RESEARCH LANE Supermarkets across several European countries experienced refrigeration problems after suspected cyberattacks. Incidents on 2 November forced some shops to discard food. On 3 November, chains and authorities reported work to secure vulnerable systems. Some refrigeration equipment had been controlled or monitored through internet connections. Investigators have not established a single confirmed attacker responsible for every incident.

CIVIC LANE US midterm voters elected Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress on 3 November. News organisations projected the change in control as results came in overnight. President Donald Trump will remain in office while the next Congress takes power in January. A Democratic Congress can scrutinise the administration and challenge its policies. It will still need to work within the powers and limits of the US system.

RESEARCH LANE Google announced new access controls for artificial-intelligence products in schools. The Guardian reported on 3 November that blocking those AI features would also remove Google Search access for affected school accounts. Google said the products are deeply integrated. Some education officials criticised the limited ability to separate search from AI. This proposal concerns managed school accounts rather than every private internet user.

CIVIC LANE Australia restricts social-media accounts for children younger than 16. Reddit is challenging the restriction before the High Court. The government argues that the impact on political communication is limited. Opponents say that the restriction interferes with young people’s freedom to communicate. The court proceedings do not mean the law has been struck down.

The Day After Tomorrow: A meteorologist warns that a sudden climate shift is plunging Earth into a new ice age, but his superiors dismiss him. When the storms arrive, he draws an evacuation line across the map and sets out north to reach his son.

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CIVIC LANE Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers on 1 November. She had lost the Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed. El-Sayed’s campaign had asked her to stay away from its remaining events. Rogers and other Republicans welcomed the endorsement. Democratic leaders criticised her decision.