Democrats are entering the 2026 midterm cycle with an 8-point advantage over Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, as voter frustration over stubborn living costs and President Donald Trump’s handling of the Iran war appears to be shaping the political landscape.

An exclusive August Daily Mail/JL Partners poll found that 50 percent of likely voters said they would support the Democratic candidate for Congress if the election were held now, while 42 percent said they would choose the Republican.

Only seven percent of voters remain undecided.

To win back control of the House, Democrats would need to net five Republican-held seats. In the Senate, they would need to pick up four seats to seize the majority.

While enthusiasm among voters in both parties is roughly even, concerns about the economy stand out as the most serious warning sign for Republicans.

Thirty-seven percent of voters say they are financially worse off than a year ago, and higher prices are forcing Americans to cut back.

Eating out has taken the biggest hit, with 51 percent reducing spending at restaurants. Another 42 percent have cut back on groceries, a third on clothing, and more than a quarter say they are driving less.

Voters are holding Trump responsible. Sixty-three percent say he is not doing enough to bring down the cost of living, against just 24 percent who say he is. 

Asked which party they trust to lower household costs, the Democrats own a 9-point advantage.

The economic pressure comes as Americans continue to confront high everyday expenses, making affordability likely to remain a central issue as the midterms approach.

Voters are also being asked to weigh another major issue playing on the economic hardships: Trump’s military campaign against Iran.

The survey finds that 49 percent believe launching military action against Iran was the wrong thing to do, compared with 30 percent who say it was the right decision.

Twenty-one percent are unsure.

Republicans are far more supportive, with 65 percent saying the military action was the right thing to do.

The conflict is also the issue Americans most frequently identify as Trump’s biggest blunder. Offered a list of options, 18 percent select the war with Iran, while 11 percent point to his handling of the cost of living.

The findings come as the conflict has once again erupted into open confrontation.

The US launched fresh strikes against Iranian targets on Tuesday after Washington accused Tehran of attacking commercial shipping around the Strait of Hormuz and firing eight missiles toward US forces in Jordan.

The strikes followed a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran that effectively broke down, while two Saudi oil tankers were also struck by projectiles as they left the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night.

Trump warned Tehran on Tuesday that any retaliation would bring an even more forceful American response.

The poll suggests many Americans remain unconvinced that the military campaign is succeeding.

Just 25 percent say Trump and the United States are currently winning the war, compared with 17 percent who believe Iran is winning and four percent who say Israel is. The largest group, 35 percent, says neither side is winning, while another 20 percent are unsure.

Republicans are considerably more confident in Trump’s handling of the conflict. Fifty-two percent believe Trump and the US are winning, compared with just seven percent who say Iran is winning.

Among Democrats, only 11 percent believe Trump and the US are winning, while 25 percent say Iran is winning. Forty-four percent believe neither side is winning.

There is similarly deep uncertainty over who controls the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Overall, 22 percent of Americans believe the United States is in control, compared with 25 percent who say Iran is. Thirty-two percent believe neither side is fully in control, while 21 percent are unsure.

The partisan divide is stark.

Thirty-five percent of Democrats believe Iran controls the strait, compared with just 13 percent who say the United States does. Among Republicans, 42 percent believe the US is in control, while only 14 percent say Iran is.

Americans also appear reluctant to accept greater US military involvement if it comes with higher costs at home.

Forty-six percent say they would rather pay $5 for gasoline than see the United States send more troops to Iran. Just 22 percent would choose sending additional troops, while 32 percent are unsure.

Republicans are almost evenly split, with 38 percent choosing higher gas prices and 39 percent preferring more troops.

The polling presents a potentially difficult landscape for Republicans heading into November, with Democrats holding an eight-point advantage on the congressional ballot among likely voters.

Independents are the warning sign. Just 42 percent say they are very enthusiastic about voting in the midterms, more than 20 points below both Republicans and Democrats, and almost a quarter remain undecided on which party to back — leaving a bloc of persuadable voters still in play.

At the same time, concerns over household costs and the increasingly volatile conflict with Iran give voters two major issues on which to judge the Trump administration.

With months still to go before the midterms, those numbers could change. 

But for now, Democrats are entering the campaign with the stronger position — while Republicans face growing pressure to convince voters they are better off and that the administration’s approach to Iran is working.

Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned Republican rival Bruce Blakeman as “reprehensible” after he attacked her for wearing a head scarf during a visit to a mosque.

The New York governor drew criticism from conservatives after photos resurfaced showing her with a head covering at a mosque event last year. Blakeman escalated the backlash in a social media post, referring to her as “hijab Hochul.”

Blakeman, the elected Nassau County executive, called the traditional religious headwear a “costume” and accused the Democrat of “political pandering” less than “two weeks before the 25th anniversary of 9/11.”

“To try and divide New Yorkers based on their religion — I think it’s reprehensible — he has taken this to a new level and I think that voters will reject that,” Hochul told reporters Wednesday after an unrelated event in Blakeman’s home territory on Long Island.

Women commonly wear head coverings, including scarves, when visiting or attending services at mosques. Former first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush, along with first daughter Ivanka Trump, have also covered their heads during meetings with Islamic leaders.

“It’s a sign of respect to the religion of the people, and if he has a problem with that, it says a lot more about him than it does anybody else,” Hochul said further clapping back at Blakeman.

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“I reject anyone who tries to use this as another way to separate us as New Yorkers during a time when we should be coming together and supporting each other.”

Blakeman himself wore a head covering at a Sikh event in Nassau County last year, according to photos posted to his own social media account at the time.

Blakeman doubled down on his criticism in a statement to The Post referencing his nephew who died in the Sept. 11 attacks.

“Kathy Hochul don’t lecture me about 9/11 and unity. My nephew Tommy was murdered that day giving first aid to a severely burned woman. He was a state employee and a hero,” he railed.

“You have aligned yourself with Zohran Mamdani who won’t speak against “Global Intifada” which was the goal of his murderers who killed him and thousands of New Yorkers,” he said. This November New Yorkers will unify around me to save this state.

President Trump meanwhile weighed in on the pics in a Tuesday Truth Social post.

“Congestion Pricing in Manhattan is hurting her with everybody, but especially the people for whom she wears the hijab. The whole thing is CRAZY!” Trump said.

Jewish communities throughout the United States are strengthening security protocols and sharpening emergency response plans as Rosh Hashanah and the High Holidays approach.

Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical service, has joined with the U.S.-based Community Security Service to train synagogue security volunteers in communities nationwide. Senior paramedic Aryeh Myers told News Media that many Jewish Americans are increasingly uneasy amid a reported rise in antisemitic incidents.

“There is this heightened sense of concern, of worry that these attacks are now a question of when rather than if,” Myers said in an interview.

Myers has conducted First 7 Minutes trainings in the United States and abroad for Jewish, Christian and secular organizations. The program focuses on preparing volunteers to take critical action in the immediate aftermath of an attack, before police, firefighters or emergency medical teams arrive.

His trainings focus on first aid, how to communicate most effectively with first responders and how best to assist them once they do arrive.

“Our expertise is in response to mass casualty events…. We respond on the national level to everything from delivering babies, to terror attacks to war situations,” Myers said.

“The advantage that Magen David Adom brings is unfortunately having that level of experience, that we have seen multiple mass casualty attacks and multi-casualty attacks and have learned from those,” he added.

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Jewish communities across the globe have faced increasing levels of antisemitism in the years since the October 7 terror attacks in Israel.

Many U.S. universities became hotbeds for anti-Israel and antisemitic attacks amid Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

A new report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) found that Jewish teachers have also faced rampant antisemitism from teachers unions.

The organization surveyed 307 Jewish members of teachers unions, many of whom admitted to censoring themselves and being disappointed with how unions handled concerns about antisemitism.

“What we found is not the work of a few bad actors. It is a structural and cultural failure,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “Jewish educators deserve to feel safe and protected in their union spaces. And instead of that, they are self-censoring and fearing backlash for raising concerns.”

Sydney Altfield, CEO of Teach Coalition, an organization that advocates for Jewish schools, said the report was particularly concerning because teachers unions were meant to represent and protect all educators.

“What strikes me is that these unions are supposed to be homes for everyone, and [they’re] not being that,” Altfield told News Media.

One of the key findings of the report was the high rate at which Jewish educators were self-censoring out of fear of retaliation. According to the ADL, 70% of respondents “somewhat or strongly agreed” that bringing up concerns about how Jews were treated in union spaces “could lead to reputational or professional consequences.”

The Athletic has completed its review into former reporter Dianna Russini, concluding that she failed to comply with the outlet’s standards while finding only limited evidence of biased reporting related to Mike Vrabel.

Russini left the New York Times-owned publication after photos surfaced in March showing her with New England Patriots coach Vrabel at an adults-only resort in Arizona.

Additional material emerged in the following weeks, intensifying scrutiny over the nature of their relationship and raising broader questions about journalistic ethics, particularly given Russini’s role as an NFL insider covering the league.

The investigation did not determine the exact nature of Russini and Vrabel’s relationship. Both denied having an affair or being unfaithful to their partners, although Vrabel later issued an apology for his “actions.”

The report said: “Russini’s relationship with Vrabel was in clear violation of The Athletic’s standards. Regardless of whether the relationship was romantic, it was a breach and should have been disclosed.

‘Specifically, when it comes to The Athletic’s standards, Russini was noncompliant.’

Per The Athletic, Russini declined to be interviewed but insisted: ‘I stand by any and all reporting I’ve ever done in my career.’ 

The report added: ‘We neither completed an investigation nor reached any conclusion about the nature of the full relationship between Vrabel and Russini, but the totality of the public photographs are enough to conclude a violation of company policy.’ 

The five-month-long inquiry was conducted by Mike Semel, The Athletic’s editorial director for standards and editorial quality.

He ‘reviewed 903 stories and 77 videos’ that carried Russini’s byline as well as reviewing ‘204 episodes of the Scoop City podcast’, her show with the company. He also interviewed ‘approximately 14’ of her colleagues and tried ‘to evaluate how The Athletic’s coverage of certain events involving Vrabel or his teams compared to coverage in other publications.’

The report claims that ‘when first confronted with the photos by The New York Post, Russini waited two days before telling her editors and managers. She then told a story to explain the photos that did not align with facts, raising issues of trust.’ 

However, Semel found limited evidence of favoritism towards Vrabel, stating: ‘Most of what Russini wrote about Vrabel or the Patriots was transactional and newsy. In addition, I’ve not found a clear link to conclude that Russini used her platform to promote Vrabel or help his teams during her time at The Athletic.’

He added: ‘That said, there are examples of Russini writing glowingly of Vrabel that in hindsight are awkward or even uncomfortable.’

The report points out that ‘One story in particular likely would not have happened were it not for the connection between Russini and Vrabel,’ an article regarding the year between him being fired by the Tennessee Titans, then hired by the New England Patriots.

However, the story idea came from another reporter at The Athletic, and while they ‘asked Russini to broker a meeting with Vrabel’, she was not present and ‘had nothing to do with the journalism’. As a result, the report found: ‘The story itself meets Athletic standards, even if the access is questionable.’

The report also noted that ‘Russini’s work was seldom reliant on Vrabel as a source or subject’ and said that Athletic staffers ‘did not suspect she was closer with Vrabel than anyone else’. 

Just last month, one of Russini’s former colleagues spoke publicly about the saga and defended her reporting, calling her a ‘really good friend’ and stating he was ‘really, really proud of the journalism we did together’.

‘I don’t think people understand the level of elite that she was performing at in terms of keeping in touch with the really important people around the league,’ Mike Silver said. 

‘And I don’t mean just agents and transactional, like players, coaches, owners, all of it, talking, having real conversations with them every day and really knowing what was going on and competing at a very high level.’

Silver added:  ‘And I do think she’s going to be back, probably not as an insider, at least in the short term. But I think she’ll be back in this realm, probably talking about football and other things pretty soon.’

Russini’s next move has not yet been revealed, but she has been tipped to return to the NFL world in the coming months.

The release of The Athletic’s investigation would appear to pave the way for a potential return to employment, with no ongoing probe looming over her.

Silver revealed: ‘I do think she’s going to be back, probably not as an insider, at least in the short term. But I think she’ll be back in this realm, probably talking about football and other things pretty soon.’

Silver went on to comment on the wellbeing of Russini and her family after the fallout. She is married to Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt, with whom she has two young sons. The couple has put on a united front, having been pictured kissing in May as they were seen for the first time since the scandal.  

‘I do know her family,’ Silver said. ‘She’s got a great family. And so, you know, a lot of people have had a lot of thoughts about it. 

‘I’m not really getting into that, but I would say she is doing a lot better and her family’s doing well.’

Maria Bartiromo has left Fox News after more than 12 years with the cable news network, the company confirmed Thursday.

“Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with Fox News Media,” the company said in its announcement.

In a statement, Fox News Media added, “We thank Maria for her work over the last 12-and-a-half years and wish her all the best on her next chapter.”

Bartiromo’s weekday Fox Business Network program, “Mornings with Maria,” aired its final episode Thursday morning. Beginning Friday, the time slot will be filled by “Mornings with FOX Business,” which will use a rotation of anchors.

Her weekly program, “Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street,” is also being renamed “FBN’s Wall Street.” Cheryl Casone will host this week’s edition before the show moves to rotating anchors.

Bartiromo also hosted Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” Jason Chaffetz will host the program this Sunday, while Fox said a permanent replacement will be named later.

Fox Business also plans to unveil a new weekday programming schedule in the coming weeks.

Fox News and Fox Business are subsidiaries of Fox Corp — sister company to The Post’s corporate parent News Corp.

– Democratic attorney general draws backlash over appeal to Jewish voters on humanity, safety and antisemitism
– Trump signals openness to Christian-backed proposal aimed at helping Canadian Jews facing antisemitism relocate to the U.S.
– Hollywood figure faces accusations of antisemitism from industry insiders following comments tied to the Paramount merger

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is under intense scrutiny after remarks to Jewish Democrats at a closed-door event sparked outrage among critics. Invoking the biblical story of Queen Esther, Nessel framed the moment as a moral test for Jewish voters, urging support for Democrats even as concerns over antisemitism and community security remain deeply felt. Opponents described the appeal as an alarming demand that Jewish voters place broader political goals ahead of their own safety.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has warned that antisemitism remains an “age-old plague” with consequences far beyond Jewish communities, arguing that Holocaust denial and distorted narratives spreading across social media are worsening the threat.

A group of Christian lawmakers is pressing President Trump to support a plan that would help Jewish Canadians facing antisemitism pursue legal immigration to the United States, and Trump has indicated he is open to the idea. Supporters say more than 2,000 Jewish Canadians are seeking a way out amid rising antisemitic violence north of the border, with the proposal designed to fast-track relief for families who say they are being targeted by hate.

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Marvel superstar Mark Ruffalo is facing after slamming Paramount’s massive $111B merger, accusing executives of fueling genocide through tech tied to Israel. Heavyweight producers and studio brass fired back, accusing Ruffalo of peddling “simple antisemitism” and hateful tropes about Jewish wealth. The furious actor blasted the claims as “appalling.”

: Progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is facing fresh fury after campaign records revealed he Dan Bilzerian. Bilzerian made national headlines with vile, AI-fueled antisemitic attacks against his Republican primary opponent. The common link? Both candidates took tens of thousands from anti-Israel donors pushing to slash U.S. aid.

: Veteran diplomat Shahar Azani writes that the attack on an NBC News crew by Israeli settlers should be condemned, but so should the press’s fixation on West Bank violence. The “” approach deliberately feeds an anti-Israel pipeline that misinforms the public and fuels outrage, Azani argues.

“For generations, America has served as a refuge for people fleeing religious persecution. We urge you to ensure that, consistent with federal law and the security interests of the United States, that door remains open to our Jewish brothers and sisters in Canada who need it today.” – National Association of Christian Lawmakers in letter to President Trump.

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