While the Trump administration seems intent on deporting anyone who speaks with an accent, the World Series winning LA Dodgers tell a different story. It’s immigrants who led the team to victory. We’re talking about Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a 27-year-old pitcher for the Dodgers who is here from Japan. He is one of three Japanese superstars on the team alongside Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki. Yamamoto achieved what the team’s president of baseball operations called “the greatest accomplishment I’ve ever seen on a major-league baseball field.” Then there’s Miguel Rojas, a shortstop who hit the crucial home run when they were trailing the Blue Jays 4-3 in the ninth inning. Rojas, a longtime Dodgers veteran who’s beloved in the clubhouse and by fans, later made another game-saving play, injuring himself in the process. Did I mention he’s from Venezuela? All this is fitting since Los Angeles is known as the “City of Immigrants,” and the Dodgers are more proof that immigrants make us winners. You can read more about these two superstars in today’s Substack. Type NNN to get a link to read it.
Costco, once again proving it’s simply the best. Their $1.50 hot dog-and-soda combo isn’t going anywhere, CEO Ron Vachris confirmed. The deal has been a staple since 1985 and remains a major driver of member loyalty. Even with rising food costs, the combo hasn’t budged – if it had kept pace with inflation, it would cost $4.65 today. Industry experts say the hot dog price is symbolic for Costco, and a promise they’re committed to protecting. With record sales topping 245 million combos in 2025, it’s clear the $1.50 meal is as iconic as ever. On top of this, Costco’s opening its first standalone gas station in California this summer.
Women were elected governor in Virginia and New Jersey. That in itself is a message.
According to local news reports, UPS says three crew members were on board. There are injuries but they have not yet said if there are fatalities. The plane was carrying a lot of fuel driving the huge blaze. Authorities issued a shelter in place order for people within 5 miles of the airport. The plane was a 24 year old McDonnell Douglas MD-11. Follow this account for more fact based news.
A federal judge in Oregon ruled that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. overstepped his legal authority when he declared in December that gender-affirming medical care for minors “does not meet professionally recognized standards.” After Kennedy’s statement, the federal government began signaling that hospitals and medical providers offering these treatments could face consequences, particularly regarding federal funding programs like Medicare and Medicaid. This effectively put providers on notice that continuing to offer such care might risk losing federal support. Twenty-one states sued the Department of Health and Human Services, arguing he bypassed required rule-making procedures. The judge agreed the policy change couldn’t be made unilaterally and blocked it from taking effect.
Decision Desk HQ projects Mikie Sherrill the next Governor of New Jersey. This was a razor thin race and a repudiation of Trump policies. Her opponent hugged Trump and his positions tight – and lost big. So far returns show Sherrill is outperforming Kamala Harris’ totals, meaning voters who didn’t turn out for the Dems in 24 are turning out today. Sherrill also ran on cost of living, high energy prices. So far a good night for Democrats.
A moderate Democrat appears headed for a massive victory in Virginia. Abigail Spanberger is a former intelligence officer and US rep. Here’s what you’ll hear a lot: Spanberger connected voters economic anxieties to Trump’s chaotic leadership and it converted to votes. Democrats will use this as a model for their message in 2026. Her opponent did not Trump’s endorsement – but in state where he in unpopular it’s unclear that was a drag. Stay tuned for more races. DECISION DESK HQ and CNN project Spanberger the winner.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is not holding back. She’s expected to announce her plans to retire, and if that’s true, she’s going out with a bang. She spoke with @elexmichaelson , a journalist from L.A. who just joined CNN, about Trump and the state of Democracy in America. You can watch the whole interview here: https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/04/politics/video/nancy-pelosi-intv-election-week-tsi Want more verified, fact-based information like this? Be sure to follow this account. If you don’t follow now, Instagram might not show you this account again.
Trump’s new Truth Social post does three things worth flagging. He attacks allies for refusing to defend the Strait of Hormuz during active military conflict. He revives the claim that dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities is part of what this fight is about — a framing his own administration has been trying to ditch, after declaring those capabilities “obliterated” in June. And he says the U.S. has won militarily. Maybe. But Iran doesn’t need to win on the battlefield — it just needs to keep breaking things. Disrupting the Strait of Hormuz, taking oil infrastructure offline across the Gulf. That’s a much easier war to fight.
Iran publicly hanged three men over the January protests today. Their names were Saleh Mohammadi, Mehdi Ghasemi. and Saeed Davoudi. Mohammadi was a wrestler and just turned 19 last week. Officials claim they were responsible for killing 2 law enforcement officers, but rights groups say the men were forced into confessions under torture. Just yesterday, Iran executed a Swedish citizen it accused of spying for Israel. The protests were driven by economic hardship, and were met with a sweeping crackdown that reportedly killed thousands. Now, advocates warn these executions could signal a broader escalation, with many more protesters potentially facing the death penalty. Rights groups say Iran carries out more executions than any country except China.
Trump sat for an interview with Norah O’Donnell on CBS’ 60 Minutes. It’s exactly a year after Trump sued CBS over its (totally normal) editing of Kamala Harris’ 60 Minutes interview when she was running for president. They paid out rather than defend a lawsuit with the president. Ironically, Trump’s 60 Minutes interview was heavily-edited. He ricocheted from topic to topic, falsely claimed he’s brought grocery prices down (no), is wildly popular (no) and praised his own administration for having “the greatest nine months in the history of the presidency.” Some of the notable reported cuts to the interview include “a heated exchange about Trump’s pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao,” and “boasts of securing a large legal settlement from “60 Minutes” former parent company Paramount.” He also had flattering words for Bari Weiss, the center right opinion writer turned independent publisher who is now in charge of CBS’ editorial policies. 60 Minutes published a full, unedited version of the interview on YouTube. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAvuTHIyUTo Want more fact based information like this? Be sure to follow this account. If you don’t follow now Instagram might not show you this account again.
A viral video out of South Florida had the internet spiraling, with people convinced they spotted Jeffrey Epstein alive and driving a convertible. But the man behind the wheel? Just a lookalike who refers to himself as “Palm Beach Pete.” Now he’s speaking out to clear up any confusion and thank people for supporting him.
Trump is on a tear on Truth Social today. To be clear on the SNAP question, Leavitt said the administration will fund *partial* benefits (half) as previously announced. The USDA says it’ll take a while for the funds to flow through the system. So what do you think about my conclusion — do you agree? Or do you think it’s just his own chaos or something else? Tell us in comments. And be sure to follow this account for more evidence based news. If you don’t hit follow now, it’s possible instagram won’t show you this account again.
Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani is about to make history as the first Muslim person elected to serve as New York City mayor. Mamdani ran on a message of affordability promising to make NYC more accessible to residents struggling to meet life’s most basic needs. He represents generational change for the Democrats. He is also a controversial figure for many Jewish New Yorkers deeply concerned about his fierce criticism of Israel and among the city’s financial elite who object to his promises to offer free services and make the city affordable to so many. The Democrats elected tonight represent a very big tent – from national security moderates elected in NJ and VA, and a Democratic Socialist elected in NYC. I’ll discuss all this tomorrow with one of the Democrats’ most successful politicians and strategists, Ambassador Rahm Emanuel. Tune in on Substack or type NNN to get a link to our newsletter.
Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who led the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, died Friday. He was 81. Mueller ran the FBI for 12 years — longer than anyone since J. Edgar Hoover — and reshaped the bureau after 9/11, shifting its focus from domestic law enforcement to counterterrorism. In 2004, he threatened to resign rather than certify a warrantless wiretapping program the Bush White House was pushing through, a moment widely cited as a rare act of institutional courage. His legacy became impossible to separate from the Russia investigation during the first Trump term. To MAGA conservatives, he was a deep-state operative running a politicized witch hunt. To liberals, he was a man whose rigid devotion to process — and failure of imagination — allowed an unprecedented constitutional crisis to go unanswered. Today’s remembrances reflect a country that can’t agree on what it is looking at.
Finland is the happiest country on Earth — for the ninth year running. Nordic neighbors Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway round out the top. The U.S.? We’re 23rd. Canada: 25th. Britain: 29th. Zero English-speaking countries in the top 10, for the second year straight. What’s their secret? Wealth — and the equal distribution of it. A welfare state that cushions people from economic shocks. And long, healthy lives. Nordic nations also have social media, but they’re far better at limiting its use — especially for kids. Experts say heavy social media use — particularly among teen girls — is a big reason Western countries keep slipping. Not exactly shocking, but still a little sad, right? What do you think we should do — limit social media by law, leave it to parents, or something else entirely?
Finland is the happiest country on Earth — for the ninth year running. Nordic neighbors Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway round out the top. The U.S.? We’re 23rd. Canada: 25th. Britain: 29th. Zero English-speaking countries in the top 10, for the second year straight. What’s their secret? Wealth — and the equal distribution of it. A welfare state that cushions people from economic shocks. And long, healthy lives. Nordic nations also have social media, but they’re far better at limiting its use — especially for kids. Experts say heavy social media use — particularly among teen girls — is a big reason Western countries keep slipping. Not exactly shocking, but still a little sad, right? What do you think we should do — limit social media by law, leave it to parents, or something else entirely?
Before Joe Kent resigned as director of the National Counterterrorism Center over the Iran war, the FBI had already opened an investigation into him for allegedly leaking classified information, a source told NBC News. Kent, a retired Green Beret and longtime Trump ally, stepped down because he disagreed with the administration’s claim that Iran posed an “imminent threat.” He claimed that Israel drew the U.S. into the war. In his first interview since resigning, Kent told Tucker Carlson that he expected attempts to “discredit” him but welcomed a chance to speak with Trump.
Divisive hardline conservative and former Vice President, Dick Cheney, died yesterday at the age of 84. Cheney served both George H.W. Bush as defense chief during the Persian Gulf War and his son, George W. Bush, as Vice President during his 2 consecutive terms. He is considered one of the most powerful Vice Presidents in American history because he “had a hand, often a commanding one, in implementing decisions most important to the president and some of surpassing interest to himself.” He was also a main architect of the “war on terror.” Cheney was at the White House during 9/11 while Bush was out of town, and jumped into action. He was also a leading advocate for the invasion of Iraq following the 2001 terror attacks. He said towards the end of his life that he didn’t regret pushing for that. He said, “It was the right thing to do then. I believed it then and I believe it now.” Despite Cheney remaining a conservative, he surprised the public when he came after Trump during his final years. On top of this, the last vote he ever cast in a presidential election was for liberal Democrat Kamala Harris. Cheney battled heart disease for the majority of his adult life and ultimately passed away due to complications from pneumonia and cardiac/vascular disease. He is survived by his wife, 2 daughters and grandchildren. Want more fact-based, verified information like this? Be sure to follow this account. If you don’t follow now, Instagram might not show you this account again.
How does $180-a-barrel oil stack up against what Energy Secretary Chris Wright calls “American energy dominance”? Officials in Saudi Arabia warn prices could surge past $180 if disruptions continue until late April. And oil isn’t just a headline—it touches nearly every part of your daily life. As tensions with Iran escalate and key energy infrastructure is damaged, the ripple effects could mean higher gas prices, more expensive groceries, and added strain on the global economy.
NEW WHITE HOUSE AI FRAMEWORK The White House released its AI Legislative Framework today. The official language is about protecting kids and stopping scams. The fine print is about protecting Big Tech. It would override strict state AI laws replacing them with a “minimally burdensome” federal standard. It would shield AI companies from liability when their tools cause harm, shifting responsibility to the end user. And it signals the administration wants fewer safety guardrails on AI models — notable given their clash with Anthropic over the use of AI in war.
CBS News is shutting down its radio network after 99 years — ending a service that launched in 1927, reaches roughly 700 affiliate stations, and helped define American broadcast journalism from Edward R. Murrow to the top-of-the-hour newscast. The closure comes as CBS News announces layoffs of about 6% of staff. New leadership — editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and president Tom Cibrowski — say the moves are necessary amid economic pressure and a changing media landscape, with a focus on rebuilding for the streaming era. Worth noting: CBS News is losing viewers under new leadership and this is all happening under new ownership. Skydance, backed by Larry Ellison, took over Paramount with the combined business carrying roughly $79 billion in net debt. And the overhaul is unfolding amid concern that new leadership is under pressure to make changes more acceptable to Trump and his allies.
The U.S. is sending thousands of Marines and three warships to the Middle East, adding to the more than 50,000 troops already stationed there as tensions with Iran continue. About 2,500 Marines from California’s 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Boxer and two other ships will rotate in next month, ready to conduct air or ground operations if needed. While President Trump has said he isn’t planning a ground invasion, keeping these forces in the region allows rapid response and citizen evacuation. This comes days after the Pentagon requested over $200 billion to support ongoing operations. Please see today’s Substack for more. Link in bio.
Today I spoke with @emilys_list President Jessica Mackler about what the Nov 4th elections. She shared her view of what’s on voters minds (it’s more than affordability). EMILYs List is dedicated to supporting pro-choice Democratic women candidates. So I asked her why, in the current political environment, she thinks it’s important to elect women to public office. Hear part of our discussion. She also analyzes the races where Emily’s List has endorsed: Abigail Spanberger running for governor in Virginia, Mikie Sherill running for governor in New Jersey. And we touch on state Supreme Court races in Pennsylvania and a House race in Texas. It’s a good window into what’s on the ballot this week. And you can find more in our latest newsletter. Type NNN to get a link.
