☕ Off-year elections are here

Good morning,

In some breaking news just in, former Vice President Dick Cheney, has died aged 84. The 46th VP served across two terms, from 2001 to 2009, alongside George W. Bush.

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Some headlines from this morning:

• The Trump administration will provide reduced SNAP benefits in after a federal court ordered it to use contingency funds during the government shutdown. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced yesterday it was obligated to cover 50% of usual benefits for the 42 million Americans relying on the program, but warned payments may be delayed. SNAP supplements food costs for low-income individuals and families at around $9 billion monthly. The shutdown enters its 34th day, approaching the longest in U.S. history.

• Peru severed diplomatic ties with Mexico on Tuesday after Mexico granted political asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chávez. Chávez is sheltering in Mexico's embassy in Peru while Peruvian authorities seek to prosecute her for allegedly participating in a 2022 coup attempt. "Given this unfriendly act, the Peruvian government has decided to sever diplomatic relations with Mexico," Peru's Foreign Minister said. Mexico called Peru's response disproportionate but refused to release Chávez to Peruvian authorities.

• Twenty people died after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan on Monday. The quake hit 17 miles below Mazar-e Sharif, affecting over 500,000 residents and damaging part of the Blue Mosque, one of Afghanistan's holiest sites. The earthquake marks the latest challenge for Afghanistan's Taliban government, which is leading recovery efforts. Nearly 2,200 people died in major earthquakes that struck the country in August.

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Shein has removed listings for “childlike” sex dolls from its online shop following a report from French authorities.

France’s fraud watchdog issued a takedown notice last week after it discovered Shein was selling a small doll of a girl holding a teddy bear, accompanied by a sexually explicit description.

Following the notice to Shein, the watchdog extended its investigation, finding similar products were being sold on AliExpress. Shein said it has a “zero-tolerance policy” for illegal products.

What happened

Over the weekend, French fraud watchdog DGCCRF accused Shein of selling sex dolls “with a childlike appearance.”

“Their categorisation on the site makes it difficult to doubt the… nature of the content,” it said.

French newspaper Le Parisien published a screenshot of what appeared to be the doll in question, listed as a “masturbation toy”.

Le Parisien reported DGCCRF was alerted to the doll by a member of the public.

Finance Minister Roland Lescure told local outlet BFMTV: “If these behaviours are repeated, we will be entitled to… ban [Shein’s] access to the French market.”

Under French law, people convicted of sharing child sexual abuse material online can face up to seven years in jail and fines of up to €100,000.

On Monday (local time), France’s High Commissioner for Children, Sarah El Haïry, said “many other cases” from other websites had been reported.

Shein’s response

Shortly after receiving the fraud watchdog’s notice, Shein announced it had withdrawn the dolls from its platform and launched an internal inquiry.

The company also announced “a total ban on ‘sex doll’ type products” as well as the removal of any existing listings.

A Shein spokesperson told Agence France-Presse the ban applies globally.

It came days before the fast-fashion company was due to open a shop in Paris.

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Four major votes are being held across the U.S. today in what is known as an "off-year" election. Americans are choosing a new mayor of New York, governors in Virginia and New Jersey, and voting on a constitutional change in California.

Political strategists view these races as early indicators of public sentiment toward President Trump's second term and will use the results to shape strategy for next year's midterm elections. Here's what you need to know.

New York

Polls show 34-year-old democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani leading the race to become New York's next mayor. His main opponent is Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York State, whom Mamdani defeated in the Democratic primary.

The race has centered on affordability, with voters' apparent preference for Mamdani seen as criticism of the major parties' failure to address high costs in America's most populous city.

Polls have narrowed in recent days, giving Cuomo hope he could still defeat his rival. President Trump has promised to restrict federal funding to New York if Mamdani wins.

Virginia

The Virginia gubernatorial race is between Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a U.S. congresswoman, and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, the state's current lieutenant governor.

Virginia is being watched closely as it frequently alternates between Republican and Democratic governors and is seen as a bellwether for voter sentiment.

Polls show Spanberger with a clear lead, but Republicans have narrowed the gap by tying her to a scandal involving the current attorney general, who endorsed political violence in leaked texts. Regardless of the result, Virginia will have its first female governor after today.

New Jersey

Incumbent Democratic Governor Phil Murphy is stepping down today, with voters choosing between Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill.

Democrats hold a narrow lead in polls, but remain concerned as Republicans link affordability issues in the state to Democratic governance. In the last election, Murphy defeated Ciattarelli by just 3 percentage points, making another close race likely.

A Democratic win would be seen as a rebuke of the Trump administration, as Sherrill's campaign has emphasized unpopular federal policies and linked them to Ciattarelli.

California Proposition 50

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has asked Californians to approve a constitutional change that would give him temporary power to redraw the state's electoral maps. Newsom proposed the measure after Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced he would redistrict Texas to secure five more Republican seats in the 2026 midterms.

California's constitution assigns redistricting powers to a politically independent group of civil servants to prevent political gerrymandering, requiring Newsom to hold a referendum to counter Texas's redistricting.

Polls show Californians largely support Newsom's proposal, aided by the lack of an organized opposition campaign.

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