nov.

Today we discuss board games, snacks and boomerangs.

So where do things stand less than a week from election day?

With the usual caveats, about no certainties in life or politics …

Of course …

…. it seems pretty darned certain that Democrats are going to take control of the House next week, notwithstanding the delusions (or professed confidence) of Speaker Mike Johnson and his Republican allies. The only question is the margin.

Democrats need to flip just three seats, and even the most conservative handicappers (in terms of circumspection, not political views) see them netting more than half a dozen, at a minimum. From there, forecasts climb into the double digits.

“In the best-case scenario,” Erin Covey wrote in a recent analysis for the Cook Political Report, Democrats “could enter the new Congress with more seats than they had after successfully flipping control of the House in 2006 and 2018.”

Didn’t Republicans gerrymander several states to boost their chances?

They did, starting in Texas. Then California moved to gerrymander its political map, to boost Democratic chances.

That helped precipitate a nationwide redistricting war which, once the haze cleared, resulted in a third of the nation’s 435 House districts being redrawn to at least some extent. But that only marginally increased Republicans’ advantage. And there are signs the rejiggering of political lines may have backfired, or boomeranged, on the GOP.

How so?

By spreading their reliable voters thin and counting on support from 2024 Trump backers who’ve since soured on the president. In particular Latinos. In doing so, Republicans have put several House seats into play, most notably in Texas and Florida.

That’s what’s known in the business as a “dummymander.”

A knife’s edge

What about the Senate?

That remains a toss-up, which few would have imagined at the start of this election season.

Virtually all the contests that will decide control of the Senate are being fought in states that President Trump carried — several by landslide margins — making them not exactly friendly Democratic territory. But war, inflation and Trump’s wretched approval rating have dragged GOP candidates down in states such as Kansas, Mississippi and Texas, which, a year ago, would have required hallucinogens to appear remotely competitive.

So what’s the math?

Democrats need to hold on to all of their seats and gain four to flip the Senate.

While incumbent Jon Ossoff seems certain to win in Georgia, Democratic-held seats in Minnesota, New Hampshire and, especially, Michigan are more problematic. In terms of pickup opportunities, the aforementioned Kansas and Texas are toss-ups, along with Alaska, Iowa, Ohio and Maine. North Carolina seems ready to flip Democrats’ way.

And, who knows, there might be a surprise or two — which, obviously, wouldn’t be a surprise if we’re talking about it here.

One thing to bear in mind: Close races all tend to break in favor of one party or the other. Think of dominoes falling, not checkers hopscotching across the board.

Polls look good for Democrats.

They do. But as both of my faithful readers know, your friendly political columnist can’t stand the constant chattering about polls.

It’s not just how surveys understated Trump’s support the two times he won the White House. (In their defense, pollsters did pretty well in the last two midterm elections, in 2018 and 2022.)

It’s that too many people — including folks who should know better — ascribe a false precision to polls, which at best offer nothing more than an educated guess.

Are the polls again overstating Democratic support?

Could be.

In a recent analysis, the Economist found that polls tend to underestimate a party’s strength in states they dominate. That could mean surveys showing toss-up races in red states such as Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio and Texas could be overstating Democratic strength.

(Research also has shown that dispirited voters are less likely to participate in a poll, which could mean an oversampling of Democratic sentiments despite quite conscious attempts to adjust and weight the data.)

All of which is to say, ignore the polls and don’t let your hopes get too high, or your mood too low. We’ll have election results soon enough.

What does the early voting tell us?

Nothing dispositive. (That’s a fancy way of saying, again, don’t read too much into those numbers.)

Democrats are evidently way more enthused about voting this election than Republicans. And there have been some eye-popping turnout numbers among Black and Latino voters. But maybe Republicans are holding back to cast their ballots closer to or on election day.

Things will be abundantly clear after the fact, as they always are.

Table stakes

How about all the money Republicans — and Elon Musk — are pouring into the election?

It’s gross. But money alone is not determinative.

Just ask Tom Steyer, who spent the GDP of a small country on his failed run for California governor. Or Trump, who was outspent by Hillary Clinton nearly 2-to-1 when he was elected in 2016.

A certain amount of money is necessary to compete; it’s like the table stakes required for a serious competitor to get into the race. Beyond that, factors like candidate performance, external events and, especially, the overall political climate matter a good deal more.

The big Republican money advantage can help drive turnout, which is no small thing, especially if it helps coax reluctant GOP voters to the polls. But elections aren’t like vending machines, where the more money you put in, the more you take out.

Thankfully, we haven’t reached a point where public office can be purchased automatically like soda or a candy bar. At least not yet.

So get out and vote, or make a plan to, if you haven’t already.

What else you should be reading

Get smart: Many Latinos are done with Trump. The shift is especially striking in Texas
The deep dive: “A butter knife against a nuclear arsenal:” Tech billionaires vastly outspend wealth tax supporters
The L.A. Times Special: Skelton: Need help deciding on the state ballot measures? Here are my recommendations
Until next time,
mzb
—
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Oct. 27, 2026 2:09 PM PT

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS TENNIS

CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS

MONDAY’S RESULTS

Semifinals

OPEN DIVISION

#1 Palisades 20.5, #4 El Camino Real 9

#2 Granada Hills 25, #3 GALA 4.5

First Round

DIVISION I

#1 GALA, bye

#8 Eagle Rock 24.5, #9 Larchmont 5

#5 SOCES 17, #12 Cleveland 12.5

#4 Chatsworth 23.5, #13 Bell 6

#3 Venice 24, #14 Taft 5.5

#11 Carson 24, #6 North Hollywood 5.5

#10 L.A. Marshall 19, #7 Van Nuys 10.5

#2 El Camino Real, bye

DIVISION II

#1 Granada Hills Kennedy 27, #16 Legacy 2.5

#9 Fairfax 16.5, #8 Gardena 13

#12 New West 15, #5 San Pedro 14.5

#4 South East d. #13 Grant

#3 Wilmington Banning 25.5, #14 RFK Community 4

#6 South Gate 20.5, #11 King/Drew 9

#7 Downtown Magnets 22, #10 Los Angeles 7.5

#2 LACES 28.5, #15 Sylmar 1

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

Finals

At Balboa Tennis Center, 11 a.m.

OPEN DIVISION

#2 Granada Hills vs. #1 Palisades

Note: Divisions I-II quarterfinals Thursday, Oct. 29 at higher seeds; Division I-II semifinals Monday, Nov. 2 at higher seeds; Division I-II finals Wednesday, Nov. 4 at higher seeds, 11 a.m.

Tom Jones has postponed two California concerts after coming down with a “bad case of the flu.”

Hours before he was expected to take the stage on Monday at the Greek Theatre, the Welsh crooner announced on Instagram that he was rescheduling his L.A. and San Diego concerts on doctor’s orders.

“I’ve had a great time these last few weeks, completing 20 shows and singing for wonderful audiences across the USA, but unexpectedly I’ve been hit with a bad case of the flu,” Jones wrote. “Following doctor’s advice, I unfortunately have to reschedule tonight’s show in Los Angeles and tomorrow’s show in San Diego.”

Monday’s Greek Theatre show will now happen on Nov. 4. His show at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park has been postponed until Nov. 3.

According to the Instagram statement, all tickets for the original shows will be honored for the new dates. Those who are unable to attend the rescheduled concerts are advised to request a refund through the original point of purchase.

The 86-year-old “It’s Not Unusual” singer is on the tail end of his “Come Gather Round Tour.” His San Francisco show on Nov. 1 was expected to be the finale, but the tour will now wrap in L.A. Jones is scheduled to perform next at Yaamava’ Theater on Thursday.

“I’m truly sorry for any inconvenience caused,” Jones said. “I look forward to seeing you all soon.”

CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS

MONDAY’S RESULTS

First round

DIVISION I

#1 SOCES d. #16 Birmingham, 25-20, 25-18, 12-25, 25-21

#9 North Hollywood d. #8 LACES, 25-15, 25-10, 25-13

#5 L.A. University d. #12 Foshay, 3-0

#4 San Pedro d. #13 GALA, 3-1

#14 L.A. Marshall d. #3 Sylmar, 25-22, 25-23, 14-25, 25-23

#11 Lincoln d. #6 Mendez, 25-20, 22-25, 25-22, 25-20

#7 Sun Valley Poly d. #10 L.A. Roosevelt, 25-22, 21-25, 26-24, 25-22

#2 Granada Hills Kennedy d. #15 King/Drew, 26-28, 25-12, 25-18, 25-22

DIVISION II

#1 South East d. #16 New West, 25-14, 25-17, 25-13

#8 Carson d. #9 San Fernando, 3-1

#5 Alliance Levine d. #12 Bravo Medical, 25-18, 25-21, 23-25, 25-22

#13 Panorama d. #4 Triumph Charter, 26-24, 25-22, 25-15

#14 South Gate at #3 Grant

#11 Maywood CES d. #6 Central City Value, 3-0

#7 Verdugo Hills d. #10 L.A. Hamilton, 27-25, 25-14, 29-27

#15 Reseda d. #2 East Valley, 3-1

DIVISION III

#17 RFK Community d. #16 University Prep Value, 25-20, 25-27, 25-27, 25-14, 15-11

#13 Port of Los Angeles d. #20 Vaughn, 26-28, 9-25, 25-20, 25-22, 17-15

#19 Sun Valley Magnet d. #14 Gertz-Ressler, 20-25, 25-19, 25-22, 22-25, 16-14

#18 L.A. Wilson d. #15 Animo Robinson, 27-25, 25-12, 23-25, 25-21

DIVISION IV

#17 Los Angeles d. #16 Northridge Academy, 3-0

#20 Downtown Magnets d. #13 Westchester, 23-25, 35-15, 25-12, 25-22

#14 Hollywood d. #19 Esperanza College, 25-19, 21-25, 25-13, 25-19

#15 Jefferson d. #18 South LA College, 25-20, 25-13, 25-11

DIVISION V

#16 Orthopaedic d. #17 Alliance Marine, 25-18, 25-16, 25-21

#9 USC Hybrid d. #24 Dorsey, 25-9, 25-11, 25-7

#21 Discovery d. #12 East College Prep, 27-25, 25-20, 25-15

#13 Camino Nuevo d. #20 Alliance Bloomfield, 25-22, 25-14, 25-14

#14 Smidt Tech d. #19 Hawkins, 25-10, 25-14, 25-13

#11 Diego Rivera d. #22 Collins Family, 25-14, 25-22, 23-25, 25-23

#190 Van Nuys d. #23 Valley Oaks CES, 25-13, 25-13, 25-16

#15 Manual Arts d. #18 Aspire Ollin, 16-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-21

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)

Quarterfinals

OPEN DIVISION

#8 Eagle Rock at #1 Venice

#5 El Camino Real at #4 Taft, 6 p.m.

#6 Granada Hills at #3 Cleveland, 5 p.m.

#7 Chatsworth at #2 Palisades, 5 p.m.

Second Round

DIVISION III

#17 RFK Community at #1 Franklin

#9 Marquez at #8 Animo De La Hoya

#12 Harbor Teacher at #5 Annenberg

#13 Port of L.A. at #4 Wilmington Banning

#19 Sun Valley Magnet at #3 Narbonne

#11 Larchmont Charter at #6 Stern

#10 Brio College Prep at #7 Math & Science College

#18 L.A. Wilson at #2 Lake Balboa College Prep

DIVISION IV

#17 Los Angeles at #1 Santee

#9 Middle College at #8 Arleta

#12 Fairfax at #5 Bell

#20 Downtown Magnets at #4 Community Charter

#14 Hollywood at #3 Huntington Park

#11 Canoga Park at #6 WISH Academy

#10 Monroe at #7 Legacy

#15 Jefferson at #2 Garfield

DIVISION V

#16 Orthopaedic at #1 Elizabeth

#9 USC Hybrid at #8 San Fernando Arroyo

#21 Discovery at #5 Magnolia Science Academy

#13 Camino Nuevo vs. #4 Animo Pat Brown at Ross Snyder Park, 2 p.m.

#14 Smidt Tech at #3 Burton

#22 Collins Family / #11 Diego Rivera at #6 Angelou

#10 Van Nuys at #7 Lakeview Charter

#15 Manual Arts at #2 Stella

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)

Quarterfinals

DIVISION I

#9 North Hollywood at #1 SOCES

#5 L.A. University at #4 San Pedro

#14 L.A. Marshall at #11 Lincoln

#7 Sun Valley Poly at #2 Granada Hills Kennedy

DIVISION II

#8 Carson at #1 South East

#13 Panorama at #5 Alliance Levine

#11 Maywood CES vs. #3 Grant / #14 South Gate

#15 Reseda at #7 Verdugo Hills

Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions IIII-V) Fri., Oct. 30 or Sat., Oct. 31 at higher seeds; Semifinals (all divisions) Tues., Nov. 3 at higher seeds; Finals (all divisions) Fri., Nov. 6 or Sat., Nov. 7 (times and sites TBD).

Oct. 24, 2026 10:35 AM PT

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS TENNIS

CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS

(Matches at 12:30 p.m. unless noted)

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

Semifinals

OPEN DIVISION

#4 El Camino Real at #1 Palisades

#3 GALA at #2 Granada Hills

First Round

DIVISION I

#1 TBD, bye

#9 Larchmont at #8 Eagle Rock

#12 Cleveland at #5 SOCES

#13 Bell at #4 Chatsworth

#14 Taft at #3 Venice

#11 Carson at #6 North Hollywood

#10 L.A. Marshall at #7 Van Nuys

#2 TBD, bye

DIVISION II

#16 Legacy at #1 Granada Hills Kennedy

#9 Fairfax at #8 Gardena

#12 New West at #5 San Pedro

#13 Grant at #4 South East

#14 RFK Community at #3 Wilmington Banning

#11 King/Drew at #6 South Gate

#10 Los Angeles at #7 Downtown Magnets

#15 Sylmar at #2 LACES

Note: Open Division finals Wednesday, Oct. 28 at Balboa Sports Center, 11 a.m.; Divisions I-II quarterfinals Thursday, Oct. 29 at higher seeds; Division I-II semifinals Monday, Nov. 2 at higher seeds; Division I-II finals Wednesday, Nov. 4 at higher seeds, 11 a.m.

Oct. 22, 2026 5:12 PM PT

CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS

(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

First round

DIVISION I

#16 Birmingham at #1 SOCES

#9 North Hollywood at #8 LACES

#12 Foshay at #5 L.A. University

#13 GALA at #4 San Pedro

#14 L.A. Marshall at #3 Sylmar

#11 Lincoln at #6 Mendez

#10 L.A. Roosevelt at #7 Sun Valley Poly

#15 King/Drew at #2 Granada Hills Kennedy

DIVISION II

#16 New West Charter at #1 South East

#9 San Fernando at #8 Carson

#12 Bravo Medical at #5 Alliance Levine

#13 Panorama at #4 Triumph Charter

#14 South Gate at #3 Grant

#11 Maywood CES at #6 Central City Value

#10 L.A. Hamilton at #7 Verdugo Hills

#15 Reseda at #2 East Valley

DIVISION III

#17 RFK Community at #16 University Prep Value

#20 Vaughn at #13 Port of Los Angeles

#19 Sun Valley Magnet at #14 Gertz-Ressler

#15 Animo Robinson at #18 L.A. Wilson

DIVISION IV

#17 Los Angeles at #16 Northridge Academy

#20 Downtown Magnets at #13 Westchester

#19 Esperanza College at #14 Hollywood

#18 South LA College at #15 Jefferson

DIVISION V

#17 Alliance Marine at #16 Orthopaedic

#24 Dorsey at #9 USC Hybrid

#21 Discovery at #12 East College Prep

#20 Alliance Bloomfield at #13 Camino Nuevo

#19 Hawkins at #14 Smidt Tech

#22 Collins Family at #11 Diego Rivera

#23 Valley Oaks CES at #10 Van Nuys

#18 Aspire Ollin at #15 Manual Arts

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

Quarterfinals

OPEN DIVISION

#8 Eagle Rock at #1 Venice

#5 El Camino Real at #4 Taft

#6 Granada Hills at #3 Cleveland

#7 Chatsworth at #2 Palisades

Second Round

DIVISION III

#17 RFK / #16 University Prep Value at #1 Franklin

#9 Marquez at #8 Animo De La Hoya

#12 Harbor Teacher at #5 Annenberg

#20 Vaughn / #13 Port of LA at #4 Wilmington Banning

#19 Sun Valley Magnet / #14 Gertz-Ressler at #3 Narbonne

#11 Larchmont Charter at #6 Stern

#10 Brio College Prep at #7 Math & Science College Prep

#18 L.A. Wilson / #15 Animo Robinson at #2 Lake Balboa College Prep

DIVISION IV

#17 Los Angeles / #16 Northridge Academy at #1 Santee

#9 Middle College at #8 Arleta

#12 Fairfax at #5 Bell

#20 Downtown Magnet / #13 Westchester at #4 Community Charter

#19 Esperanza College / #14 Hollywood at #3 Huntington Park

#11 Canoga Park at #6 WISH Academy

#10 Monroe at #7 Legacy

#18 South LA College / #15 Jefferson at #2 Garfield

DIVISION V

#17 Alliance Marine / #16 Orthopaedic at #1 Elizabeth

#24 Dorsey / #9 USC Hybrid at #8 San Fernando Arroyo

#21 Discovery / #12 East College Prep at #5 Magnolia Science Academy

#20 Alliance Bloomfield / #13 Camino Nuevo at #4 Animo Pat Brown

#19 Hawkins / #14 Smidt Tech at #3 Burton

#22 Collins Family / #11 Diego Rivera at #6 Angelou

#23 Valley Oaks CES / #10 Van Nuys at #7 Lakeview Charter

#18 Aspire Ollin / #15 Manual Arts at #2 Stella

Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions I-II) Thurs., Oct. 29 at higher seeds; Quarterfinals (Divisions IIII-V) Fri., Oct. 30 or Sat., Oct. 31 at higher seeds; Semifinals (all divisions) Tues., Nov. 3 at higher seeds; Finals (all divisions) Fri., Nov. 6 or Sat., Nov. 7 (times and sites TBD).

U2 is coming to SoFi Stadium for the first time — and performing during a Rams game for the first time in nearly 25 years.

The legendary Irish rock band will headline the halftime show for the NFL’s first Thanksgiving eve game as the Rams host the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 25. The game will stream live on Netflix.

The only other time U2 has performed at halftime of an NFL game was at Super Bowl XXXVI on Feb. 3, 2002, when the New England Patriots defeated the then-St. Louis Rams 20-17 at the Superdome in New Orleans.

“There’s a reason U2 has headlined stadiums for decades: they don’t just perform, they deliver iconic moments audiences remember forever,” Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a statement. “We’re thrilled that they’ll bring that same magic to the NFL stage on Netflix. It’s going to be an unforgettable night for football fans and Netflix members worldwide.”

U2’s halftime show will feature special guests, the streaming service said.

Netflix has featured big-name halftime performers during some of the previous NFL games it has streamed, including Beyoncé on Christmas day in 2024 and Snoop Dogg on Christmas last year.

U2 — which features singer Bono, lead guitarist the Edge, bass player Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. — celebrated their 50th anniversary last month with a concert. The group performed at Mount Temple Comprehensive School, where the four members were students when they first got together as a band in 1976.

The band has won 22 Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. Its 16th studio album, Carnival de Luz, is set to drop on Nov. 13.

Los Angeles County voters are concerned about a host of voter fraud issues that could disrupt the Nov. 3 general election, even though they have a high degree of confidence in local elections officials, according to a new poll funded by the nonprofit California Community Foundation.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents expressed concern that false rumors and misleading information online could confuse voters or make them believe that their vote won’t count, the poll found. Other top concerns included politicians interfering with the election and mail-in ballots getting lost, stolen or delayed.

Still, most of the voters surveyed expressed confidence in the county’s handling of election proceedings, with 68% saying L.A. County does an excellent or good job at running elections and counting ballots.

Once presented with information about how the county handles elections, that number rose to 72%. Around three-quarters of respondents also believe that the upcoming election will be fair, secure and accurate, the poll found.

The online poll was conducted from Sept. 30 to Oct. 6 by Tulchin Research, a San Francisco-based public opinion firm. It surveyed 500 voters in L.A. County considered likely to cast ballots in the Nov. 3 election and has a margin of error of 4.4%.

“Voters feel good about the local officials running their elections. So, reinforcing the fact that that is who’s in charge of the election and how the process works is reassuring to folks,” said Ben Tulchin, the polling company’s president. “It … reduces their anxiety about some of the outside criticism that California, L.A. County faces.”

The poll was funded by the California Community Foundation, which awards millions of dollars in grants to local charitable groups, to support the “A Count You Can Trust Coalition,” an initiative aimed at enhancing trust in local elections.

Recent polling has suggested that potential federal interference in the Nov. 3 election is a top concern statewide for California voters. The local poll was administered to shed light on how L.A. County voters feel, said former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who co-chairs the A Count You Can Trust group with Miguel Santana, who leads the California Community Foundation.

“This is the epicenter of the California vote,” Villaraigosa said. “The concern is not as great as it is statewide. Here in L.A. County, people seem to trust the vote to a greater degree.”

A recent poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times, found that 61% of California voters identified interference by the Trump administration as a “major concern.” President Trump has fueled doubts over election integrity, spreading unverified claims of widespread voter fraud in blue states such as California.

Young voters and Latino voters expressed the lowest levels of confidence in how the county runs elections, the new poll found. The findings suggest those demographics need “a lot more reassurance” that elections are safe and that their votes matter, Tulchin said.

“It’s not surprising at all, and it means we’ve got work to do,” Villaraigosa said. “We got a lot of work to do to communicate to those people and to make it clear that, in fact, this vote can be trusted.”

Villaraigosa said he plans to focus his efforts on social media engagement and creating video content with poll workers to speak on how vote-counting works in the county.

The poll also asked respondents whether “things in Los Angeles County are going in the right direction or do you feel things have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track?” Most — 62% — said wrong track, and 26% said right direction.

Among voter concerns in the upcoming election, 18% listed the economy, the cost of living and inflation as their biggest worry, followed by election integrity, fraud and interference at 17% of respondents. Concerns about Republicans and Trump “winning or retaining power” came in third, with 16% of respondents saying that is their biggest concern.

Homelessness and immigration, two issues that have been prominent the L.A. mayoral race between incumbent Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman, ranked low in the list of concerns for the surveyed voters. Tulchin noted that the focus of the survey was on election integrity, which could have had an effect on what issues were top of mind of respondents.

The survey findings indicate that L.A. County voters seem to trust the county more than voters statewide. Still, just over 30% of surveyed voters have a fair or poor view of how the county runs elections, Villaraigosa said.

“They’re concerned, but what we found in this poll is that there are a number of people who, while concerned, do trust this county,” he said.

Marvel Unlimited, the company’s digital comics subscription service, is shutting down after 19 years.

Marvel announced Monday that it is launching Marvel Comics, a new digital comics app that will house more than 35,000 current and classic titles featuring Spider-Man, the X-Men, Captain Marvel and more from its extensive library. The new platform is built and operated by Webtoon and will launch Nov. 16.

The Marvel Comics app library will feature comics spanning Marvel, Star Wars and 20th Century Studios titles at launch, with stories from Disney’s other brands — like Pixar and Disney Animation — expected to follow. The new app will support both the traditional page-based comics format that mirrors physical books and the more mobile-device-friendly vertical-scroll format. (Marvel Unlimited also featured vertical-scroll comics under its Infinity Comics banner.)

A preview of the Marvel Comics app.

(Marvel Comics)

Those attending New York Comic Con this Thursday through Sunday can get an early look at the new app at the Marvel Comics booth (#2435).

With the arrival of the new Marvel Comics app, Marvel Unlimited will “sunset” on Dec. 7. Marvel Unlimited has been the company’s in-house digital hub for its comics since its launch as Marvel Digital Comics in 2007. Subscriptions and payment information from Marvel Unlimited will not automatically carry over into the Webtoon-operated Marvel Comics, and Marvel says those whose paid subscriptions will be cut short because of the shutdown can expect a prorated refund on or around Nov. 16.

Marvel Unlimited members who sign up for Marvel Comics will be able to import their current library and reading history into the new app once it’s launched. The steps required for that process have not yet been detailed, but the company says these members will have until Dec. 21 to access their Marvel Unlimited library to ensure the transfer was successful.

Marvel Comics will offer two subscription tiers: The base-tier membership will run $9.99 per month or $69.99 annually for access to the app’s full catalog, with new issues of ongoing titles added as early as three months after print release. For those who would rather not wait that long to read newer comics, Ultimate-tier members will be able to access new issues as early as a month after its print release. Subscriptions for that tier will run $12.49 a month or $99.99 a year. Marvel is currently offering a special $59.99 “founder member” price for the first year of an annual Ultimate-tier memberships for those that preorder the service.

Oct. 8, 2026 9:48 AM PT

WASHINGTON — President Trump said Thursday that he will not order a resumption of military strikes on Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections in the United States.

Trump, while stumping for Republicans this week, has hinted that he was confident that an endgame to the war could come in the days before or after the election, while also hinting that he remained open to resuming full-scale military operations against Iran.

For weeks, Trump has been threatening that a post-midterm election escalation in the seven-month-old war remains a viable option, despite his initial promises to Americans of a military campaign that would last a matter of weeks.

But Trump in a social media post on Thursday said the U.S. “will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd.”

Trump added that his team has been “having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Negotiations had appeared at a standstill since Trump late last month publicly rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the U.S. met certain conditions.

Iran, however, said last week it had received a U.S. counterproposal. And Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday said he expected Tehran would offer a formal reply within days.

Trump’s post comes as the military has dispatched more resources to the region. U.S. officials have said a third aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and thousands of troops aboard it and accompanying ships could arrive as early as the end of October.

Trump’s announcement was made the same day the USS Abraham Lincoln was due to arrive to its home port in San Diego after a record-long deployment in support of the Iran war. There have been reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products.

The USS George Washington, which is usually based in Asia, relieved the Lincoln in August. The other aircraft carrier in the Middle East, the USS George H.W. Bush, has been deployed for about six months, but it pulled into Phuket, Thailand, for a port visit several days ago.

Boak and Madhani write for the Associated Press.