Welcome to the beat. I'm Ari Melber. We're tracking some big stories for you tonight.

Two missiles hitting and killing. Two people in the NATO country of Poland, which sets off

tensions in that Ukraine war in the region and Putin's relationship with the West.

We have the latest on that coming up shortly in the hour tonight.

Our top story is the shifting power in Washington and the GOP.

Remember it was just exactly one week ago now when the counting was just beginning on

election night. Most polls were just closing and many were still expecting a red wave,

which never came. Tonight we know Democrats won the Senate, the House may edge Republican.

There are calls and a few final races still coming in. The Senate set back is a big one

for now 80-year-old Mitch McConnell. He sets the GOP Senate strategy. It's famously

obstructionist approach to both Obama and Biden, which apparently did not prove very

popular in these key races last week. While McConnell did publicly question the quality

of some of the more extreme mega candidates, he knows the buck stops with the leader,

especially a long-time leader like himself. That's why tonight's news is striking. It's

an official challenge within the Republican Party, within the Senate caucus, to McConnell's

leadership. McConnell has this official challenge now, as the top Republican in the Senate

from a fellow Senator, Florida Republican Rick Scott. He is making big waves. This is

the big story as the Senate is now set, unlike the House, and he will run against McConnell

for leader. As everyone knows from the wire, when you come at the king, you best not miss.

Because McConnell will surely punish and ice out any Republicans who oppose him if he

does beat back the challenge. He's held power as leader for 15 years, precisely by knowing

how to use power. So it is notable that the announcement to take him on looks coordinated

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