enough to change the race.
International November 3, 2026
On the eve of Election Day, national polls point to a strong Democratic year. The House looks especially vulnerable for Republicans; control of the Senate may hinge on a handful of close races in states Trump carried in 2024.
International October 29, 2026
The vote has left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weakened, his opponents short of a clear route to power, and Arab-led parties with more influence than ever. Now the hard part begins: finding a coalition.
International October 26, 2026
Voters have rejected Aleksandar Vučić’s political bloc after years of protests. But the parliamentary victory still leaves a prime minister to be chosen, a government to be formed and another election ahead.
International August 18, 2026
Progressive victories in Minnesota and Florida are changing the Democratic debate, but establishment candidates continue to win major races. On the Republican side, Donald Trump’s endorsement remains powerful—just no longer invincible.
International August 5, 2026
The physician and former public-health director narrowly defeated establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, handing the Democratic Party’s progressive wing its most consequential victory of the 2026 primary season.
International July 29, 2026
Major wildfires are burning across Europe, Canada, the United States and Siberia, producing evacuations and continent-spanning smoke. Yet one major global fire measurement reached a record low during the first half of 2026. Both findings can be true.
International July 29, 2026
Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment during a subpoenaed appearance before a U.S. Senate committee. The confrontation concerns NIH-funded coronavirus research, Fauci’s previous testimony and newly released government records—but several accusations go further than the available evidence proves.
International July 25, 2026
The signs will be placed on National Park Service property—not by the Smithsonian itself—as the White House challenges museum exhibits it calls inaccurate.
International July 20, 2026
National elections are taking place in more than 50 countries this year. Some have ended entrenched governments; others will test democracies under war, gang control or authoritarian rule.
International July 19, 2026
Andrew and Tristan Tate were detained by U.S. marshals after Britain expanded its case to 59 charges involving seven alleged victims. Their arrest moves a years-long legal conflict into an American extradition court.