☕ Dems sweep the polls

Good morning!

Democrats have swept all major electoral races, with political analysts decoding what this means for the midterms next year and for current sentiment around the President. In today’s newsletter, we bring you up to speed with what unfolded yesterday.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• Tributes have been made from both sides of the political aisle for former Vice President Dick Cheney, who died on Tuesday at 84. Cheney served under George W Bush from 2001 to 2009 and was widely considered the most influential vice president in U.S. history, particularly for his role in shaping the 2003 Iraq invasion following 9/11. He also held multiple cabinet positions in the George H.W. Bush administration. In recent years, Cheney became an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, particularly after the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

• Japan deployed its military to northern provinces on Tuesday to combat bear attacks that have killed 12 people and injured over 100 since April. The move follows a regional governor describing the situation as "desperate" after local authorities proved unable to defend against the animals. Military leaders said they'll provide limited support to affected areas. Experts link the attacks to Japan's aging population, with abandoned land allowing bears to move closer to residential areas.

• Flights at Belgium's main airport were disrupted on Tuesday after unidentified drones were spotted in the country's airspace, the latest in a series of drone sightings across Europe over the past two months. Belgian authorities said they haven't identified the drone operator or owner. It's the second incident since Sunday, when drones were spotted over a military base in what authorities described as an apparent "spying operation." The Belgian Prime Minister convened his cabinet to address the issue.

• Pope Leo XI called for "deep reflection" on U.S. migrant detention practices on Tuesday, responding to President Trump's recent immigration crackdown. "Many people who have lived for years and years and years, never causing problems, have been deeply affected by what is going on right now," the Chicago-born pontiff told reporters. Leo, America's first pope, also urged greater dialogue between the U.S. and Venezuela and called on Israel to pursue justice for "all peoples" regarding recent West Bank settler attacks on Palestinians.

I’ve got 1 minute

Seven people have died after a UPS delivery plane crashed while taking off from an airport in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday evening.

Upon impact, the plane erupted into a major fireball, causing a string of fires throughout the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.

The crash

At approximately 17:15 local time, the UPS plane 2976 crashed shortly after taking off. Before the crash, witnesses reported seeing one of the plane’s three engines detach.

Plane 2976 had three passengers who were all confirmed dead, along with four ground crew who were caught in the crash. Eleven others were also injured with what officials called “very significant” injuries.

This was the first UPS plane to crash since 2013.

Investigation

Investigations are ongoing as crews contain the blazes. The focus of the investigation is on why the fires were so large and on the plane's age and capabilities.

Reuters reports that Plane 2976 was a 34-year-old MD-11 freighter, a model Boeing discontinued. Blazes were also larger than expected for a single-plane fire, and some outlets are reporting that the plane was carrying large amounts of fuel.

The National Transportation Safety Board and report their findings in 12 to 24 months.

Reaction

Louisville Metro Police Dept. Chief Paul Humphrey said the crash site will be an active scene for several days.

Governor Andy Basheer said the death toll was expected to rise in the coming days, and UPS said it was "terribly saddened” by the event.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the plane crash was an "incredible tragedy that our community will never forget".

I’ve got 2 minutes

Democrats won all four elections held last night, a major rebuke of President Trump and his policies.

It was also a night of firsts with Zohran Mamdani becoming the first Muslim Mayor of New York and Democrat Abigail Spanberger the first female governor of Virginia.

The results will buoy Democrats’ hopes of wresting back control of Congress. Here is what you need to know.

What happened in New York?

Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani has become the first Muslim, millennial, and South Asian Mayor of New York City.

In a hotly contested election, Mamdani beat former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo (running as an independent) and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

More than two million people voted, the biggest turnout since the 1960s. Media outlets, including CNN and The Associated Press, called the election within 40 minutes of polls closing.

Mamdani

Mamdani was born in Uganda to Indian parents. When he is sworn in on 1 January 2026, he will be the first Muslim and South Asian person to become Mayor, and the youngest in more than a century. He was previously a member of New York State’s lower house.

He campaigned on cost-of-living relief, including rent freezes, free buses, and free universal childcare.

Mamdani was open about his support for Palestine and Palestinian-Americans, and also told late-night host Stephen Colbert: “I believe [Israel] has a right to exist and a responsibility... to uphold international law.”

Gubernatorial Elections

In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger was elected as the state’s first female Governor, while fellow Democrat Mikie Sherrill was elected as Governor of New Jersey.

Virginia state elections are seen as a bellwether for how the country may vote more broadly and are therefore watched closely by political strategists. Notably, Virginia Democrats won every contest across the state, and Spanberger bested her opponent by over 15 points, a major rebuke of President Trump.

New Jersey’s race was predicted to be a tighter contest, but Sherrill defied expectations and won the vote by 13 points. This was distinct from the last governor’s election, where the Republican candidate came within 3 points of besting the Democrats.

Prop 50

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s bid to change the state’s constitution to allow for partisan redistricting was also successful.

Newsom will now be able to redraw California's electoral maps to give Democrats a higher chance of winning five extra seats, countering the redrawing of electoral maps in Texas by Republican Governor Greg Abbott.

When is the next election day?

The next major elections in the country will be held in November 2026. At the federal level, the midterm elections will see every seat in the lower house and a third of Senate seats up for election.

Across the country, 36 states will vote to elect governors, and 46 will vote for members of their state parliaments.

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