Trump pushes to step up investigations into Alaska Senate, final Israeli election results released: Morning Rundown

Trump calls on DOJ to step up investigations into Alaska Senate race. Final Israeli election results show no clear winner between Netanyahu and his main rival Eisenkot. And the cruise line that stranded its passengers in Cambodia has a checkered history.

Here’s what you need to know today.

Trump wants to step up investigations into Alaska Senate race

The Ministry of Justice has issued at least three dozen new subpoenas and requests to preserve documents as part of its investigation into the Alaska Senate race, with President Donald Trump pushing his administration to step up its investigations.

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The action comes after The New York Times reported that Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign was involved in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher with no prior political experience, to also run for the seat held by Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. This neck-and-neck race, along with a handful of others, will decide whether Republicans retain control of the Senate.

The subpoenas were sent to Peltola’s Senate campaign offices and those of Dan J. Sullivan. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy also announced yesterday that he was ordering an investigation into Peltola’s campaign, which denies any involvement in the recruitment effort.

The DOJ opened a criminal investigation into the race in July. The new report now gives the president more ammunition for the investigation, which revolves around potential violations of federal laws that protect citizens’ rights to free and fair elections. Trump also ordered the department to file a civil suit to try to stop the state from certifying the election results.

What lawyers say when someone is asked to run for office.

Dive deeper into the 2026 elections:

• See the latest survey and the battlefield states in play.

• Track Early Vote Counts by age, gender and more.

• Find out how the candidates vote in competitive Senate races.

• What other races to watch in Alaska? Find out who’s running and how Republicans and Democrats fared in past elections. Then scroll to the end of the page to explore the data in other states.

• Senate What if: Explore different paths to a Republican or Democratic majority in the Senate, laid out by NBC News chief data analyst Steve Kornacki and “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker. Then create your own scenarios.

More political news:

• The Ministry of Justice opened a criminal investigation in California as it continues its efforts to prove that approximately 20,000 non-citizens are on the state’s voter rolls.

• Pope Leo could become the first pontiff to vote in a US election after requesting an absentee ballot in Illinois.

• James Comey, former FBI director is expected in court today as he seeks to dismiss the third criminal case brought against him by the Trump administration.

Final Israeli election results show no clear leader

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc won 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, or Israeli parliament, well below the 68 seats it controlled at its peak in the previous parliament. The bloc supporting Netanyahu’s main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, won 48 seats. Neither obtained the 61 seats needed to form a government.

Even though counting is complete, the election results must still be certified and submitted to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who will then choose the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a government. What else to know about the election results.

Parties led by Israel’s Arab minority, meanwhile, made historic gains, winning a total of 19 seats in the Knesset, after Palestinians with Israeli nationality turned out to vote in record numbers. The Netanyahu and Eisenkot blocs have ruled out the possibility of forming a government with the two main Arab parties. Yet the rise of political parties as potential kingmakers shed light on a complex dynamic.

‘Star Trek’ and ‘X-Men’ actor Patrick Stewart dies at 86

Tributes have been pouring in for Patrick Stewart, the beloved English actor who went from playing Shakespeare on stage to becoming a globally recognized cinema icon.

Stewart died this week at the age of 86 after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, his representative said. His storied career includes cultural highlights as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the “Star Trek” franchise and as Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” films.

Actor Ian McKellen said in a tribute that his dear friend “wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, admire and in my case, love”. Although the two met in the 1970s, their bond was solidified when they starred together in “X-Men.” Learn more about their decades-long friendship.

Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, recalled being “impressed” by Stewart the first time he saw him on the set of the first X-Men, describing him as “brilliant, charming, warm, generous, with a quiet strength and gravitas.” The Royal Shakespeare Company hailed Stewart as “one of the finest classical Shakespearean actors of his generation”.

Learn more about Stewart’s life and legacy.

Binance targeted by largest crypto heist ever

Digital currency exchange Binance said it was the target of a $6.3 billion cryptocurrency theft, believed to be the largest on record. The company has suspended all deposits and withdrawals while it works with law enforcement to secure its infrastructure and locate the stolen funds. About $3 billion in crypto assets passing through wallets connected to the hackers have so far been identified and frozen, the company said.

Binance said it would “cover all losses” but warned that the value of affected assets, as well as those recovered or frozen, could change.

Earlier Thursday, prediction markets platform Polymarket briefly halted trading due to a third-party software compromise. There have also been unconfirmed reports from users that their wallets had been emptied.

Here’s what else we know about the heist.

Staff choice: Cruise line got into legal trouble before abandoning passengers

Villa Vie, the cruise line that promised sailors a lifetime of travel around the world, can boast a checkered history during its short existence.

Since its creation in 2023, Villa Vie has been plagued by several lawsuits alleging breaches of contract, sudden route changes and delays, as well as failure to pay overtime earned by employees. It also failed a health inspection and its owners both faced bankruptcy. More than 200 passengers, some of whom sold their homes to live on board, are stranded in Cambodia with nowhere to go and no promise of refunds after the company said high fuel prices had halted the cruise.

One woman who sued Villa Vie, Jenny Phenix, said she was kicked off the cruise before it even started after expressing her concerns in what she thought was a private WhatsApp group chat. The messages, she said, reached management.

“There were many reasons to complain,” she told NBC News. “Between the delays, the lack of notice, what we were paying out of pocket and everything, you know, just watching all the amenities that you expected disappear before your eyes, to the point where now it’s not a luxury cruise. It has nothing to do with what you signed up for.” — Rebecca Cohenjournalist

Read all about it

• New sound reveals moments before fatal train crash in Spain, including a driver claiming that she could not restart her train which was stopped before the collision.

• From Texas to Missouri, the key midterm states can be hit by bad weather on election day.

• New survey finds that more than 40% of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 say they played in the last yearraising red flags regarding underage betting.

• Ernie Johnson, who co-hosts “Inside the NBA” with Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley, announced he will hang up his microphone after the end of the current season.

• Oscar-nominated actress Barbara Barrie, who has appeared on stage and in film, died at age 95 with medical assistance.

NBC Selected: online shopping made easy

It is Advent calendar season, and there are dozens Beauty Advent calendars to choose from, including those from Dermstore, Charlotte Tilbury, Dry bar and other major brands. If you’re looking for something a little different, might we suggest one of the Paper Limited Edition Advents? These include tons of fun stationery like cards, journals, pens and other paper items.

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