Unusual Whales

Iowa

Iowa Democrat Who Quit His Race Over Health Issues Still Wins State House Seat, per NYT

A Winner Who Was Not Running An Iowa Democrat who dropped out of his race in September over health issues still won his State House seat comfortably, according to the New York Times. Eric Armstrong ended his campaign months before Election Day. His name stayed on the ballot, and voters

israel

Netanyahu Officially Loses Majority as Israel Certifies Election Results

The Result Is Now Official Benjamin Netanyahu has officially lost his majority in Israel's election, as Israel's Central Elections Committee has certified the results of last week's general election. The committee certified the results after finding no evidence of fraud, closing off the last

Trump

Trump Asking Advisers Whether Hegseth Should Remain Defense Secretary, Per CBS

A Question Circulating in the West Wing President Trump has been asking his advisers if Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should remain in his job, according to CBS. The report does not say a decision has been made. But a president floating the question the day after a midterm defeat, in

JD Vance

JD Vance Says Republicans Lost Because of the Iran War, Cost of Living and Israel Relationship

The Vice President's Diagnosis Vice President JD Vance has said that Republicans lost the midterm elections because of the war in Iran, the cost of living, and the GOP's relationship with Israel. It is an unusually direct admission from the sitting vice president, delivered the day

healthcare

Average US Family Health Insurance Premium Hits $28,000, Per KFF

A Premium That Never Stops Climbing The average US family health insurance premium has reached $28,000 a year, according to KFF's annual survey of employer health benefits. That is up 387% since 1999, a rise of roughly 6% a year. Over the same period, general inflation ran

Trump

Trump Says Iran War Was Partially to Blame for Republican Midterm Losses, per WSJ

Trump Points to the War President Trump has said that the war in Iran was partially to blame for widespread Republican losses in the midterm elections, according to the Wall Street Journal. The admission aligns the president, at least in part, with his own vice president. JD Vance's

democrats

Democrats Are Now the Majority in Both the US House and US Senate

A Sweep of Both Chambers The Democrats are now the majority party in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. The November 3 midterms delivered a full sweep. Democrats flipped the Senate, where Republicans had held a 53 to 47 edge, winning seven seats to

Robert Garcia

Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia Says "Lawyer Up" as Democrats Take the House

"Lawyer Up": Garcia Signals What Is Coming Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia has posted a short message with a long shadow: "LAWYER UP." Garcia is the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, the panel that serves as the House's main investigative arm. With Democrats

North Carolina

North Carolina Voters Approve Amendment Requiring Photo ID for All Voters

North Carolina Locks Photo ID Into Its Constitution North Carolina voters have approved a constitutional amendment requiring photo identification for all voters in the state. The vote settles one of the longest running election fights in the country. North Carolina's photo ID rules have been passed, blocked, revived

Politics

Virginia Voters Approve Removing Same-Sex Marriage Ban; Ohio Voters Approve Voter ID Requirement

Virginia Acts on Marriage Ban Virginia voters have approved Question 2, removing the state's same-sex marriage ban. The ban had remained on the books even though same-sex marriage has been legal nationwide since the Supreme Court's Obergefell decision, and it could have become enforceable

AI Stocks

JPMorgan Says an AI Stock Dip After a Democratic Sweep Would Be a Buying Opportunity

JPMorgan: Buy the AI Dip JPMorgan says any dip in AI stocks following a Democratic sweep in the midterms would be a buying opportunity. The bank expects AI spending to remain strong through 2028 no matter who wins, arguing that the data center and chip buildout is driven by corporate

Politics

West Virginia Voters Approve Amendment 1: Require Citizenship to Vote, per NBC

Amendment 1 Passes in West Virginia West Virginia voters have approved Amendment 1, a state constitutional amendment requiring citizenship to vote, according to NBC. The measure writes the citizenship requirement directly into the state constitution, moving it beyond ordinary statute and making it harder to change without another statewide vote.

Politics

Democrats Win Control of the US House, per DDHQ

Democrats Take the House Democrats have won control of the US House of Representatives, according to DDHQ. The call caps a midterm election night that also saw Democrats flip the Senate to a 54-46 majority, giving the party full control of Congress heading into the second half of the

bill ackman

Bill Ackman Says the Stock Market Is "Broken," CNBC Reports

Ackman's Verdict: "Broken" Bill Ackman has said that the stock market is "broken," according to CNBC. The Pershing Square founder is one of the most outspoken investors in public markets, and his market-structure critiques have become a recurring feature of his public commentary

s&p 500

S&P 500 Near Record High, Yet 60% of Its Stocks Are in a Bear Market, Goldman Says

A Record-Chasing Index on a Narrow Base The S&P 500 is within about 3% of its record high, yet 60% of its stocks are in a bear market, according to Goldman Sachs. A handful of giant stocks are holding the index up while most of the market

iran

Israel Claims Iran Is Weighing Chemical Weapons Use, Drawing Skepticism

A Claim Washington Is Not Endorsing Israel has claimed that Iran is weighing chemical weapons use, according to the New York Times. The claim has drawn skepticism from US and Gulf officials. That split matters. Chemical weapons accusations have historically been the kind of claim used to build the case

google

Google Will Turn Off Search Entirely for Schools That Opt Out of AI, NYT Reports

Take the AI or Lose Search Google will turn off Search entirely for schools that opt out of its AI features, according to the New York Times. Schools cannot disable Google's AI Overviews or AI Mode on their own. Now, if they reject the AI, they lose Search

UK

British Troops Cleared to Fire on Russian Forces if Attacked, Sky News Reports

Rules of Engagement Made Public British troops will be allowed to fire at Russian forces if attacked during a multinational mission, according to Sky News. The clarification sets out the rules of engagement for UK personnel deployed as part of the multinational presence tied to Ukraine, a mission built around

trump

Trump Jokes He Would Move to Israel and Become Prime Minister

Trump's Israel Quip President Donald Trump has joked about his political future beyond the United States. "If people ever got tired of me in the US, I'll move to Israel and become prime minister," Trump said. The remark, delivered as a joke, plays on

cost of living

Food and Housing Now Eat Nearly Half of US Budgets, Biggest Share in 15 Years

Half the Budget Goes to Food and a Roof Americans now spend nearly half of their budgets on food and housing alone. That is the biggest share in 15 years, according to Fortune. The two categories are the least optional in any household budget, which is exactly why their growing

restaurants

Americans Are Eating Out Far Less, Gallup Finds

Dining Out Falls Below Pandemic Levels Americans are eating out far less than they used to. The share who eat a meal at a restaurant at least once a week has fallen to 39% in 2026, according to Gallup. That is down from 53% in 2019, and it is lower

consumer credit

Nearly 20% of Consumers Are Late on Payments, Worst Since 2009

Late Payments Hit a Post-Crisis High Americans are falling behind on their bills at levels not seen since the Great Recession. Nearly 20% of consumers were late on payments, a level last surpassed in 2009, according to Bloomberg. The figure captures households slipping behind across the everyday bills that

fbi

Ex-FBI Chicago Chief Accuses Trump Administration of Pressure, Scapegoating

Former Chicago FBI Head Goes Public With Accusations The former head of the FBI in Chicago has accused the Trump administration of pressuring him to investigate the president's political opponents, according to the Guardian. He also says he was made a "scapegoat" after a major federal

defense stocks

US Military Attacked Iran's Qeshm Island, WSJ Reports

US Strike Reported on Qeshm Island The United States military attacked Iran's Qeshm Island, according to the Wall Street Journal. Qeshm is the largest island in the Persian Gulf and sits directly in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a large share of the world&

trump

Trump Calls Habba's $50 Million DOJ Contract for Herself 'Unacceptable,' Per Reuters

'Unacceptable,' Per the President President Donald Trump said it was "unacceptable" for one of his former lawyers, Alina Habba Mildon, to secure a $50 million contract for herself while working at the US Department of Justice, per Reuters. The remark is a rare public rebuke of