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November 6, 2025
Nancy Pelosi, first female speaker of the House, won't seek re-election to Congress
(NBC News) In a final love letter to San Francisco, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who made history as the nation’s first female speaker of the House and twice served in that top job, said Thursday in a video message she will not seek re-election in 2026. "I will not be seeking re-election to Congress. With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative," Pelosi, 85, said in her video message to San Francisco voters, interlaced with sweeping imagery of the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower and other landmarks, as well as photos that captured her storied political career.
Democrats emboldened by election results mobilize against centrists' emerging shutdown deal
(CNN) During a private call of House Democrats on Wednesday afternoon, lawmakers, including senior Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, urged each other to call their centrist Senate colleagues directly to make the case against the emerging deal. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries signaled on the call that he was keeping the pressure on his Senate counterpart, according to two people familiar with the discussion. Outside Democratic groups, too, have swiftly mobilized to ramp up pressure on centrists. Emboldened Hill Democrats pointed to jitters from Trump himself, who privately told a group of Senate Republicans that their party was being “killed” politically by the shutdown.
Go to discussionTrump grapples with political setback after Democrats ride voter fury over prices
(Reuters) It's been a year since Donald Trump's decisive win in the 2024 presidential election, and the White House had planned an anniversary rollout on Wednesday highlighting the promises kept by the Republican leader since he returned to office. Instead, the president and his Republican allies were left grappling with a string of Democratic victories in off-year elections, a rare setback for Trump as voters in a handful of states signaled resistance to his agenda.
Go to discussion'There's nothing that could move me': 7 GOP senators give Trump a 'hard no' on new demand
(Raw Story) President Donald Trump's initial response to Republicans' lopsided losses in multiple elections on Tuesday night was to call on Republicans to end a longstanding practice in the U.S. Senate in order to ram through his policies with minimal opposition. But multiple senators are already pouring cold water on the proposal. In a series of Truth Social posts Tuesday night, Trump demanded that Senate Republicans "TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER" and make it possible for the GOP to pass restrictions on voting, ban mail-in ballots and impose a national voter ID law, among other policies.
Go to discussionDemocrats Are Suddenly Very Serious About the Senate
(Political Wire) Lauren Egan: “For the past year, Democratic party leaders have been privately resigned to the idea that the 2026 Senate map was too difficult to overcome. It was a take rooted more in math than cynicism. The party had lost touch with voters in many of the states it needed to win and had no clear or compelling argument for how to rebuild a winning coalition. But Tuesday’s election results have changed that thinking."
Go to discussionConnecticut sees Democratic sweep as 29 towns flip from GOP to Dems
(FOX 61) The Nov. 4 election results in Connecticut sent a clear message not just to President Donald Trump but to Gov. Ned Lamont as well. That's what Scott McLean, a political science professor at Quinnipiac University, said following Tuesday's election results. He explained what they may reveal about where voters heads are at. Lamont announced Wednesday afternoon that 29 towns flipped from Republican to Democrat, and 102 towns in the state are now led by Democrats.
Go to discussionMAGA Blame Game Erupts After Republicans Suffer Nationwide Losses
(Daily Beast) President Donald Trump’s base is at each other’s throats after the GOP suffered crushing defeats in contests across the country on Tuesday. In the wake of the GOP’s beatings in Virginia, New Jersey, California, and New York City, MAGA has descended into a blamefest, arguing over whether Republicans had failed to mobilize enough voters or if internal fighting and other strategic missteps were to blame.
FBI encouraging ICE agents to identify themselves amid a surge of crimes by impersonators
(The Independent) The FBI is reportedly calling on Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to “adequately identify themselves” when interacting with the public, following a string of violent criminals impersonating immigration agents. The memo, prepared by the FBI’s Office of Partner Engagement and New York Field Office, and first reported by WIRED, pointed to a series of concerning incidents carried out by individuals impersonating ICE.
Go to discussionRubio, Hegseth brief lawmakers on boat strikes as frustration grows on Capitol Hill
(NPR) Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed a group of top congressional members behind closed doors on Wednesday following President Trump's orders for a wave of unprecedented U.S. military strikes against alleged drug boats that are raising the specter of a new war. Legal analysts have broadly described the strikes as illegal under both U.S. and international law — in part because they have not been authorized by Congress.
Go to discussionIRS Direct File won't be available next year. Here's what that means for taxpayers
(AP) IRS Direct File, the electronic system for filing tax returns for free, will not be offered next year, the Trump administration has confirmed. An email sent Monday from IRS official Cynthia Noe to state comptrollers that participate in the Direct File program said that “IRS Direct File will not be available in Filing Season 2026. No launch date has been set for the future.” The program developed during Joe Biden’s presidency was credited by users with making tax filing easy, fast and economical. However, it faced criticism from Republican lawmakers, who called it a waste of taxpayer money.
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