Midterm Polls, Russia Policy Shift & College Football Chaos - Monday, October 19, 2026

Erica Mandy (0:00)

Today is Monday, October 19th. We'll tell you about new polling that shows how Americans are feeling with just two weeks to go before the midterms, and all about the latest White House staff change. Also, why President Trump is further defending his moves to ease pressure on Russia, and how France is dealing with some of its largest unrest in years. Plus, what Pope Leo said during his first public appearance since leaving the hospital, why a historic weekend of games shook up college football, and how a three-hour documentary about Elizabeth Holmes nearly doubled box office expectations. Those stories and even more news to know next.

Welcome to The NewsWorthy, all the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this.

The midterm campaign is now entering its final two-week sprint, with President Trump stepping up his push for Republican candidates. Over the weekend, Trump held a rally in Kentucky, where he urged supporters to treat the midterms as a referendum on his second-term agenda. And today, Trump is heading to Kansas, where he'll campaign in a state that's become much more competitive than usual. Democrats are making their own final push, with candidates and other well-known names fanning out across battleground states and leaning heavily on affordability and President Trump's record. In fact, some of the latest national polling shows a tough environment for Republicans. A new NBC News poll found 71% of Americans think the country is on the wrong track. A separate Washington Post-ABC News is Post poll put Trump's approval at a new low of just 33%.

And it found that for the first time in more than a decade, Democrats are seen as more trusted to deal with the economy. High prices, especially for gas and other everyday costs, are a major part of the voter frustration showing up in polls. But it's not just that. A Fox News poll from this month found that government corruption ranked first among voters' concerns, then came inflation and gas prices. But, of course, while national polls are currently showing Democrats have an edge, they don't decide individual races, and some Republican leaders say they still expect to hold their majorities in Congress. So now both parties are pouring their final time and money into the closest races. Election day is November 3rd, and early voting is already underway in many states. You can hear more specifics and analysis in our episode from Saturday already in your podcast feed. It's called Special Edition, The Midterms, Stake Strategy and Swing Races.

The White House is looking for another press secretary just days after Katie Zacharia took the job. News outlets cite White House officials who confirmed she's transitioning out after less than a week in the role. Her tenure is the shortest in the job's history and included only one press briefing. She also faced questions about her professional background. She has now acknowledged she has never passed the bar exam despite previously saying she's a lawyer. Then came two Fox News interviews that also drew criticism. On Friday, Trump told reporters he had advised her to reconsider whether she really wanted the position, saying she was being brutalized by the media. Zachariah has since publicly praised Trump. Some reports say she may stay in the administration in a different role though that potential job has not been announced.

President Trump is easing more pressure on Russia and it's adding to the growing tensions with Ukraine. Trump has now waived most of the new sanctions on Russia that Congress had passed last month. The bipartisan law was designed to put more economic pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine, including possible penalties on countries that keep buying Russian oil. But Trump signed an executive order Friday night, halting most of those measures for now, a move that was criticized by lawmakers in both parties. Trump says he doesn't want to do anything that could push Russia away from the negotiating table. Then last night, Trump said he's making great progress in a peace deal with Russia. And for the first time he mentioned they include hostage negotiations, though it's not clear whose release he might be seeking. He also accused Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky of not really wanting to end the war.

This shift comes after Trump also agreed to allow Russian diesel into the US and pressured Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil facilities. Zelensky says easing pressure on Russia only makes Russian president Volodymyr Putin stronger. And over the weekend, Ukraine resumed large scale attacks on Russian energy facilities, including a major drone strike on St. Petersburg. Ukraine says Russia kept attacking its energy infrastructure, despite what Trump had called an energy ceasefire. Now, Putin is proposing a meeting with President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month to discuss Ukraine. Notably, Zelensky would not be part of that proposed meeting. Trump hasn't said whether he would take part. But in the meantime, reports say Zelensky did speak yesterday with top US officials about the peace efforts and a possible in-person meeting in the coming days.