The 2026 midterm elections officially begin on Tuesday with primaries in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas. The Lone Star State will host the most closely-watched contests. Republicans begin their battle to retain majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Tuesday’s must-watch primaries: The races that will determine if America First takes over in 2026 https://t.co/FW8h7Qtyq2 pic.twitter.com/RFNV3CEG6j — TheBlaze (@theblaze) March 3, 2026 The Blaze explained further: The highest-profile race Tuesday is arguably the Senate primary matchup between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Rep. Wesley Hunt, and several other Republican candidates. It is the most costly Senate primary race in history, with over $122 million spent. Cornyn, who was first elected in 2002, accounts for over 57% of total spending, with $69 million in ad buying by his campaign and outside groups. Total ad buy in support of Hunt is $12 million; for Paxton, $4.1 million. Paxton has accused Cornyn of betraying Trump and the America First movement. “I’m running to beat Fake Republican John Cornyn. The race is a DEAD HEAT,” Paxton said on Monday as part of an effort to encourage his conservative supporters to contribute to his campaign. Cornyn warned Texans not to vote for Paxton. “Ken Paxton will be the kiss of death for Republicans on the ticket in November of 2026,” Cornyn said in February. “I think the attorney general, if he’s the nominee, could very well lose the seat,” he continued. “But if he doesn’t lose the seat, he’s not going to win except by the hair of his chin. And unfortunately, that will not help the down-ballot races.” President Donald Trump has not endorsed any candidates in the Texas Senate GOP primary race. “I just haven’t made a decision on that race yet,” Trump told reporters in February. “I like all three of them,” Trump said, referring to Cornyn, Paxton, and Hunt. “Actually, I like all three. Those are the toughest races. They’ve all supported me. They’re all good, and you’re supposed to pick one, so we’ll see what happens.” Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) and state Rep. James Talarico will battle for the Democratic primary. “If you haven’t voted yet, today is the day for you! I’m at the top of your ballot and asking for your support to continue our fight for affordability and accountability! I’m on the move all day because this fight is bigger than one stop, one speech, or one person. I’d love to see you pull up and meet me and my friends at the polls!” Crockett said. TEXAS – IT’S ELECTION DAY If you haven’t voted yet, today is the day for you! I’m at the top of your ballot and asking for your support to continue our fight for affordability and accountability! I’m on the move all day because this fight is bigger than one stop, one… pic.twitter.com/PPPflAmkNj — Jasmine Crockett (@JasmineForUS) March 3, 2026 “I’m already outperforming Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico in the general election. The data has been consistent for months. I’ve lived a clean life. I’ve served this country in combat. I’ve worn the uniform. I’ve taken the oath. Texans know who I am,” Hunt said. “I bleed Texas. I’ve fought for this country. And I will gladly debate either one of them, anywhere, anytime. Candidate Quality matters. That’s why I’m here,” he added. I’m already outperforming Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico in the general election. The data has been consistent for months. I’ve lived a clean life.I’ve served this country in combat.I’ve worn the uniform.I’ve taken the oath. Texans know who I am. I bleed Texas. I’ve… pic.twitter.com/LOUaWlM4x5 — Wesley Hunt (@WesleyHuntTX) February 24, 2026 More from the Associated Press: All eyes are on Texas, where the Senate primary has provided a split screen view of the options. On one side is Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who has made a name for herself for going toe-to-toe with Republicans. One of her advertisements boasts that she “drives the president crazy.” Another has the tagline “Crockett fights for us.” In this political playbook, division is fuel, motivating Democrats who feel their party has been too timid. On the other side is state Rep. James Talarico, a former middle school teacher who is working toward a divinity degree. He denounces “politics as a blood sport” and says people want “a return to more timeless values of sincerity and honesty and compassion and respect.” Democrats have been trying to turn Texas from red to purple for years, without any luck. Some think they may have a shot this year as Trump becomes increasingly unpopular. The only question is, who will they think is the right candidate for the job? It is not just a willingness to fight that is a dividing line among Democrats. Some say it is time for fresh faces. Rep. Christian Menefee, 37, is facing off against Rep. Al Green, 78, in Texas. They are running against each other because, when the state redrew its maps, it combined parts of their two districts. So now Menefee, who is only a few weeks into his first term after winning a special election, is trying to dislodge Green, who is serving his 11th term. Protect Progress, a crypto super political action committee, is running advertisements saying “Democrats used to be the party of the future” and that it is time to “pass the torch” to Menefee. Watch additional coverage below:

A small plane carrying two people crashed into the icy waters of the Hudson River near New York Stewart International Airport in Orange County on Monday. The pilot told air traffic controllers he lost his engine shortly before landing in the river. “I think I might have to put it in the water,” the pilot said, according to the New York Post. Plane taking off from Long Island crashes into icy Hudson River during emergency landing https://t.co/o7vupS6UWw pic.twitter.com/h4fYJnMAJO — New York Post (@nypost) March 3, 2026 More from the New York Post: “We’ve lost our engine,” the pilot added, who, despite the harrowing circumstances, sounds calm and confident. “Yeah, we’re going to go into the Hudson … I don’t think we’re going to make the airport,” he says. He tells the air traffic controller that they were still running on “a little bit of power” and would be aiming for the west bank of the river. The controller assures the pilot that help is on the way. The pilot and passenger, neither of whom have been identified, miraculously survived after the plane went down in the river near Newburgh around 8 p.m. The pair managed to escape the wreckage and swim through the frigid river to the shoreline. They then walked to a heated warehouse along the waterfront where they changed into dry clothes they found there before first responders located them, officials told The Post. They only suffered minor injuries, were able to crack jokes about the clothes they’d put on before they were taken to a local hospital for treatment, a local EMS official said. “Another miracle on the Hudson. Thank God both the pilot and passenger of a single engine plane that performed an ice landing near Newburgh have been located with only minor injuries. Grateful to our first responders for their quick actions,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul commented. Another miracle on the Hudson. Thank God both the pilot and passenger of a single engine plane that performed an ice landing near Newburgh have been located with only minor injuries. Grateful to our first responders for their quick actions. — Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) March 3, 2026 Fox News noted: New York Rep. Pat Ryan said he was “closely monitoring reports of a small plane making an emergency landing near the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.” “I’m in touch with officials on the ground, who have shared that both passengers are safely out of the water & have been evacuated by EMS,” he said. “Incredibly grateful for our Hudson Valley first responders who are responding swiftly and put their lives on the line to keep others safe.” The cause of the emergency landing remains under investigation.

The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) over allegations that she engaged in “improper reimbursement practices” for funds related to her home in Washington, D.C. “On December 2, 2025, the Committee received a referral from the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC), regarding Representative Nancy Mace. Pursuant to House Rule XI, clause 3(b)(8)(A), and Committee Rules 17A(b)(1)(A) and 17A(c)(1), on January 16, 2026, the Committee extended its review of the matter. As the Committee noted in its January 16, 2026, public statement, under House Rule XI, clause 3(b)(8)(A) and Committee Rule 17A, the Committee on this date is now required to announce its course of action in this matter,” a statement read. “In order to gather additional information necessary to complete its review, the Committee will review the matter pursuant to Committee Rule 18(a). The Committee notes that the mere fact of conducting further review of a referral, and any mandatory disclosure of such further review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee,” it continued. GOP Rep. Nancy Mace is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for allegedly attempting to profit off of a congressional program intended to defray housing costs for lawmakers’ Washington, DC, residences — a claim she has denied. https://t.co/Ki8AKSOVBo pic.twitter.com/1e3Pc0EUup — CNN (@CNN) March 3, 2026 CNN explained further: According to a newly published report from the Office of Congressional Conduct, the South Carolina Republican sought and was paid roughly $9,500 beyond the actual costs of her residence in DC. “There is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Mace engaged in improper reimbursement practices,” the nonpartisan watchdog group said in its official referral to the House Ethics Committee. The ethics committee announced Monday it is investigating the matter. Mace was participating in a housing reimbursement program for members of Congress, which is intended to help subsidize lodging, food and travel expenses for lawmakers who must maintain households both in Washington and in their districts. The program has drawn intense scrutiny, since it does not require detailed expenses and has effectively given lawmakers who take part a major pay bump. “As explained below, the Referral Report is fundamentally flawed in several significant respects. The Referral Report’s narrative appears to incorporate unverified assertions and materials that may have originated from, or been influenced by, Rep. Mace’s former fiancé, Brendan Patrick Bryant. The OCC was informed of Bryant’s relationship with the Congresswoman and his documented history of abusive and retaliatory conduct toward her,” a response on behalf of Mace read. “Counsel repeatedly raised these credibility concerns and requested transparency regarding the sources of information the OCC relied upon and which the OCC never provided. This lack of lucidity deprived the Congresswoman of any meaningful opportunity to assess or respond to the information underlying those assertions. Accordingly, we submit the following information to aid the Committee’s assessment of the Referral Report’s accuracy and foundation,” it continued. “Based on the information reflected in the Referral Report, many of the claims concerning Rep. Mace’s lodging expenses and reimbursement practices appear to derive—directly or indirectly—from records or narratives connected to her former fiancé, Patrick Bryant. Rep. Mace’s engagement to Bryant ended in late 2023 after his conduct toward her escalated to a level that made termination of the relationship necessary for her safety and wellbeing. The dissolution of that relationship resulted in significant personal and legal conflict and created circumstances in which Bryant had both motive and opportunity to disseminate misleading and materially false information concerning the Congresswoman,” it added. NEW: Rep. Nancy Mace under House Ethics Committee investigation for alleged improper reimbursements. Office of Congressional Conduct referral here: https://t.co/IBiMfWDOjW pic.twitter.com/aWPqojnleg — Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) March 2, 2026 The Hill has more: The Washington Post had also reported in 2024 that Mace, “who co-owns a $1,649,000 Capitol Hill townhouse she purchased in 2021 with her then-fiancé, Patrick Bryant, expensed a total of $27,817 in 2023, an average of more than $2,300 a month,” according to congressional data. She had expensed more than $3,000 for lodging in January, March and May, the Post reported. Mace claimed in a statement then that she had incurred more than $100,000 in lodging expenses in D.C. and had received about $29,000 after taxes in reimbursements. “Do the math,” Mace said in her statement. “Bryant is terrified he might go to jail. And if he does, my female constituents will be safer for it. This just goes to show how broken the system is when a predator can viciously go after his victims in this way and is permitted to do so regardless of the facts.” Mace’s office said in a statement that the congresswoman is not taking the ethics complaint “seriously.”

A United Airlines plane traveling from Los Angeles to Newark made an emergency landing shortly after takeoff on Monday. United flight 2127 departed from LAX around 10:15 a.m. and landed at about 11:19 a.m. due to an engine issue. The aircraft landed safely and no injuries were reported. “The FAA said a ground stop was issued at LAX until 12:30 p.m.” CBS News stated. “We’re working to get our customers to their final destinations,” the airline said, according to the outlet. More below: Emergency Landing at LAX Prompts Evacuation of United Flight 2127 Passengers aboard United Flight 2127 were forced to evacuate onto the runway after the aircraft made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport following a midair engine issue. According to the… pic.twitter.com/MS16WGqPc6 — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 2, 2026 CBS News shared further: When asked for comment, LAX referred CBS LA back to United, which shared another statement thanking the pilots and flight attendants for their “quick actions to keep our customers safe.” Harry Gestetner, the founder and CEO of Orion Sleep, was a passenger aboard the plane on Monday. He said that the moment is one he’ll never forget. “Sort of a surreal feeling to be sprinting away from a flaming plane on the tarmac at LAX,” he said. When the plane began to make loud knocking noises that reverberated through the cabin just after takeoff, Gestetner knew that something was wrong. He said that the flight attendants rushed to the windows, where they began to tell each other there was a fire in the engine. Airline Videos Live shared footage of the plane landing at LAX: Exclusive video: A United 787 lands at LAX and emergency slides are deployed—engine catches fire after landing! Seen live on Airline Videos Live, March 2nd, 2026. pic.twitter.com/GlgnDUHTVx — AIRLINE VIDEOS (@airlinevideos) March 2, 2026 FOX 11 Los Angeles provided additional coverage:

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