Morning Mail: US goes to the polls; Australians among Spain train crash dead; and ‘shonky’ gig tickets

US midterm elections are national elections held halfway through a president’s four-year term. They decide which party controls Congress, the lawmaking branch of the federal government. The president is not on the ballot, but the result can strongly affect the rest of the presidential term.

Americans are voting for members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The article says Republicans currently hold both chambers. Senate and House control matters because Congress debates, passes and rejects legislation, approves spending, and investigates government actions.

The 2026 elections are therefore a test of Donald Trump’s political strength. Opponents see them as a chance to rein in what the article calls his “untrammelled power”. If control changes, the balance between the White House and Congress will shift, shaping which laws can advance during the remainder of Trump’s term.

The crash involved two high-speed trains in Spain and happened the previous week. Spanish authorities confirmed the identities of three more victims, bringing updated information about those killed. The incident was significant in Australia because two Australians were among the dead.

Large transport disasters can make identification difficult. Officials may need to compare records, fingerprints, dental information or DNA with details supplied by families. They must also formally verify each identity before releasing names. However, the article does not say which method Spanish authorities used or why these three confirmations took several days.

The continuing announcements show that victim identification was still under way after the collision. Confirming identities allows authorities to notify relatives accurately and supports the return of victims to their families. The article provides no further update about the investigation, the cause of the crash, or the Australians’ identities.

The Spanish high-speed train collision killed 69 people, according to the article. That total includes two Australians, making the disaster a matter of direct concern in Australia as well as Spain.

The death toll was reported after Spanish authorities confirmed the identities of three more victims. This indicates that identification continued after the crash rather than being completed immediately. In major disasters, officials commonly verify identities carefully before notifying families or publishing names, although the article does not describe the exact process used here.

The figure of 69 captures the scale of the tragedy, while the two Australian victims explain its international significance. The article offers no information about the crash’s cause, the victims’ names, or any subsequent investigation. It only records the updated identification announcement and the confirmed nationalities of two victims.

Choice’s Shonky awards are an annual consumer advocacy campaign highlighting services, products and business practices that it considers especially poor or unfair. The awards create a public “dishonour roll” rather than celebrating good performance. They draw attention to problems consumers may face when buying everyday goods, services or entertainment.

This year’s examples included concert tickets that surged to $1,650. The sharp increase matters because buyers can face unexpectedly high prices for popular events. The same dishonour list included an airline holding $75m in unused flight credits and a washer-dryer cycle lasting 25 hours. These examples show the awards cover both pricing and frustrating service experiences.

Choice’s selections aim to put pressure on businesses by making questionable practices visible. The article does not identify the concert promoter or explain the exact pricing system. It does show that rapidly escalating ticket costs were considered significant enough to stand alongside major service and product complaints.

Congress controls the legislative process, so the president usually needs cooperation from the House and Senate to turn proposals into law. If Democrats win either chamber, they could refuse to advance bills, alter legislation, or use committee powers to investigate the administration. The result would make Trump’s agenda harder to carry out.

For example, a Democratic House could decline to pass a White House proposal or attach conditions to funding. A Democratic Senate could block legislation requiring Senate approval and could delay or reject many presidential appointments. Because both chambers generally must agree on legislation, one chamber controlled by Democrats could prevent a bill from reaching the president.

The president would still retain executive powers and could veto bills passed by Congress. However, a divided Congress would reduce the administration’s freedom to legislate. The article frames the midterms as a chance for opponents to rein in Trump’s “untrammelled power”, making congressional control central to his remaining term.

Midterm elections occur halfway through a president’s term, when voters have experienced the administration’s policies and performance. They cannot directly choose the president, but they can change which party controls Congress. That makes the result an indirect judgment on the president’s leadership and political standing.

If voters are unhappy, they may elect more opposition lawmakers. Those lawmakers can block bills, shape spending, conduct investigations and challenge the president’s priorities. If voters support the administration, they may preserve or expand the president’s party’s congressional majority. The article describes the current contest as a referendum on Donald Trump’s second term.

This interpretation matters because the outcome could affect the remainder of Trump’s time in the White House. The article says opponents see the elections as a chance to restrain his “untrammelled power”. Thus, even without a presidential vote, midterm results can determine how much of his programme can move through Congress.

The US system of separation of powers divides federal authority among three branches. The president heads the executive branch, which administers laws and directs the federal government. Congress, made up of the Senate and House, writes laws and controls federal spending. The courts interpret laws and decide whether government actions comply with the Constitution.

The branches also check one another. Congress can pass legislation, approve spending, investigate officials and oversee the executive branch. The president can veto legislation and direct executive agencies. Courts can review government decisions and invalidate actions that conflict with the Constitution. Major decisions therefore usually require cooperation or can face legal challenge.

This structure explains why the midterms matter so much for Trump. Changing control of either congressional chamber could make his policies harder to enact, even though he would remain president. The article focuses on Congress and the White House; it does not discuss any specific court case or ruling connected with these elections.