Episode summary
Midterms Enter Final Stretch, US Pulls Some Saudi Diplomats | Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition
Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition
· · 15 min
Summary
The final stretch of the US midterms is being shaped by a string of tightly contested Senate races and heavy campaigning from President Trump. Debates in Michigan and Kansas turned personal and policy-heavy, with the latest polling showing Republican and Democratic candidates effectively tied in Kansas and Michigan, while South Carolina and Mississippi remain important Republican defenses. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy argued the party in power usually loses seats in midterms, but said he does not expect a Democratic wave and sees the Senate as the main battleground.
Tensions in the Middle East escalated as the US ordered some diplomats and their families to leave Saudi Arabia because of Houthi threats, after fresh strikes on an Aramco oil site and an airport killed at least four people. The episode also said Russia is proposing renewed US-Ukraine talks, even as the war continues and Kyiv faces new missile and drone attacks. A Bloomberg analyst said the political will for compromise remains weak on all sides.
Markets and corporate news centered on Meta and Barclays. Meta’s third-quarter revenue rose 26% to more than $64 billion, and Mark Zuckerberg said the company’s AI bet is paying off, while Barclays announced 5,000 job cuts, about 5% of headcount, as it adopts AI and seeks lower costs.
Key takeaways
- Polling shows the Senate races in Michigan and Kansas are so close that both are effectively tossups, according to the latest averages cited by the host.
- President Trump is still a major force in Republican turnout politics, rallying for Darlene Graham in South Carolina and Cindy Hyde Smith in Mississippi.
- The US pulled some diplomats from Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks intensified and at least four people were killed at Saudi sites.
- Meta says its AI investment is driving growth, with third-quarter revenue up 26% to more than $64 billion and Zuckerberg calling the strategy a payoff.
- Barclays is cutting 5,000 jobs, or about 5% of staff, as it pushes a technology-enabled cost-cutting plan built around AI.
Notable quotes
“We are now just 12 days from the elections that will determine control of Congress”
“Polling averages show Roger Marshall and Adam Hamilton virtually tied in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932”
“The real battle is for the Senate”
“the US is ordering some diplomats and their families to leave Saudi Arabia because of the threat from Houthi militants”
“5,000 jobs are to go at Barclays. The Londonbased Bank says it's cutting about 5% of total headcount as it adopts artificial intelligence across the group”
How the episode opens
Bloomberg Audio Studios podcasts, radio news. — Good morning. I'm Nathan Hager — And I'm Karen Moscow. Here are the stories we're following today. — Karen, we begin with the race to the midterms. We are now just 12 days from the elections that will determine control of Congress and final debates were held last night in two of the states with some of the tightest Senate contests. Let's start in Michigan where Republican Mike Rogers faced Democrat Abdul Elsad in a debate sponsored by WXYZ TV. The hour-long exchange turned personal at times with Rogers trying to link Elsai to the Muslim Brotherhood.
If you are going to go to the United States Senate, we need to know, are you for America or are you for these terrorist groups overseas? — Meanwhile, Osai tried to tie Rogers to President Trump in an exchange on trade policy. those playing mega bingo at home. You just heard like three of the buzzwords.
I just want to be clear. He literally is on record having said that in the long term NAFTA would be good for the American. — What year was that? — Abdulad and Mike Rogers also sparred over immigration policy, rising energy prices, and AI data centers. The latest Maris poll shows Elsai in the lead by just two percentage points. That's within the margin of error.
Nathan, there was also a debate last night in Kansas. A Republican Senator Roger Marshall is in a tough re-election fight against Democrat Adam Hamilton. The senator aligned himself with President Trump on the reason for high diesel prices in the debate hosted by Fox 4 Kansas City.
The real problem with the cost of diesel in particular is number one is the Ukraine war and because of that diesel production has gone down and but beyond that why are we dependent upon diesel imports?
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- us midterm elections
- saudi houthis tensions
- iran strikes and strait of hormuz
- barclays cost cuts and ai
- earnings and bond trading slump
Companies and tickers mentioned
- BCS
- NYT
- Barclays Plc
- Aramco
- The New York Times
Watch the episode
Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
More from Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition
-
Nvidia Weighs Succession Plans; Congress Preparing to Subpoena Jensen Huang | Bloomberg... -
GOP Thwarts Hegseth Impeachment; CoreWeave Quiets Doubts | Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition -
FBI Investigates Nvidia CEO, Anthropic IPO Snafu | Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition -
Nvidia CEO Affair Sparks Probe, Trump Admits Policy Mistake | Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition -
BONUS SERIES: Levittown Episode 6 | Warp Speed | Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition -
Daybreak Weekend: US CPI, Ireland Summit, China's Singles Day | Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition
Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition, this episode and its artwork belong to Bloomberg. Octagon is not affiliated with the show; this page is an independent summary.
