{"id":"1793835392977-news-segment","slug":"democrats-sweep-texas-flips-after-decades","title":"Democrats sweep, Texas flips after decades","summary":"In the 2026 US midterm elections, Democrats won control of both the House and Senate, flipping Republican-held seats in Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa, Kansas and Texas. James Talarico became the first Democrat to win a US Senate seat in Texas in more than 30 years. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance acknowledged that the war in Iran and its effect on prices contributed to the Republican losses.\n\nReports say the war in Iran pushed up fuel prices and worsened cost-of-living burdens, while Trump's second-term governance and interventions in Republican primaries alienated voters. Major outlets described the result as a broad rebuke of Trump, with Democrats gaining across demographic groups and regions.\n\nThe 2026 midterms were a Democratic wave: Democrats flipped control of both the House and Senate, including a Texas Senate win by James Talarico, the first Democrat to win a Texas Senate seat in more than 30 years.\n\nAdult film actor Ron Jeremy was charged with sexual assaults involving multiple women. The initial 2020 charges involved four women, and prosecutors later said 21 women had alleged assaults; he faced 34 counts, including 12 counts of rape. He was later found mentally incompetent and committed to a state psychiatric hospital rather than standing trial.\n\nRicky Jones, then a Dartford Labour councillor, was filmed at the 7 August 2024 counter-protest in Walthamstow, east London, telling the crowd about far-right demonstrators: “They are disgusting Nazi fascists, and we need to cut their throats.” He was suspended by Labour and later charged.\n\nFederal prosecutors charged Noor Salman, wife of Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen, with aiding and abetting the 2016 Orlando mass shooting. Prosecutors pointed to a confession she made to the FBI, but cell tower evidence undercut that account, and she was acquitted.\n\nThe BBC reported that Ukrainian officials said a Russian double-tap bombing killed at least 40 people and that up to 30 more may","publishedAt":"2026-11-04T23:36:32.977Z","channel":{"id":"news","name":"Oncast News","language":"en"},"show":"News Tonight","verification":{"status":"verified","leadVerdict":"TRUE","notes":"TRUE: The 2026 midterms were a Democratic wave: Democrats flipped control of both the House and Senate, including a Texas Senate win by James Talarico, the first Democrat to win a Texas Senate seat in more than 30 years.\nSource: [politifact.com](https://politifact.com/article/2026/nov/03/election-day-midterm-live-fact-check-vote-results/), [washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost (https://x.com/WSJ/status/2118124051533041737)\n\nTRUE: Adult film actor Ron Jeremy was charged with sexual assaults involving multiple women. The initial 2020 charges involved four women, and prosecutors later said 21 women had alleged assaults; he faced 34 counts, including 12 counts of rape. He was later found mentally incompetent and committed to a state psychiatric hospital rather than standing trial.\nSource: [cnn.com](https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/23/entertainment/ron-jeremy-rape-charges), Reuters NAMES: Ron Jeremy = adult film actor (https://x.com/hankqxbt/status/2117687535623192775)\n\nTRUE: Ricky Jones, then a Dartford Labour councillor, was filmed at the 7 August 2024 counter-protest in Walthamstow, east London, telling the crowd about far-right demonstrators: “They are disgusting Nazi fascists, and we need to cut their throats.” He was suspended by Labour and later charged.\nSource: BBC News, The Guardian NAMES: Ricky Jones = then Dartford Labour councillor; Walthamstow = district in east London (https://x.com/MarkWRowley/status/2115952510150352953)\n\nTRUE: Federal prosecutors charged Noor Salman, wife of Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen, with aiding and abetting the 2016 Orlando mass shooting. Prosecutors pointed to a confession she made to the FBI, but cell tower evidence undercut that account, and she was acquitted.\nSource: AP News NAMES: Noor Salman = widow of Pulse nightclub gunman Omar Mateen; Pulse nightclub shooting = 2016 Orlando mass shooting (https://x.com/sportified25/status/2117637266340475078)\n\nTRUE: The BBC reported that Ukrainian officials said a Russian double-tap bombing killed at least 40 people and that up to 30 more may still be under the rubble in a Ukrainian village. This is an analysis/headline about Canadian trade implications of the midterm results, not a discrete factual claim requiring a true/false check.\nSource: BBC News NAMES: none POST news:09b15d06b94263dd: NOCLAIM N/A NAMES: none (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98rz6penv86o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)\n\nTRUE: The BBC reported that Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, said Americans voted “no to war,” and that he endorsed that message. President Donald Trump also acknowledged the Iran conflict's role in the Republican Party's midterm defeat.\nSource: BBC News, [washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/11/04/election-2026-live-updates-democrats-take-control-house-senate-trump-distances (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6d934npl9y8o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)\n\nTRUE: FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono released a statement through his club expressing sorrow after the death of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel.\nSource: BBC Sport NAMES: Jesus Owono = FC Andorra goalkeeper; Jesus de Miguel = Tenerife forward (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c6zxjz40l280o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)","claims":[{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"The 2026 midterms were a Democratic wave: Democrats flipped control of both the House and Senate, including a Texas Senate win by James Talarico, the first Democrat to win a Texas Senate seat in more than 30 years.","sourceName":"[politifact.com](https://politifact.com/article/2026/nov/03/election-day-midterm-live-fact-check-vote-results/), [washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/WSJ/status/2118124051533041737","claim":"Tuesday’s midterm election results have been historic in many ways. Here are some of the milestones. https://t.co/bv5snzAD1y https://t.co/95YqGtjbFJ","author":"The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ)"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Adult film actor Ron Jeremy was charged with sexual assaults involving multiple women. The initial 2020 charges involved four women, and prosecutors later said 21 women had alleged assaults; he faced 34 counts, including 12 counts of rape. He was later found mentally incompetent and committed to a state psychiatric hospital rather than standing trial.","sourceName":"[cnn.com](https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/23/entertainment/ron-jeremy-rape-charges), Reuters NAMES: Ron Jeremy = adult film actor","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/hankqxbt/status/2117687535623192775","claim":"Ron Jeremy joked on national TV that he had slept with 3,000 to 4,000 women. Then 21 women went to the police and said he had sexually assaulted them. He was charged with 34 counts, including 12 counts of rape, and faced the rest of his life in prison. He will almost certainly ht","author":"Hank (@hankqxbt)"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Ricky Jones, then a Dartford Labour councillor, was filmed at the 7 August 2024 counter-protest in Walthamstow, east London, telling the crowd about far-right demonstrators: “They are disgusting Nazi fascists, and we need to cut their throats.” He was suspended by Labour and later charged.","sourceName":"BBC News, The Guardian NAMES: Ricky Jones = then Dartford Labour councillor; Walthamstow = district in east London","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/MarkWRowley/status/2115952510150352953","claim":"During an anti-racism counter-protest in Walthamstow, East London, on 7 August 2024, Ricky Jones (then a Dartford Labour councillor) addressed the crowd using a microphone. Referring to far-right demonstrators, he stated, \"They are disgusting Nazi fascists, and we need to cut htt","author":"Mark Rowley (@MarkWRowley)"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Federal prosecutors charged Noor Salman, wife of Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen, with aiding and abetting the 2016 Orlando mass shooting. Prosecutors pointed to a confession she made to the FBI, but cell tower evidence undercut that account, and she was acquitted.","sourceName":"AP News NAMES: Noor Salman = widow of Pulse nightclub gunman Omar Mateen; Pulse nightclub shooting = 2016 Orlando mass shooting","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/sportified25/status/2117637266340475078","claim":"Federal prosecutors charged her with aiding and abetting one of the worst mass shootings in American history, pointing to a handwritten FBI confession claiming she scouted the target with her husband—only for cell tower forensics to blow the government's case wide open, ending in","author":"sportified (@sportified25)"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"The BBC reported that Ukrainian officials said a Russian double-tap bombing killed at least 40 people and that up to 30 more may still be under the rubble in a Ukrainian village. This is an analysis/headline about Canadian trade implications of the midterm results, not a discrete factual claim requiring a true/false check.","sourceName":"BBC News NAMES: none POST news:09b15d06b94263dd: NOCLAIM N/A NAMES: none","sourceUrl":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98rz6penv86o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","claim":"Ukraine says bodycam video shows deadly Russian double-tap bombing - At least 40 people were killed and another 30 may still be under the rubble after Monday's attack on a Ukrainian village, Kyiv says.","author":"the BBC"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"The BBC reported that Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, said Americans voted “no to war,” and that he endorsed that message. President Donald Trump also acknowledged the Iran conflict's role in the Republican Party's midterm defeat.","sourceName":"BBC News, [washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/11/04/election-2026-live-updates-democrats-take-control-house-senate-trump-distances","sourceUrl":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6d934npl9y8o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","claim":"Iran's chief negotiator says Americans voted 'no to war' - \"We endorse this message,\" Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf says, as Donald Trump acknowledges the conflict's role in the Republican Party's defeat.","author":"the BBC"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono released a statement through his club expressing sorrow after the death of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel.","sourceName":"BBC Sport NAMES: Jesus Owono = FC Andorra goalkeeper; Jesus de Miguel = Tenerife forward","sourceUrl":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c6zxjz40l280o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","claim":"'Most difficult days of my life' for keeper Owono - FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono puts out a statement through his club, expressing his sorrow and pain after Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel's death.","author":"the BBC"}]},"sources":[{"url":"https://x.com/WSJ/status/2118124051533041737","name":"[politifact.com](https://politifact.com/article/2026/nov/03/election-day-midterm-live-fact-check-vote-results/), [washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ)"},{"url":"https://x.com/hankqxbt/status/2117687535623192775","name":"[cnn.com](https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/23/entertainment/ron-jeremy-rape-charges), Reuters NAMES: Ron Jeremy = adult film actor","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Hank (@hankqxbt)"},{"url":"https://x.com/MarkWRowley/status/2115952510150352953","name":"BBC News, The Guardian NAMES: Ricky Jones = then Dartford Labour councillor; Walthamstow = district in east London","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Mark Rowley (@MarkWRowley)"},{"url":"https://x.com/sportified25/status/2117637266340475078","name":"AP News NAMES: Noor Salman = widow of Pulse nightclub gunman Omar Mateen; Pulse nightclub shooting = 2016 Orlando mass shooting","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"sportified (@sportified25)"},{"url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98rz6penv86o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","name":"BBC News NAMES: none POST news:09b15d06b94263dd: NOCLAIM N/A NAMES: none","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"the BBC"},{"url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6d934npl9y8o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","name":"BBC News, [washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/11/04/election-2026-live-updates-democrats-take-control-house-senate-trump-distances","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"the BBC"},{"url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c6zxjz40l280o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","name":"BBC Sport NAMES: Jesus Owono = FC Andorra goalkeeper; Jesus de Miguel = Tenerife forward","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"the BBC"}],"url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793835392977-news-segment-democrats-sweep-texas-flips-after-decades","listenUrl":"https://oncast.fm/c/news","attribution":{"publisher":"Oncast","site":"https://oncast.fm","url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793835392977-news-segment-democrats-sweep-texas-flips-after-decades","cite":"Cite https://oncast.fm/story/1793835392977-news-segment-democrats-sweep-texas-flips-after-decades and the original source links. Fact-check by Oncast (oncast.fm)."},"hostsSaid":[{"host":"Brian","text":"Now to something else entirely: a Labour councillor in east London told a crowd to cut far-right demonstrators' throats."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Mark Rowley posted the clip on X. Ricky Jones, then a Dartford Labour councillor, said—and I'll quote exactly—'They are disgusting Nazi fascists, and we need to cut their throats.'"},{"host":"Brian","text":"Suspended by Labour, later charged. That's what happens when you weaponize disgust."},{"host":"Bella","text":"There's no defending it. An elected official calling for violence."},{"host":"Brian","text":"But here's the discomfort: lots of people in that crowd probably cheered."},{"host":"Bella","text":"That's the moment we're in. You can be against fascism and still lose the argument by becoming the thing you claim to oppose."},{"host":"Brian","text":"He gave the far right a gift. They'll run that clip for years."},{"host":"Bella","text":"The standard has to hold for everyone. Even at an anti-racism counter-protest."},{"host":"Brian","text":"And he wasn't just a random protester. He was a Dartford Labour councillor."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Labour suspended him quickly. That's something, but the damage was already done."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Back in the States, a different kind of accountability: a federal prosecution fell apart on cell tower evidence."},{"host":"Bella","text":"This is the Pulse nightclub case. Prosecutors charged Noor Salman, the gunman's wife, with aiding and abetting."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Sportified posted the thread on X. They pointed to a handwritten FBI confession."},{"host":"Bella","text":"But cell tower forensics undercut it. She was acquitted."},{"host":"Brian","text":"A confession wasn't enough. That's how it should work."},{"host":"Bella","text":"The government had a confession and still lost. Evidence matters."},{"host":"Brian","text":"It doesn't erase the loss for those families. But it protects the rule of law."},{"host":"Bella","text":"And it's a warning to prosecutors: a confession is not a conviction."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Exactly. And if we forget that, we're in real trouble."}]}