Five numbers that explain the news after the midterms

Most days, The Press USA gives you five stories. Today each story is led by a single figure, so you can see what is being counted, who it touches and what happens next.

The figures come from official data and from PBS, Democracy Now and Good Morning America reporting, linked in each item. Where a story is contested, we say who holds which view and leave the judging to you.

73-25 on the permitting bill

What it measures. The Senate voted 73 to 25 on Monday to take up a sweeping permitting bill. The bill was advanced by nearly every Republican and 22 Democrats. This was a vote to start work on the bill, not a final vote on it.

Who it affects. Senators said the deal aims to speed reviews of energy and infrastructure projects that face yearslong delays. It would require data centers to pay all associated transmission costs, so those costs are not passed to families or businesses. It would also limit legal challenges under the National Environmental Policy Act. Environmental groups call the bill an attack on federal environmental protections, and Indigenous leaders say it would undermine tribal sovereignty.

What comes next. The Senate now takes up the bill itself. Expect the argument to center on the legal limits, which supporters describe as a way to build faster and critics describe as a loss of protections.

0.4 percent for October prices

What it measures. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the consumer price index rose 0.4 percent in October on a seasonally adjusted basis, after a 0.6 percent rise in September. Core prices, which leave out food and energy, rose 0.3 percent, the same as in September and August.

Who it affects. Everyone who buys groceries, pays rent or fills a tank. Shelter rose 0.3 percent and made up over thirty percent of the monthly increase. Food rose 0.5 percent, with food at home up 0.4 and food away from home up 0.5. Energy rose 0.7 percent, following a 5.2 percent jump in September.

What comes next. One usual number is missing this month. The BLS says it cannot publish most October 2026 12-month changes because October 2025 data were not collected during a funding lapse. The last yearly reading is for September: 3.7 percent over 12 months, up from 3.4 percent in August, with gasoline up 9.1 percent and accounting for over half of that month's increase. For now, the monthly figures are the official guide to October. The November report is scheduled for December 10, 2026.

Eight articles against Hegseth

What it measures. Rep. Thomas Massie's resolution contains eight articles of impeachment accusing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of, among other things, violating the War Powers Resolution. Massie read the 34-page resolution on the House floor for more than 67 minutes. PBS reported that the House rejected the impeachment.

Who it affects. Hegseth stays in his post. The effort also shows how thin the House majority is: Speaker Johnson can afford to lose just two Republican votes, and a third defection would put his majority at risk.

What comes next. The sources we use here do not give a vote tally, so we do not state one. Separately, Democratic leaders said they would vote present on a procedural measure tied to Al Green's push to impeach Trump.

Two leaders chosen after the losses

What it measures. Two party leadership decisions. In the House, Republicans chose Ohio's Jim Jordan as their leader as they head into the minority. In the Senate, Republicans voted to keep John Thune in the top job after the election losses.

Who it affects. These two will set how Republicans approach the next Congress. Democrats have their own question: Bernie Sanders said he won't support Schumer as Senate Democratic leader.

What comes next. Watch for how Democrats settle the Senate leadership question, and for how Jordan leads a party heading into the House minority.

13 House races still undecided

What it measures. As of Nov. 10, 97.0 percent of House races were declared. Democrats led 255 to 167 in seats, with 13 undecided. News outlets project that Democrats will take the House, their first majority there since 2020, with 218 seats as the threshold. CNN projected that Rep. Lauren Boebert will lose her Colorado race to Democrat Eileen Laubacher.

Who it affects. Voters in the open districts, and the Senate too. In Mississippi, the Senate contest is not yet called: Democrat Scott Colom is ahead of Sen. Hyde-Smith by more than 2,500 votes, with two more batches of ballots to count before Friday's certification deadline.

What comes next. Those last batches and the Friday deadline decide the Mississippi race.

Quick answers

What did the Senate vote on Monday?

The Senate voted 73 to 25 to take up a sweeping permitting bill, with nearly every Republican and 22 Democrats in favor. It aims to speed energy and infrastructure reviews, while environmental groups and Indigenous leaders object.

How much did prices rise in October?

The consumer price index rose 0.4 percent in October, and core prices rose 0.3 percent. The BLS cannot publish most 12-month changes for October because of missing data from a funding lapse.

Which races are still uncalled?

As of Nov. 10, 13 House races were undecided. Mississippi's Senate race also remains uncalled, with Democrat Scott Colom ahead by over 2,500 votes.