Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.   

On today's podcast:   

1) America’s referendum on President Trump’s second term is underway with the US midterm elections. Democrats are expected to take control of the House of Representatives, and winning the Senate is a real possibility, which would throw a wrench into Trump’s presidency. The election results may take weeks to be known due to individual states’ rules around counting mail-in votes and legal challenges, with the Justice Department already appealing a federal judge’s decision and the Supreme Court rejecting the Trump administration’s bid.   

2) Apple delivered a mixed outlook to investors in its first quarterly report under Chief Executive Officer John Ternus, with tightening profit margins overshadowing an upbeat sales forecast. The company predicted revenue growth of 7% to 10% during the holiday season, but warned that gross margins would be thinner than projected due to higher memory costs and expenses related to the new Siri AI digital assistant. Total revenue rose 12% to $114.5 billion during the fiscal fourth quarter, with sales growth decelerating from a 16% clip in the previous three months, and the numbers from Apple’s iPad, China and wearables businesses were disappointing.   

3) Iran and the US are reviewing the latest proposals from mediators on how to bridge their divides and avert another round of all-out war, according to a diplomat briefed on the matter. Qatari mediators flew to Tehran for more talks with Iranian officials, and Iran's parliament speaker said his country had "delivered a strong and rational response to the American side". The US overnight struck targets on the Iranian island of Qeshm, but oil prices tumbled around 10% on Monday on signs the White House is willing to allow more time for a diplomatic resolution.