With less than 50 days until the midterm elections, former President Donald Trump is intensifying his campaign efforts. Last night, he attended his first major rally of the 2026 midterms in North Carolina, a state where Republican Michael Whatley will face former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper in a Senate race. This event marked Trump’s return to the campaign trail after a recent GOP midterm convention, which was not a traditional Trump rally. Speaking near Charlotte, Trump encouraged voters to "pretend I’m on the ticket, because essentially I am." This message has become more frequent in recent weeks, though public opinion remains largely negative toward Trump. Polls suggest that his presence on a ballot may actually hurt candidates rather than help them. Trump has begun using funds from his large super PAC, MAGA Inc., to support Republican candidates. As of earlier this week, the PAC and related groups had already spent $138 million on advertising, a figure expected to rise. MAGA Inc. has approximately $400 million in its account, but Trump has other potential uses for the money, including legal expenses, travel, and the eventual construction of his presidential library. With limited time left before the election and early mail-in ballots already being sent to North Carolina voters, the outlook for Republicans is challenging. Trump’s influence may be complicating matters further, as issues like fuel shortages linked to the Iran war, public dissatisfaction with inflation, and controversy over artificial intelligence are all weighing on his favorability. Meanwhile, in a separate development, scientists have discovered a new species of cat, Leopardus tilcayo, in the Bolivian Yungas Forest. This small feline, smaller than an average house cat, is a type of tiger cat.