Currently 50 Senators caucus with each of the main parties, with Joe Biden’s Democrats holding a waifer thin majority thanks to the vice-president’s deciding vote. However, the GOP is hoping to win the Senate, allowing them to torpedo Biden’s legislative agenda during the next two years of his presidency. According to analysis by polling experts FiveThirtyEight, Republicans have a 54 percent chance of winning the Senate, though they are strongly favored for a House victory....

If Democrats and their congressional hopefuls didn’t already know the 2020 election and the fight to fill a Supreme Court vacancy is all about health care, they do now. Rep. Cheri Bustos, chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), explained to House Democrats and candidates across the country on Friday why “Americans’ health care is on the ballot,” and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s recent death “only raises the stakes for Americans who need health care....

But this past week, the opposite happened. Simmering feuds exploded in public, and rifts appear to have deepened ahead of Congress returning Monday with just two weeks before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s October 31 deadline to reach agreement on two bills at the heart of Biden’s plans. Two moderate Democratic senators who have balked at aspects of the Democrats’ sweeping $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, continued to complicate the negotiations....

The two parties are pouring money into their candidates because the outcome of the runoffs will determine whether Republicans retain control over the U.S. Senate. Republicans currently hold 50 seats in the next Senate. If both of Georgia’s Democratic candidates win, Democrats would also hold 50 seats, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would break any tie votes after the inauguration. Georgia Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are both headed into the runoff elections after neither won 50 percent or more of the total votes cast during the November 3 election....

The party’s Senate majority currently depends on Vice President Kamala Harris, who has a casting vote in the chamber in which Democrats and Republicans are split 50-50. A single loss to the Republicans in 2022 would hand the Senate back to the GOP and a new poll shows Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto may be vulnerable next year. An internal poll from Cortez Masto’s Republican opponent, Adam Laxalt, conducted from September 11 to 15 shows Laxalt leading Cortez Masto by 39 percent to 37 percent....

Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders joined 16 of his Democratic colleagues including Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren in signing the letter, which was addressed to FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn. “We must take every possible step to secure our nation’s blood supply in this critical time,” the senators wrote. “And in order to do so, we need to shift away from antiquated and stigmatizing donation policies to ones that are scientifically sound, based on individual risk, and inclusive of all potential healthy blood donors....

San Jose, Houston climb Power Rankings Dempsey is back with the national team for the first time since being sidelined by a heart condition that required surgery, as he headlines the 24-man roster for training camp ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers against Honduras and Panama. Dempsey hasn’t been with the U.S. since starring at last summer’s Copa America, during which he was the team’s best player. A heart condition discovered in August forced him to sit out the rest of the year, including the Sounders’ run to an MLS Cup title, but he has made a successful return, scoring a goal in Seattle’s 2017 opener and most recently playing 90 minutes in a 2-2 draw with the Montreal Impact on Saturday....

In the closing laps of Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, he had waited out Tony Stewart, stalking the three-time Sprint Cup champion while waiting for him to make his own mistake. Hamlin moved close to the leader on the final lap — then smoked past the retiring driver to steal the lead on the final lap. MORE: Stewart wins | Race results | Junior upset over caution...

Cellphone video posted to Reddit Tuesday shows a Denny’s server grabbing her purse, flagging down her manager and leaving the restaurant as two men cite the “Civil Rights Act of 1964” as one reason they don’t have to wear masks intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The video recorded by one of the two maskless patrons shows a dateline from September but was first posted online this week. The anti-masker customers immediately cite several “religious exemptions,” which prompts the Denny’s employee to reject this outright by telling them twice, “you’re required to wear a mask....

Officer Deon Joseph criticized James in a Facebook post, shared on Sunday, slamming the LA Lakers player over his comments. James stoked controversy last week, in a now-deleted tweet, where he posted “you’re next” next to a picture of the police officer who fatally shot 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant. The teenager was seen holding a knife and lunging at a girl when she was shot. James faced widespread condemnation for his comments, including from former president Donald Trump who called the remarks “racist....

Wilder (41-0-1) has called for patience as fans demand a mouth-watering bout against WBA, IBF and WBO holder Joshua after needing just 137 seconds to knock out Dominic Breazeale earlier this month. In the meantime, ferocious American Wilder is set for another Ortiz clash following the pair’s 2018 encounter, with the date and location yet to be announced. Wilder beat Cuban boxer Ortiz (31-1) via a 10th-round knockout at Barclays Center in New York last year....

The school did not specify why he was kicked off in a news release on Wednesday. MORE: Big East schedule highlights McKinney was charged with three counts of misdemeanor simple battery following an incident with school security at his dorm early on Aug. 30, Chicago police news affairs officer Bari Lemmon said. She said security staff suspected he was “under the influence” when he entered the dorm and decided to search his room....

Click the letter to enlarge PHOTOS: Derek Jeter through the years | Derek Jeter’s girlfriends Jeter appeared in just 17 games in 2013 as he recovered from a broken ankle suffered in the 2012 MLB playoffs. He will be 40 years old on June 26. The 13-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 1996, when he helped lead the Bronx Bombers to their first World Series title in 18 years....

The No. 1 song in the country? “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan. GOODBYE, JETER: Bat being retired | Rain for final game? | Top 10 moments A friendly ghost, “Casper,” was No. 1 at the box office. Bill Clinton was midway through his first Presidential term, making a statement about the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Mike Trout was 3 years old. Bryce Harper was just over a year old....

If it didn’t hit you in the face too, then maybe it should. MORE: 5 things about Bama win | 5 things about Gators’ win Alabama is the crimson-cloaked big, bad wolf in the FBS again. They are on track to perhaps face Ohio State or whoever else in a College Football Playoff semifinal again. Alabama improved to a FBS-best 67-10 record this decade, and they’re going to have a say in who holds up the national championship trophy again....

Mane and Coutinho send Liverpool second Tottenham, Arsenal and Everton had all dropped points in the earlier kickoffs but there was no such wobble from the Reds, who recorded a 2-1 win that leaves them level on points with the league-leading Gunners. The scoreline may not suggest as much but this was no battle, no bruiser — it was one supremely talented and tireless side completely dominating another until one jammy corner late on....

This was further emphasised by Chelsea edging closer to recruiting Eden Dzeko and Emerson Palmieri from Roma, while Manchester City held talks to bring their summer transfer business forward. Jurgen Klopp’s side were not going to make a move in the market on Monday, and so, had to seize the opportunity to underscore their ambitions at Swansea City in the evening. While their top-four rivals looked for ways to enhance their options, the Merseysiders directed the spotlight on their shortcomings in a deplorable performance at the Liberty Stadium....

Medical officials in southern states like Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, report major surges in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as vaccination rates remain low and mask mandates are outlawed. As more children are getting infected and seriously ill with the coronavirus, many school districts are at odds with state and local governments over mask mandates when school starts this fall. There are also growing concerns about the possibility of other variants spreading out of control in the U....

The U.S. Treasury Department’s final report for fiscal year 2020 showed a record $3.1 trillion deficit for the year, with debt held by bondholders totaling $21 trillion. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that federal debt this year will total 102% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—the value of all goods and services produced in a year. But the CBO’s estimate may be optimistic. Preliminary figures peg this year’s federal debt at about 136% of GDP....

Thursday saw a record 39,327 new infections across the country with the states reopening the earliest bearing the brunt of the increase. While some states are pushing ahead with reopening following the shutdown, Texas, Florida, California, Arizona and North Carolina, have announced tighter measures to mitigate the disease’s spread. The combined GDP of these states putting the brakes on easing restrictions that had been aimed to boost the flagging economy is around $7....