5 Things to Know This Morning

5 Things to Know This Morning

ByABC News
November 4, 2014, 5:59 AM
A person votes in Danville, Ky., in this May 20, 2014, file photo.
A person votes in Danville, Ky., in this May 20, 2014, file photo.
Clay Jackson/AP

— -- Your look at the five biggest and most buzz-worthy stories of the morning.

1. Midterm Elections: The Battle for the Senate

Election Day is here, and the main event is the battle for the Senate.

ABC News is working off a list of 16 states (out of 36 total Senate seats on the ballot) that we see potentially swinging to a different party (starting with the earliest poll closings and finishing with the latest): Virginia, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, Montana and Arkansas. Of the states on that list, 13 are held by Democrats now and only Georgia, Kentucky, and Kansas are held by Republicans.

2. Chilling Video Shows Woman's Abduction in Philadelphia

A chilling video was released by authorities Monday showing a woman's abduction in Philadelphia.

The missing woman, identified by police as 22-year-old Carlesha Freeland-Gaither, was abducted at 9:40 p.m. Sunday in Germantown, ABC station WPVI-TV in Philadelphia reported.

The three-minute video shows someone park a gray or silver car. That's when a man is seen getting out of the car, briefly going out of camera view.

3. Debris From Downed Virgin Galactic Spacecraft Found 35 Miles Away

Pieces of the Virgin Galactic experimental spaceship that broke up in flight have been found 35 miles from the main wreckage area, federal accident investigators said.

Acting National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Christopher Hart, speaking at a press conference Monday night, said the parts recovered were small enough to have been blown that far by the wind. The largest piece found so far is a section of a wing.

4. ‘Dancing With the Stars’ 2014: Michael Waltrip Hits the Brakes in Week Eight

NASCAR legend Michael Waltrip is the latest star to depart the ballroom after he was eliminated from “Dancing With the Stars” on the show’s dynamic duos night.

After the performances, Waltrip and comedian Tommy Chong were both in jeopardy of going home.

Waltrip, who has struggled throughout the entire competition, said being on the show made him a better person and he was sad to go. Being on “Dancing With the Stars” was “a chance to do something that was more emotional than it was physical,” he said.

5. Country Stars Honor Their Heroes

To honor the country music legends who have shaped their careers, country music stars Hunter Hayes, Kacey Musgraves, Martina McBride and Lady Antebellum sang special tribute performances of country music classics for the ABC News special, “Countdown to the CMA Awards: 15 Songs That Changed Country Music.”

The special was hosted by “Good Morning America” co-host Robin Roberts.

For the special, Lady Antebellum performed the Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers mega-hit, “Islands in the Stream.” Hunter Hayes performed Johnny Cash’s "Folsom Prison Blues,” Kacey Musgraves performed Patsy Cline’s "Crazy" and Martina McBride sang the Tammy Wynette classic "Stand By Your Man.”