Democrats' midterm wave, and the hard part now
Today is Friday, November 6, 2026
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- Good morning, and welcome to Hark News. Here's what the world got up to while you slept. First, the weather in New York. A high of 67 and a low of 57, with cloudy skies.
- Democrats won the biggest midterm wave in half a century, and Noah Smith thinks the real test starts now. His warning is history: 1974 and 1976 were big wins too, and the GOP bounced back.
- CNN projects Democrats will win at least 250 House seats, their largest majority since 2008. Axios counted at least 37 incoming Democrats who won districts Trump carried in 2024.
- The Nasdaq closed down 5.5 percent and entered correction territory, while the S&P 500 fell 4.4 percent. Investors tied the sell-off to Democratic wins in data center states like Texas and Ohio.
- Data centers took a beating at the ballot box. Casey Newton at Platformer counts voters approving bans or limits in dozens of local jurisdictions, while the big AI-backed super PACs mostly came up empty.
- Casey Newton argues that Democrats have a mandate to rein in AI, but warns against repeating the social media mistake of never agreeing on what the problem is.
- A commission approved Trump's 250-foot triumphal arch, but Judge Tanya Chutkan blocked construction for fourteen days. Trump also issued an order declaring the Oval Office and Cabinet room national landmarks.
- Harmeet Dhillon resigned as head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. The Washington Post reported that more than half the division's lawyers left under her.
- Rep. Thomas Massie plans to trigger a vote to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth when Congress returns next week, and CNN says several Republicans expect it to pass.
- JD Vance blamed the Iran war for the GOP losses in a long post on X. Politico read it as the start of the 2028 Republican race, and CNN noted the prospect of Vance running as Trump's heir looks unworkable.
- The Energy Department expects gas to average $3.56 next year, down from $4.10 today but 20 percent higher than predicted before the Iran war. Trump says the war was worth it, and Rep. Sean Casten put the blame on the conflict.
- Latino voters swung hard toward Democrats, but Latino Democrats warn it is a rejection of the GOP more than an embrace of the party. They say the party must deliver on affordability or lose them again.
- Democratic socialist Nithya Raman is projected to beat Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. With New York also led by a democratic socialist, the two largest US cities will be run by one.
- Governor Gavin Newsom said he will commute every death sentence in California to life without parole, affecting 548 inmates.
- Le Monde reports many are bracing for renewed US airstrikes on Iran. Former ambassador Ryan Crocker told the Middle East Institute a smaller strike would not achieve Trump's goals.
- Elon Musk spent at least $445 million on federal races, according to OpenSecrets. The Financial Times reported that Silicon Valley donors who backed Republicans suffered heavy losses.
- Rep. Jamie Raskin told Semafor he has a top 50 list of companies and CEOs to subpoena, but says Democrats won't pursue them vindictively. Rep. Robert Garcia says his Oversight panel will focus on the Trump family's business ties.
- Axios reports Democrats are on track to flip 12 legislative chambers, breaking 16 years of Republican statehouse dominance. Democrats also flipped five GOP governorships.
- Mississippi's Senate race has Democrat Scott Colom leading by more than 1,100 votes. In Alaska, Mary Peltola leads Dan Sullivan narrowly, and ranked-choice tabulation may follow.
- Oil fell nearly 9 percent as traders bet the election will push Trump toward an exit from the Iran conflict. Analysts say the price drop reflects that belief.
- Axios reports that the bipartisan permitting bill now faces doubts in the lame duck. Capstone says Democrats are emboldened to wait until 2027, though Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse calls it a bird in the hand.
- Canva is restructuring 1,271 roles, about 22 percent of its workforce, after growth slowed for the first time in a decade. CEO Melanie Perkins called it the hardest moment in the company's history.
- Health officials have signed off on two new Ebola vaccine candidates for human testing, as the current outbreak, declared in May, drags on with more than 5,000 deaths.
- The FBI, CISA, and several federal agencies warned that hackers are targeting industrial refrigeration systems. Incidents have ruined inventories and sparked small fires in supermarkets, military freezers, and blood banks.
- Democrats are weighing whether to use the December funding deadline to force an end to the Iran war. Sen. Ruben Gallego says everything is on the table, though leaders are noncommittal.
- And that's your world for today. The full stories and the links are waiting in the app. Tap through, bookmark what matters, and share what's worth sharing. And if you want to see what stuck, take today's quiz in the app: five quick questions. And if Hark is making your mornings a little better, share it with a friend. It's the best way to help us grow. I'll see you again tomorrow morning. Until then, have a great day.