Americans would prefer a Democrat-controlled Congress after the 2018 midterm elections, per a new NBC/WSJ poll. Among registered voters surveyed, 50% said they would rather see Democrats as the congressional majority, while 39% said they prefer Republicans in power.
Behind the numbers: Democrats haven't seen such a strong lead since 2008, when voters preferred a blue congress to a red one by 14 points. They lead young voters, ages 18–34 by 48 points and women voters by 20 points. Republicans lead among white voters by 2 points and among white voters without college degrees by 12 points.
Democratic Congressman Ruben Kihuen is not running for reelection, Politico reports, after he was accused of sexual harassment. He has denied the allegations, but told the Las Vegas Review-Journal it's "in the best interest of [his] family and [his] constituents" to finish his term and not seek reelection.
Why it matters: The House Ethics Committee said it would be investigating the claims against Kihuen on Friday.
President Donald Trump called Sen. John McCain's wife Cindy on Friday to check on the couple and send his best wishes, according to the Associated Press. McCain is undergoing treatments for glioblastoma, an aggressive kind of brain cancer.
Why it matters: Trump and McCain have had a rocky relationship to say the least, especially when the Arizona senator voted against Republican efforts to appeal the Affordable Care Act this summer.
Despite President Trump's tough-on-immigration rhetoric, there were around 177,000 fewer deportations this year than in 2009, Obama's first year in office. That number is lower than any year during Obama's presidency, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data.
