THE MOST IMPORTANT GOP DONOR YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF: Bob Mercer, co-CEO of Renaissance Technologies, has been quietly donating tens of millions to conservative candidates and has become one of the top two Republican supporters in the midterm cycle. He gave more to the Koch PAC than the Koch brothers themselves, for example. A profile of the media and attention shy mega-millionaire. Read more
ELECTION DAY AND THE SWEEP OF HISTORY: Voters across the country go to the polls for midterm Congressional elections Tuesday, but voters in just 10 states will decide the most important result. Close races in those 10—Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia. Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire and North Carolina—will determine whether Republicans or Democrats hold the U.S. Senate for the final two years of President Barack Obama’s term. That matters not only for the fate of legislation on topics such as trade, infrastructure and energy, but also on Obama’s ability to win confirmation of top administration officials and judges who would outlast his presidency. Read more
COLLEGE INVESTMENTS GAIN MORE GROUND: The endowments of colleges and universities performed well over the last fiscal year with a big (more than 50 percent) allocation to alternatives like private equity and hedge funds. Read more
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