Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition

Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) Israel is holding its first election since the 2023 Hamas attack, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking reelection, saying his military campaigns have improved security. Polls forecast a razor-thin outcome, with neither bloc likely to secure enough votes to claim a parliamentary majority, potentially leading to complex negotiations and a possible second election. The Israeli Arab minority may end up as kingmakers, with the two Israeli Arab parties offering to support a government led by former armed forces chief Gadi Eisenkot, who is leading the opposition against Netanyahu.
2) The US Midterm election for control of Congress is now just seven days away. President Trump was in Mississippi last night urging Republicans to turn out and vote for incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. Today, President Trump continues his red state campaign blitz in Texas. He's set to hold rallies this afternoon in Corpus Christi and tonight in Lubbock for Republican Ken Paxton, who's locked in a tight Senate race with Democrat James Talarico. The president has been trying to ease voter concerns about higher fuel costs from the wars in Ukraine and Iran. While in Texas, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to join President Trump in Port Arthur to show off a newly-arrived oil tanker with Venezuelan crude. It also comes as the average price Americans are paying for gasoline under President Trump has overtaken the average during the Biden administration.
3) Flávio Bolsonaro abandoned plans to challenge the result of Brazil’s presidential election, while his Liberal Party formally conceded defeat to reelected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Liberal Party recognized the election result in a statement, while criticizing the increase of public spending in the run-up to the vote and its potential impact on the race. Bolsonaro said he would now seek to have Lula’s ticket disqualified, citing what he described as false information and the use of public funds for measures announced in the final weeks of the campaign.
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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.

On today's podcast:
1) President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s runoff election with 51.8% of the vote, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro who received 48.2%. Lula's victory will likely lead to market uncertainty and a potential selloff of assets, as investors had been expecting a Flavio Bolsonaro win to fix the country's fiscal accounts. Early indications pointed to a major rout, with an ETF tracking Brazilian equities in New York sinking 27% in pre-market trading, and a currency derivatives contract showing the real at 5.55 per dollar. Bolsonaro called for the annulment of Brazil’s presidential runoff after losing the election to Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro accused the Supreme Court of changing the rules mid-game when it mandated a last-minute extension of voting hours on Sunday.
2) President Trump said it's "getting to be decision time" on whether he will make a deal with Tehran or resume attacks as Iranian and Houthi threats against Americans continue to grow. The US is reducing diplomatic and military staffing in parts of the Middle East amid growing threats from Iran and the Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. Iran is preparing to retaliate across the Middle East, including against Israel and the United Arab Emirates, in the event of a fresh US bombing campaign.
3) Democrats are preparing to launch congressional investigations into the administration's handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein if they regain power after the midterm elections. Representative Robert Garcia said the Epstein investigation is going to be one of the top priorities, alongside probes into the Trump family's business dealings and allegations of corporate corruption. Any probe would ripple well beyond Washington, with Wall Street and corporate America already bracing for a wave of Democratic investigations, and major banks that had ties to Epstein's financial dealings could be called to testify.
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Kayla faces down her harasser in court. In New Zealand, an investigator summons a global army of hackers.
For official transcripts and additional information on this series, go to bloomberg.com/levittown
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Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week.
In the US – a look ahead to the next monetary policy decision from the Federal Reserve, along with U.S tech earnings.
In the UK – a look ahead to the UK's annual budget.
In Asia – a look ahead to the next monetary policy decision from the Bank of Japan.
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Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) President Trump traveled to Iowa on Thursday to boost Ashley Hinson, the Republican Senate candidate locked in a tight race with Democrat Josh Turek. Trump’s visit is the first of two he is expected to make to the state before Election Day on November 3rd. After reliably voting Republican for the past decade, Iowa has become competitive territory once again thanks to high fertilizer and fuel costs wrought by Trump’s war on Iran and shrinking export markets for farmers due to his tariffs.
2) With a fresh infusion of cash to his super political action committee in the first two weeks of October, Elon Musk has now given more than $445 million in the current election cycle and become one of the biggest-ever contributors to such groups. The world’s richest person put $77 million into America PAC, Federal Election Commission filings show, in an effort to elect Republicans in November midterm contests.
3) Stocks steadied at the start of the European session, offering global investors some respite after a rout in the artificial intelligence trade, while further gains in oil prices kept sentiment cautious. Meantime, a gauge of the inverse relationship between US government bonds and AI-focused stocks has strengthened to levels last seen a year ago. It’s a sign the deepening tech selloff is sending investors back into bonds for safety, reviving a haven role that had faded as inflation worries and higher interest rates weighed on Treasuries.
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