Wednesday, November 5, 2025

November 5, 2025

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Mamdani is elected New York City mayor . . . Zohran Mamdani has been elected mayor of New York City in a political earthquake that will put a 34-year-old democratic socialist in charge of America's largest city. Mamdani defeated former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, taking over 50 percent of the vote. Mamdani told supporters who packed into Brooklyn's Paramount Theater and chanted his name: 'I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this.' The Democrat's promise of free buses, no rent, fewer cops and higher taxes for the wealthy and big business sparked unprecedented support in a mayoral race with the highest turnout in more than 50 years. Daily Mail

He did not try to hide who he was. New Yorkers who voted for him should know exactly what they are getting. And they will get what they deserve.

Abigail Spanberger Wins Virginia Governor's Race . . . Democrat Abigail Spanberger has won the Virginia governor's race, defeating Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, numerous outlets project. Spanberger campaigned against President Donald Trump and his policies to root waste, fraud, and abuse out of the federal government through the DOGE. Early results show the Democrat's strongest support came from the Northern Virginia suburbs near Washington, D.C., home to many federal bureaucrats. The Associated Press also projects that Democrat Ghazala Hashmi has prevailed against Republican John Reid in the lieutenant governor's race. Daily Signal

Mikie Sherrill crushes Jack Ciattarelli in NJ gov's race after making campaign all about Trump . . . Democratic US Rep. Mikie Sherrill walloped Republican Jack Ciattarelli in a stunning victory Tuesday after making her New Jersey gubernatorial campaign all about President Trump. Despite Ciattarelli mounting an aggressive, well-funded campaign and polls showing the race neck-and-neck, he fell dramatically short on Election Day — marking a reversal from four years ago, when most polling significantly underestimated him. Sherrill led by 12 points with 90% of ballots counted Tuesday night. New York Post

While this is not a good night for Republicans, let's keep this in perspective. Democrats won in Democrat states and cities. And there's a big silver lining in that Republicans will have a socialist to showcase for all to see straight through the midterms and into the 2028 election.

8 Winners and Losers of the 2025 Election

Newsom's big Proposition 50 win turns him to leading 2028 White House contender . . . California's controversial redistricting ballot measure has done wonders to boost Gov. Gavin Newsom's early bid for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. The outspoken governor, who marked a massive political victory Tuesday night with the passage of Proposition 50, had alienated and infuriated many in the Democratic Party after he broke bread with Steve Bannon and the late Charlie Kirk on podcasts earlier this year. Washington Examiner

Republicans try to turn national Democratic candidates into Mamdani copycats

So a Socialist Will Be Mayor of New York. Now What? . . . Mamdani's rent-freeze idea will likely just cause renters to withhold inventory, as they've done in the past, making the "affordability" problem worse. Maybe he eventually sets up a government-run grocery store or two, no doubt to great fanfare. The clearest change for the Big Apple that will almost certainly happen under Mamdani is a deterioration of the small gains in law and order the city has experienced in the last year. Police deployments to crime hotspots in the city are likely to decline. Many long-time NYPD officers will almost certainly leave the force. Daily Signal

Politics

Jones narrowly defeats Miyares in Virginia attorney general race despite violent text messages . . . Democrat Jay Jones narrowly defeated Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) Tuesday night, becoming the Old Dominion's first African American attorney general. The Associated Press called the race at 10:05 p.m. with 87% of votes counted, three hours after polls closed at 7:00 p.m. Jones won even after it was revealed he sent violent text messages in 2022, suggesting former Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert receive two bullets in the head. Washington Examiner

Fetterman Blasts Pelosi for Calling Trump 'Worst Thing' on Earth . . . Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) defended President Donald Trump against former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) latest verbal attack, calling her a "different kind of a Democrat." The California congresswoman, who is reportedly expected to announce her retirement after Tuesday evening's elections, joined CNN on Monday to call Trump "the worst thing on the face of the Earth." Instead of Trump, the senator said, "The worst creatures on the face of the earth are Hamas or like the leadership of Iran — there's a lot of people on that." Breitbart

Trump Changes Course on SNAP Funding . . . President Donald Trump said he would withhold Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits until Senate Democrats vote to reopen the government. "SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden's disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly 'handed' to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!), will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!" he wrote on Truth Social. Daily Signal

Woman Distributed Stephen Miller's Home Address, Promised to 'Make His Life Hell' . . . A woman in Virginia distributed leaflets that listed White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller's address and labeled him as a Nazi," court documents show. A court affidavit revealed that the Virginia State Police seized the phone of Barbara Wien, a retired university professor who allegedly posted fliers in Miller's neighborhood that included his address and damning accusations against him, according to The New York Times. In addition to the address, the flier accused Miller of being "wanted for crimes against humanity" and included the slogan, "No Nazis in NOVA," an acronym for Northern Virginia. Daily Caller

5 Months Later, Elon Wins The War Over NASA . . . President Donald Trump announced Tuesday he is nominating Jared Isaacman for NASA administrator after previously withdrawing his nomination. Trump previously nominated Elon Musk ally Isaacman for the position, but pulled him in May because of "prior associations." Days later, Musk lashed out at Trump as he exited the administration, which insider sources told the Daily Caller was caused in part by Isaacman's nomination being yanked. Daily Caller

International

Japan deploys the military to counter a surge in bear attacks . . . Japan deployed troops Wednesday to help contain a surge of bear attacks that have terrorized residents in a mountainous region in the northern prefecture of Akita. Reports of sometimes deadly encounters with brown bears and Asiatic black bears are being reported almost daily ahead of hibernation season as the bears forage for food. They have been seen near schools, train stations, supermarkets and at a hot springs resort. Since April, more than 100 people have been injured and at least 12 killed in bear attacks across Japan. Associated Press

Money

Tariffs Are Here to Stay, Even if the Supreme Court Rules Against Trump . . . The Supreme Court, which will hear arguments on Wednesday about whether many of President Trump's tariffs are lawful, could strike down a substantial portion of the president's trade agenda. At issue is whether Mr. Trump properly used an emergency powers law to hit nearly all trading partners with tariffs. A loss at the court would be a severe setback for Mr. Trump. But Trade lawyers and government officials say the administration could look to other legal provisions to cobble together a system of tariffs that could be less flexible but just as consequential as the emergency powers levies. New York Times

Robots will now bring you Doritos and Pepsi at Whole Foods . . . The 'Amazonification' of the chain has begun. Stores in major US cities are trialing new concepts where Amazon Grocery products — including Pepsi and Doritos — are sold alongside the chain's signature organic vegetables and prepared foods. At one Pennsylvania location, customers who are not satisfied with the Whole Foods produce can open the Amazon app and request an item from robots working in the back room. The move comes as Amazon's grocery business, including Whole Foods, is struggling to gain traction. Daily Mail

You should also know

Erika Kirk Says There Should Be Cameras In Courtroom For Upcoming Murder Trial . . . The widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated during a campus event in November, said she would like to have cameras in the courtroom during the murder trial of accused killer Tyler Robinson."There were cameras all over my husband when he was murdered," Kirk told Watters in the promo clip. "There have been cameras all over my friends and family mourning. There have been cameras all over me, analyzing my every move, analyzing my every smile, my every tear." Daily Wire

Massive fireball erupts as UPS plane crashes at Kentucky airport, leaving 7 dead and some missing . . . First responders searched for more victims Wednesday after a UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded in a massive fireball while taking off from the company's global aviation hub at the airport in Louisville, Kentucky, killing at least seven people and injuring 11, authorities said. The plane crashed about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday as it was departing for Honolulu from UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. Associated Press

A stewardess once told me that the crash they fear the most is on takeoff, when the plane is filled with fuel.

Guilty Pleasures

Tech Entrepreneur Finances Wedding by Selling Advertisements on His Suit Jacket . . . A broke Frenchman was able to cover the cost of his wedding by selling advertisements on his tuxedo jacket to 26 startups and becoming a human billboard. French salesman Dagobert Renouf had long been dreaming of marrying his then-fiancée, Anna Plynina, but he was too poor to afford a proper wedding. To put it plainly, he was completely broke and on the verge of homelessness. But that was no reason to deprive his beloved of the wedding she had been dreaming of. Oddity Central