Drivers continue to weather high gas prices as affordability remains a top concern for voters.

The national average price of a gallon of gas stands at $4.14, marking an increase of $1.16, or 38%, since the outbreak of the Iran war in February, AAA data showed.

Prices vary across the country, however, meaning fuel costs differ in the key states expected to determine control of Congress.

Excluding Senate races classified as solidly red or blue, ABC News lists races of varying levels of competitiveness in 16 states: Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Nebraska, South Carolina, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Among those states, 11 have gas prices below the national average, AAA data shows.

The state with the highest gas prices among the set of 16 is Alaska, which features an average price of $4.75 a gallon. By contrast, the state among that group with the lowest gas prices is North Carolina, where the average price of a gallon is $3.38, AAA data shows.

While their prices differ, each of the 16 states has experienced a notable increase in gasoline prices over the last year, due in large part to an oil supply shortage set off by the Iran war.

The smallest change in prices among those states over the past year took hold in North Carolina, where the average price of gas jumped 23%, AAA data showed.

In Michigan, the state with the largest change, the average price soared more than 50% compared to a year earlier. Ten of the 16 states saw a rise in gas prices of at least 40% over the past year, according to AAA.

While gas prices nationwide remain elevated, a decline in oil prices over the past week has helped ease costs at the pump, Patrick De Haan, petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, told ABC News on Monday.

The drop in oil prices continued on Monday as the West Texas Intermediate futures price, a benchmark index for U.S. trading, registered at about $96.30 a barrel. That figure marked a decline of nearly 8% on Monday. As of Tuesday morning, U.S. oil prices remained essentially unchanged.

In addition to the recent drop in oil prices, seasonal fluctuations have provided price relief for drivers in the fall, De Haan said. A slowdown in travel has eased demand for gas as families have returned from summer vacation and resumed routine driving associated with work and school commutes.

"That's opened the door for one of the biggest declines since earlier this summer," De Haan said.

The national average price has dropped 12 cents over the past week, AAA data shows.

Gas prices have fallen at least 10 cents over the past week in six of the 16 states that play host to a contested Senate race.

In Michigan, the average price of a gallon of gas has dropped 30 cents over the past week, AAA data shows. Gas prices have dropped 29 cents in Ohio over that period, while prices in Iowa have experienced a decline of 18 cents.

Even after the recent relief, gas prices have stayed well above their level a year ago, De Haan said.

"Gas prices and diesel are still very elevated," De Haan added.

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Rob Lowe is ready to tell his story.

The West Wing star is giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at his prolific career in the new Netflix documentary Rob Lowe: The Outsider. Netflix just dropped a trailer for the project, giving fans a closer look at the upcoming documentary, set to release on Nov. 24.

Per the trailer, the documentary features archival footage, as well as interviews with Lowe's wife of over 30 years, Sheryl Berkoff, and former co-stars Gwenyth Paltrow and Demi Moore. The preview teases a deep dive into Lowe’s career and personal life, including his 1988 sex tape scandal and mental health struggles.

“From his breakout roles in The Outsiders and St. Elmo’s Fire through his Emmy-nominated turn on The West Wing, Lowe has built a career defined by constant transformation,” Netflix’s official logline reads. “Rob Lowe: The Outsider traces that arc in full for the first time, pairing new interviews with Lowe and those who know him best against a career-spanning look back at the moments — public and private — that shaped him.”

Along with the documentary, Netflix will start streaming video episodes of Lowe’s podcast Literally! With Rob Lowe on Dec. 3. The actor is also starring in the streamer’s upcoming Christmas movie In a Holidaze, releasing on Dec. 2.

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Dolly Parton's nephew Bryan Seaver is asking for the lawsuit brought against him and his security company by Parton's estate to be thrown out.

Seaver, who was also the head of his late aunt's security team, filed an 18-page response Monday to a complaint from She's Alive LLC, the trust that manages Parton's assets. She's Alive LLC sued Seaver and his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services, LLC, on Sept. 22, one month after Parton's death, alleging he had made threats and was demanding money.

Seaver said in his response to a Tennessee judge on Monday that he never created a "culture of fear" as the suit had alleged, denying the premise of the lawsuit and saying the messages the suit calls "threats" were not threats.

Seaver also denied that he had "engaged in outrageous or oppressive conduct" as alleged in the complaint, and said some of the "threats" outlined in the original suit had been met with reactions like "HaHa" from Danny Nozell, an executor on the trust and Parton's longtime manager.

"Defendants deny that any of these statements was a threat, deny that they were 'calculated' to threaten anyone, [and] deny that they had or were intended to have a 'chilling effect' on any person...," the response reads in part.

The response comes one month after She's Alive filed a court document on Oct. 5 alleging that Seaver's residence had a "no-trespassing sign in the front yard and barbed wire draped across the handrails leading to the front door" in an alleged attempt to evade being served with the lawsuit.

Reached for comment at the time, Seaver told ABC News a restraining order filed against him by Parton's estate prevented him from speaking publicly about the case.

Parton's estate was granted the temporary restraining order against Seaver and his security company in September, after a judge ruled that they had shown a "present and continuing disruption and threat" to She's Alive.

Parton died in August after what her family described as a "brief battle with cancer." Seaver was the one who announced his aunt's death in a video statement shared on social media at the time.

Parton amassed a multimillion-dollar estate during her lifetime, stemming from her entrepreneurial endeavors, which included her extensive music catalog and her Dollywood amusement park. She and her late husband, Carl Dean, who died last year, had no children.

The next hearing in the ongoing case between She's Alive and Seaver is scheduled for Nov. 10.

ABC News has reached out to Seaver for comment.

Parton's estate declined to comment when reached by ABC News.

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Bill Hader is going back to school. Elementary school, that is.

The actor is set to guest star on the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary, ABC Audio has confirmed. Hader first made the announcement while guesting on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday.

"This is cool, I can say this now," Hader said. "I do a guest spot on Abbott Elementary this year."

Hader continued by saying, "I'm excited."

There's currently no word on the character Hader will play on the sitcom.

Hader stars alongside Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson in the new animated film The Cat in the Hat. Kimmel joked he was shocked that Brunson allowed Hader to be part of the beloved sitcom.

"Quinta rarely lets actors who aren't from Philadelphia in the show," Kimmel said.

"I had to act like I was from Philly," Hader said in response.

The Cat in the Hat arrives in theaters everywhere on Friday. Abbott Elementary airs Wednesdays on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.

Disney is the parent company of ABC, ABC News and Hulu.

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It seems as though Ben Wang could be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Deadline reports the actor, who stars in the upcoming film The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, is in talks to play Iceman in Marvel's new X-Men film. The character, who has the name Bobby Drake, is a founding member of the X-Men. His power is cryokinesis, the ability to generate and control ice and cold ...

Carrie Coon stars in the official trailer for the upcoming film The Liberation. The actress plays Rita, a New Jersey housewife and Holocaust survivor living in the 1980s. When she encounters a spiritual leader played by Lily James, Rita leaves her family to join an all-women commune. Bella Ramsey, Odessa Young and Tracy Letts also star in the upcoming film, which is slated for wide release on Jan. 8 ...

The official trailer for season 3 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians has arrived. The third season of the show based on Rick Riordan's bestselling book series premieres on Disney+ Nov. 20. Its first two episodes will be available to stream at that time, followed by two new episodes dropping each week that follows. Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri and Charlie Bushnell star in the season, which finds Percy and his friends racing to save Annabeth from the forces of Kronos ...

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As Americans head to the polls for the final day of midterm voting on Tuesday, candidates are making their final appeals to voters in high-stakes House and Senate races that will determine the balance of power in Congress, where Republicans currently control both chambers.

A shift in the balance of power could curb the executive influence of President Donald Trump and could have meaningful implications on domestic and foreign policy amid a generally unpopular U.S. war with Iran, climbing inflation and record high fuel prices that have strained American households.

Here's a look at some key Senate, House and gubernatorial races to watch that could help define the outcome of the 2026 midterms:

Key Senate races

Thirty-five Senate seats are in play during the 2026 midterms, but the outcome of a few competitive races in both battleground and traditionally Republican states, will determine which party will control the upper chamber of Congress next year.

Some of the most competitive and consequential Senate contests are brewing in states like Michigan, Texas, Alaska, Ohio and Kansas.

Republicans currently hold 53 seats, while Democrats have 45 seats, in addition to independent senators Bernie Sanders and Angus King, who also caucus with the Democratic Party, giving them a total of 47.

Democrats need to win four additional seats to shift the balance of power, while Republicans can afford to lose up to three seats and keep the majority, with the tie-breaking vote of Vice President JD Vance.

Leading into the midterms, Trump has not only campaigned for Republican candidates in battleground states like Michigan, Georgia and North Carolina, but has also embarked on a red-state push in more reliably Republican states like Texas, Ohio, South Carolina, Florida, Iowa, Kansas and Mississippi.

Asked about his effort to bolster Mississippi Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is defending her seat against Democratic District Attorney Scott Colom, Trump said, he "can't take a chance."

Michigan: This race has been a bitter fight between former GOP rep. Mike Rogers and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive in a race that has highlighted the divide over U.S. support for Israel and has put El-Sayed on the defensive amid attacks from pro-Israel groups. And days before Election Day, a surprise endorsement for Rogers from El-Sayed's Democratic primary opponent, Haley Stevens, roiled an already contentious race, with Democrats criticizing Stevens and Republicans welcoming her support.

Texas: The last time a Democrat won a U.S. Senate election was in 1988. State Attorney General Ken Paxton is running a close race against Democrat James Talarico, a former state representative and Presbyterian seminarian. Paxton has waded into the culture wars in his attacks against Talarico, while the Democrat has kept his message on the economy front and center and criticized the attorney general over a series of political scandals that have embroiled Paxton's career.

Alaska: Incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan is running against former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, another candidate with the same name who is on the ticket as an independent in a surprisingly close race in this ranked-choice voting state.

Maine: Longtime Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, a moderate, is defending her seat in a competitive race against Democrat Troy Jackson, a former Maine Senate president and majority leader.

Ohio: Incumbent Republican John Husted and former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost his 2024 re-election bid, are fighting for a chance to return to the Senate in a race that ABC News rates Tossup.

Kansas: This race was not expected to be competitive after Trump won the state by a large margin in 2024. Incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall is facing off against Democrat Adam Hamilton, senior pastor of the largest United Methodist congregation in the nation.

Also worth watching: Polls also show close races in more reliably Republican states like South Carolina, Nebraska and Mississippi, where no Democrat has been elected to the U.S. Senate since 1982.

Key House races

All 435 seats of the House of Representatives are on the ballot on Tuesday for two-year terms in the 120th Congress, but 14 of those seats that ABC News rates as Tossup are going to be crucial to determining the balance of power in the House next year.

Key races to watch are in Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, while a handful of other consequential races are in congressional districts that were redrawn by Republican legislatures in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and Virginia.

To shift the balance of power, Democrats need to gain at least three seats.

The Republican caucus, led by Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, currently holds a slim majority over Democrats with 220 seats, while Democrats have 215.

Democrats, who last controlled both chambers during the 117th Congress in Trump's first term (2021--2023), are aiming to make history by electing at least 100 Democratic women to the House, which would set a new record.

Out of 435 seats in the House, 125 are currently held by women, including 95 Democrats and 30 Republicans.

In the 14 Tossup races, seven Democratic women are running against Republican opponents.

Key gubernatorial races

Several female gubernatorial nominees could break barriers this election cycle.

Twenty-six women are major-party nominees overall, one more than the 2022 record of 25, including 19 Democrats and seven Republicans.

In Texas, Gina Hinojosa could become the first Latina governor. In New Mexico, former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland would be the first Native American woman to serve as a governor. And in Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms could become the state's first woman governor and the first Black woman to govern any state.

And in Ohio, Democratic nominee Amy Acton, who would be Ohio's first female governor, is facing off against Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy.

Ramaswamy faced bipartisan backlash for a controversial attack ad against Acton that featured her estranged mother calling her liar.

Acton, who has spoken out about being a victim of sexual abuse, said that her mother stood by the man who criminally charged with sexually abusing her as a child before his death in 2004.

In a final push before Election Day, Trump and former President Barack Obama -- the last Democratic president to serve two terms -- have made direct appeals to voters, appearing at rallies to bolster congressional and gubernatorial candidates in competitive races.

Obama, who appeared at a rally for Acton on Oct. 24., urged voters to channel their frustration by exercising their right to vote.

"They can't hear your boos. They hear your vote," he said.

Ahead of midterm voting, Trump announced at the GOP's midterm convention on Sept. 9 that he would give adult Americans a $5,000 cash payment that he called the "Trump Dividend" if Republicans keep control of the House and Senate. 

While some critics cast this proposal as a bribe, the president has defended it and repeated the pledge at campaign rallies. When pressed on the proposal by ABC News, he denied that the promise of this payment was meant to encourage voter turnout and claimed that the government would pay for it through economic "growth."

Appearing at a rally last week in Corpus Christi, Texas, the president urged his supporters to vote Republican up and down the ballot.

"We're going to elect Republicans up and down the line," he said. "We need that vote, otherwise, all of the great things we've done are going to change very quickly."

ABC News' John Parkinson, Allison Pecorin, Lauren Peller, Juhi Doshi and Max Zahn contributed to this report.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger is making his return to the Christmas movie genre, and this time he's The Man with the Bag.

Prime Video has shared the official trailer for its upcoming holiday film starring Schwarzenegger as Santa Claus. This comes 30 years after Schwarzenegger starred in the 1996 holiday movie Jingle All the Way.

Schwarzenegger stars alongside Reacher actor Alan Ritchson in the upcoming film. Ritchson plays a thief named Vance who helps get Santa's magic bag back after it is stolen by a naughty elf.

The trailer finds Ritchson's Vance approached by Santa while ice skating at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

"I'm looking for Kris. With a K," Vance tells him.

Schwarzenegger's Santa responds, "You found him," with a smile.

Berkeley James, Michael Cyril Creighton, Liza Koshy, Kyle Mooney, Jane Krakowski, Ken Jeong and Awkwafina also star in the film. Adam Shankman directed it from a script by Allan Rice. In addition to starring, Ritchson serves as a producer.

The Man with the Bag arrives to Prime Video on Dec. 2.

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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Bears 34, Seahawks 17


NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Avalanche 5, Blackhawks 2
Flames 2, Sharks 1
Golden Knights 2, Bruins 3
Red Wings 5, Panthers 3
 

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Suns 113, Warriors 116
Raptors 125, Clippers 118
Kings 115, Mavericks 100
Pelicans 135, Grizzlies 134
Bucks 100, Timberwolves 112
Celtics 93, Rockets 109
Jazz 97, Spurs 119
Trail Blazers 118, Nuggets 110
Heat 117, Lakers 138
Thunder 117, Cavaliers 112
Pistons 124, Hornets 91
Hawks 108, Pacers 104
Nets 90, Knicks 103
Wizards 103, Magic 94
Bulls 107, 76ers 126

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The United States carried out defensive strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, two U.S. officials told ABC News.

The airstrikes do not signal the resumption of major combat operations against Iran, but were the latest limited strike carried out by U.S. forces in recent weeks, an official said. In recent weeks, Iran has increased the number of attacks directed at commercial ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.

Unlike previous strikes in response to such attacks, the U.S. airstrikes in recent weeks had not been publicized to prevent any signaling that the strikes were part of the resumption of major combat operations against Iran, according to the official.

First reported by the Wall Street Journal, the airstrikes were limited in scope and characterized as defensive strikes, the two U.S. officials said. The term defensive strikes has been used to describe the retaliatory strikes carried out by the U.S. in response to Iranian attacks on shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.

Monday's U.S. airstrikes on Qeshm Island were in response to an Iranian attack on a U.S. aircraft, said one official.

Earlier in the day, Iran had claimed that it had shot down two RQ-170 reconnaissance drones, a claim that was said to be false by a U.S. official.

Iranian state media later reported several explosions being heard on Qeshm Island.

U.S. Central Command did not respond to ABC News' requests for comment about Monday's defensive strikes.

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Over the weekend, open enrollment began in most states for those who buy their health insurance though the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace.

This year saw the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits and further changes are expected in 2027.

Here's what to know about open enrollment for the upcoming year:

How long does open enrollment last?

Open enrollment typically runs from Nov. 1, 2026 through Jan. 15, 2027. Three states -- Connecticut, Idaho and Massachusetts -- saw their open enrollment period begin last month.

Massachusetts residents will have until Jan. 23 to shop for coverage while residents of Virginia will have until Jan. 29. Those who live in California, the District of Columbia, New York and Rhode Island will have until Jan. 31.

Idaho is the only state to have its open enrollment period end in 2026, closing on Dec. 15.

Increase of premiums

A new analysis from KFF published Friday found that finalized benchmark silver premiums -- for mid-tier health coverage -- under the ACA will rise by an average of 13% next year, marking the second year in a row of double-digit percentage increases.

KFF said ACA marketplace benchmark silver premiums have risen by an average of 42% between 2025 and 2027.

The organization noted that most enrollees will get a subsidy to help cover the cost of premiums, but not those with incomes 400% above the federal poverty level.

Enrollees and insurers exit the marketplace

Data published in June from the Department of Health and Human Services showed 19.2 million people were enrolled under the ACA in the first two months of 2026, down by about 3 million people compared to the same time last year.

KFF noted that several insurers expect declines in coverage in 2027 in the wake of enhanced premium tax credits expiring.

However, insurers are also exiting the marketplace. As of Oct. 28, about 11 carriers have said they will no longer be offering coverage in at least one state in 2027, according to KFF. Insurers may be reassessing the profitability of their participation in the marketplace as people unenroll, KFF suggested.

Among the carriers is Cigna, which will exit all 11 states where it offers ACA plans, affecting more than 350,000 people.

Some immigrants no longer qualify for tax credits

The Trump administration's reconciliation bill, which was signed into law in July 2025, is changing eligibility requirements for some immigrants.

Under the bill, certain groups will not be able to obtain ACA tax credits and cost-sharing help and may have to pay full price for coverage in 2027.

Only lawful permanent residents, certain Cuban and Haitian entrants and lawful residents living in the U.S. under the Compact of Free Association -- agreements that govern a relationship between the U.S. and three sovereign Pacific Island nations -- are still eligible.

Other lawfully present immigrants including, but not limited to, refugees, asylum applicants, survivors of domestic violence who petitioned for lawful immigration status and green card applicants, will lose eligibility, according to the non-profit National Immigration Law Center.

KFF said the Congressional Budget Office estimates that about 1 million more people will be uninsured due to this provision by 2035.

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