Divided government it is after republican candidates swept to victory last night across the country taking historic margins in congress defeating a lot of bigname democrats, setting up an even more interesting National Election in 2016. Republicans needed to flip six seats to take control of the senate, so far they have seven. That number could grow further as some races are undecided. Their margin of leadership in the house is history making. It was red over blue in a big way last night. Nothing tells the story more vividly than this. The nation as viewed by congressional districts showing patches of blue, slivers of blue on a canvas of red. An angry electorate voting locally, not nationally. And in lesser numbers, but sending a clear message nonetheless. We begin our coverage and analysis tonight with our National CorrespondentPeter Alexander in washington. Peter, good evening. Reporter brian, good evening to you. Capitol hill will be a very different place when the new congress is seated just several months from now. For republicans its a youth invasion of sorts. The average age of the Senate Republican freshmen class is 49 years old. Fresh off their blockbuster night, the new faces of the republican guard. Joni ernst, the selfdescribed harley riding, gun toting, pig castrating, war veteran. Securing the Senate Majority for the gop for the first time in eight years. And we are going to make them squeal reporter the republican wave more like a political typhoon crashing down on democrats and president obama. It was a historic night at every single level. This was all about a direct rejection of the obama agenda. Reporter the renovation in Congress Ranks a clear reflection of voter frustration and disgust. Much of it directed at the washington establishment. Leading the way the likes of 37yearold iraq and Afghanistan War veteran arkansass tom cotton. Georgias multimillionaire businessman david perdue and Colorados Cory Gardner picking up a seat obama secured twice. Tomorrow we go to work to fix a washington that is out of step, out of touch and out of time. Reporter today in kentucky Mitch Mcconnell added a new title, Senate Majority leader, signaling a willingness to step away from past confrontation. Were not going to be shutting down the government or defaulting on the national debt. Reporter one bright spot jean shaheen fending off scott brown. For the gop its not just the senate. When lawmakers return to the capitol hill in the new year, House Republicans will have their largest majority since Herbert Hoover was president in the 1920s. Now entering the history books, utahs mia love, the first black republican woman in congress. Lise, the youngest woman ever sent to washington. And South Carolina republican tim scott, the first black senator elected in the south since reconstruction. The president s most famed defeat came from his home state of illinois where governor pat quinn was swept out of office. This morning new jerseys Chris Christie basked in his partys glow. Thats why republican governors were elected last night, reelected and newly elected because governors get things done. Reporter and perhaps the Biggest Surprise in deep blue maryland where even visits from both the president and first lady couldnt keep the states Governors Mansion in democratic hands. And the fallout may not be finished for democrats in louisiana incumbent Mary Landrieu faces an uphill climb to hold onto her seat. The recount is scheduled for next month. Brian, in alaska dan sullivan looks poised to pick up another republican seat for the democrats up there. Peter alexander starting us off from washington tonight. Peter, thanks. Down the road a bit from where peter is at the white house on this day after, the president continued a modern day tradition of taking questions from the press about what happened last night. A subdued president obama said about all the Election Night maps on tv he doesnt see red states or blue states, he sees the united states. Politically however he cant like what he saw last night. And he spent over an hour today talking about it. Our senior White House CorrespondentChris Jansing was there for it. Reporter after an election widely viewed as a repudiation of president obama, he emerged facing a new political reality. Obviously republicans had a good night. Reporter fresh off phone calls to dozens of members of congress, including Speaker Boehner and presumed Senate Leader mcconnell, he suggested the Bitter Campaign season could give way to compromise and maybe making those deals over a drink. I would enjoy having some kentucky bourbon with Mitch Mcconnell. Reporter thats a sharp change in tone from just last year at the White House Correspondents dinner. Why dont you get a drink with Mitch Mcconnell, they ask. Really . Why dont you get a drink with Mitch Mcconnell . Reporter but no change in tone on a couple of contentious issues. On obamacare he declared he will fight for the core requirement that everyone be covered. And he says hell bypass congress with an executive order on immigration, even though some republicans in the wake of last nights elections view that as a virtual declaration of war. If they want to get a bill done, whether its done the lame duck or next year, i am eager to see what they have to offer. But what im not going to do is just wait. Reporter will the action poison the well for compromise on issues where there could be Common Ground . A plan to fix crumbling roads and bridges, Corporate Tax reform, and after protests helped propel four more states helped to raise their minimum wage last night, a national raise, though a long shot, could be back on the table. Clearly voters sent a message, get things done. If the real needs of this country have not been dealt with two years from now there will be hell to pay. And we will see another wave election. Reporter but this year if the Election Results left him ca hasent, the president doesnt show it. Maybe im getting older. It doesnt make my mopey. It energizes me. Reporter and in that 72 minutes of the news conference, brian, he didnt accept responsibility either. But he has plans. Up next, a meeting friday with house and Senate Leaders where the president says he will ask republicans to lay out their priorities. Hes also asking them for money to fight isis and ebola. Brian. Chris jansing from the north lawn of the white house. Chris, thanks. We have some graphic results to show you from last night. Heres how we mean it. New York Daily News turning hope to nope. Time offers the face of change, both using the Obama Campaign iconography. Chuck todd watched it all last night fueled by at least two hours of sleep. Hes back to talk about what happened. I did hear from democrats today. They think the president needs new people around him. I heard from democrats today said they thought the president made a mistake not accepting more responsibility today at that press conference. Whats amazing here is this was a horrendous night for the democratic party. The president isnt talking about changing his style or white house staff. The same people that led congress today, harry reid and nancy pelosi, both have announced theyre going to do it again. So there is some concern among democrats that theres no accepting of responsibility. And this, by the way, were going to quickly pivot to 2016 very quickly. And the democrats, i think youre going to see some outside of washington, beg the clintons to sort of retakeover the party. If youre Hillary Clinton and you stare at what happened and you realize what the republicans did to president obama today at that press conference by the chairman of the republican party, he repudiated obama and also said this is the beginning of a repudiation of Hillary Clinton. Sure will be an interesting sunday morning on meet the press. It was a pleasure flying through all of it with you last night. Fun to be your wingman, my friend. Chuck todd, thanks for being here. There were 146 ballot measures across 41 different states last night. And while the congressional map was turning deep red, a lot of major issue questions were instead going blue and in some cases green. Marijuana was on the ballot last night, lots of it, as voters in oregon and alaska chose to legalize the use of recreational weed, joining colorado and Washington State where its already legal. Washington, d. C. Voted overwhelmingly to legalize marijuana as well, but dont start lighting up on the Capitol Steps just yet, congress has the ultimate authority over d. C. Laws. Voters in Washington State approved enhanced background checks on gun sales less than two weeks after that deadly High School Shooting there. Raising the minimum wage was on the ballot in five states, illinois, arkansas, nebraska, south dakota and alaska, and it won in all five. To wash it all down, berkeley, california, became the first city in the nation to approve a tax on sodas and sugary drinks. Our Politics Team has put together all of these Ballot Initiatives from all across the country. Weve put it together on our website tonight. Thats nbcnews. Com. Overseas this evening, concern over two separate violent incidents on the roadways of israel, similar incidents, both of them captured on video. We have a late report on this tonight from nbcs kelly cobiella. Reporter three Israeli Soldiers on duty tonight near a west Bank Settlement when a van plows into all three then speeds off. The van police say had palestinian plates. Just hours earlier another van, another scene of carnage. This one at a train platform in jerusalem. A man drives into the crowd then attacks people with a tire iron. One israeli was killed, a dozen injured. Israeli police shot and killed the attacker calling him a terrorist. Hamas took credit for the attack. This just two weeks after a palestinian plowed his car into a crowd at a different train stop killing two including a 3monthold american baby. [ gunfire ] once again israelis and palestinians are fighting over land holy to both. This was the scene this morning at the site known to muslims as al mosque. Palestinians threw rocks, Israeli Forces responded with teargas and stun grenades. The fear that this could escalate into yet another war. Kelly cobiella, nbc news, london. Back in this country, late word of a major break in the case of that woman abducted off the streets of philadelphia. Our Nbc Television station wcau is reporting now carlesha freelandgaither has been found alive, a suspect is in custody. By now so Many Americans have seen this chilling video of a man attacking her on the street sunday and shoving her forcibly into a car. Alex rodriguez is back in the news, and so now is major league baseball. After years of public denials, were now learning he came clean to the feds earlier this year about taking performance enhancing drugs. Now hell be the talk of the clubhouse once again, and still not in a good way. We get our report tonight from nbcs ron mott. Reporter Alex Rodriguez has always denied using performance enhancing drugs since joining the yankees in 2004. But behind closed doors with immunity, nbc news learned he told federal officials a very different story. At a meeting last january with dea agents and prosecutors investigating a now defunct south florida clinic, sources say rodriguez admitted buying banned drugs, about 12,000 a month, injecting Human Growth Hormone into his stomach. And claimed to use his cousin to help keep his secret paying him 900,000 for his silence. This is essentially rock bottom for Alex Rodriguez. This is somebody who was a threetime league mvp, a world series champion, and now hes on the same level as lance armstrong. Reporter 18 days before his alleged confession, an arbitrator ruled rodriguez would have to sit out the entire 2014 season for his role in the scandal. Baseballs highest paid star responded then with another denial saying, i did not use performance enhancing substances. And in order to prove it i will take this fight to federal court. But he dropped that fight just weeks later. Arods suspension was lifted when the world series ended last week. Hes officially back on the yankees roster. No comment from the team or rodriguez today, but fans had plenty to say. Im disappointed by the news. Im sure he figured everyone else is doing it he can get away with it. A little surprised he could deny it that long. Reporter rodriguez still has three years on his contract. Hes owed 61 million, but there are new questions tonight about whether arod owes the public the truth. Ron mott, nbc news, denver. Still ahead for us tonight, Early Detection of cancer. Tonight, the nations top doctors are warning millions of women are skipping a test that could save their lives. And later, shining a light on Something Special thats been going on quietly for years. Making a difference for some really great kids and paying it forward. Ly great kids and payin forward. When diet and exercise arent enough, adding crestor lowers bad cholesterol up to 55 . Yeah crestor is not for people with Liver Disease or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. 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And more importantly one in four women also did not have a regular health care provider. And we say this because, you know, theyre at the front lines, your primary care physician, they are the ones referring Preventive Care as part of your health maintenance. And some women dont want to go and do this test. It could be anxiety provoking, it is a Screening Test for cancer. These numbers are startling because greater than 50 of Cervical Cancers are diagnosed in women who havent been screened. And Cervical Cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers that we have. Its a strong case. What are the guidelines . The guidelines as they stand right now from the ages of 21 to 65 women who are at average risk for Cervical Cancer, that is perhaps theyre not smokers, they dont have a family history, they get a pap smear every three years. Greater than 30, so from age 30 to 65 in addition to a regular pap smear every three years we are recommending also an hpv test. We know that greater than 90 of Cervical Cancers are related to hpv. So that hpv status is incredibly important. In combination with the pap smear can roughly we can diagnose an incident of 93 . Good advice. Doctor, thank you for being here with us. Well take a break. Were back in a moment with the change in the air tonight and on the ground after a 200 million disaster. Round after a 200 mil disaster. [ breathing deeply ] [ i