Drawings of near-death experiences reveal patterns in what people remember seeing Medical Xpress
‘The nipple touch of doom’: what is sad nipple syndrome and what causes it? The Guardian
Climate/Environment
Centuries-old cemetery helps scientists link climate shocks to Industrial Revolution disease Frontiers
3M stock soars following $7.35 billion ‘forever chemicals’ settlement Reuters
The Fishing Industry Is Changing Fish at the DNA Level, and Scientists Are Worried About What Comes Next ZME Science
What comes next? Climate Colored Goggles
Overshoot and the Cryosphere: We can’t negotiate with the melting point of ice! Climate Uncovered
Pandemics
British man infected with Ebola to be flown back to the UK DPA
The Koreas
Seoul to send anti-piracy unit closer to Hormuz, adding mine-clearing team Korea Times
Japan
Japan defence chief renews calls for debate on reviewing non-nuclear principles The Star
What’s the message for China as Japan weighs US$500 billion defence surge? South China Morning Post
Chinese exports of rare earth to Japan crater after PM’s Taiwan remark Kyodo News
China?
Joshua Wong jailed for 10 years over bid to instigate sanctions on Beijing, Hong Kong South China Morning Post
Trump-Xi Strategic Stability Faces a New Test: Capitol Hill George Chen
Syraqistan
Israeli drone strike kills Palestinian, wounds another at displacement tent in Gaza Anadolu Agency
In Gaza, the specter of famine is returning +972 Magazine
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Operation Economic Outcast Targets Global Maritime Fraud Network Supporting Iranian Regime U.S. Department of the Treasury. Fresh sanctions!
Iran’s IRGC announces four oil tankers destroyed by mines in Strait of Hormuz The Cradle
Trump’s midterm defeat gives the Gulf a chance to escape America’s forever wars Middle East Eye
Syria, Saudi Arabia sign defence cooperation deal, agree $403m in loans Al Jazeera
Africa
Africa’s LNG Exports Set to Soar 175% as Buyers Flee Hormuz OilPrice
European Disunion
Hubert Aiwanger, prominent German politician, found dead in Berlin hotel The Guardian
French blood storage impacted by freezer hacks as theories swirl about culprits BBC
The Iran war killed Trump’s Presidency: the Ukraine war will kill European mainstream governments Ian Proud
The new Michelet Emmanuel Todd
Ce soir, l’incroyable et jamais vu a eu lieu.
Le projet de budget du gouvernement a eu 458 voix contre et ….. 0 voix pour.
Ça sent le temps perdu et annonce le 49.3 et donc la censure. https://t.co/d3r5eYDX7A
— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) November 4, 2026
Danish students join European protest wave against education funding cuts Al Jazeera
Hungary opens communist-era secret police files – But does a name in the database mean someone was an informer? Daily News Hungary
Calls to Release Intelligence Files Were a Bid to Discredit Viktor Orbán, Historian Says Hungary Today
New Not-So-Cold War
Ukraine arrests woman who exposed Azov battalion’s ‘torture chamber’ RT
US first lady to host Ukrainian, Russian officials at White House AFP
Zelensky hopes Democratic Congress will bring more US aid to Ukraine Al Mayadeen
European Troops Hold Drills for Post-War Ukraine Mission That Will Likely Never Happen Antiwar
Moldova outpaces Ukraine on new EU membership roadmap Kyiv Independent
South of the Border
US Pushing for Permanent Venezuela Military Presence: New York Times Venezuelanalysis
Mexico’s Exports to the US Soared 40 Percent in September La Jornada
Trump 2.0
Trump Now Has to Govern Through a Midterm Meltdown of His Own Making Bloomberg
‘LAWYER UP’: Dems immediately put Trump on notice amid Republicans’ midterm bloodbath Fox News
Trump asking advisers if Hegseth should stay after midterm losses, sources say CBS News
Trump: Hegseth would be ‘very popular’ as Tennessee senator The Hill
Trump touts ‘magnificent’ ballroom in first remarks after midterm drubbing The Hill
Vance courting disgruntled Trump voters to form ‘new right’ alliance after Republican bloodbath, sources say Fox News
2026 Post Mortem
One of the things the data analysts on our side obsessed over was “composition”—whether the electorate looked close enough to 2024 for Republicans to win. And despite polls that showed a Democrat blowout, the data kept on telling us the same story: in some states turnout was merely OK, in other states it was downright amazing, and in no state was it catastrophic. There was a genuine sense of optimism on our team: our people were showing up.
So, I asked the smartest data guy I know, does that mean we’re going to shock the world? “No,” he told me. “We might do better than the polls suggest. But the data is telling us that a lot of Trump/Vance 2024 voters are pissed and planning to vote for the other guys. Our voters are turning out, but they may not vote for us.”
Well, that looks prophetic now. Our voters did show up. In Florida, for example, the electorate was 9 points more Republican than Democrat, just a couple points worse than 2024. Undoubtedly there were places we could have done better on turnout. But the main problem is not turnout. The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026.
There will be a lot of infighting and arguing over what happened and why that is. One of the pollsters I really respect told me that our economic messaging wasn’t sharp enough down the stretch. I’m sure that’s true.
But the real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone.
Another pollster—one of the smartest people I know in politics, told me yesterday we’d lose the generic ballot by 13 points. I felt negative going into Tuesday, but even I was shocked by this. In his polling, he saw that a lot of Trump 2024 voters were angry and planning to vote for Democrats. He asked those voters who had abandoned us what would cause them to come back on our team. The top four answers, accounting for nearly all of the responses were:
1) End the war
2) Focus on cost of living/inflation
3) Put America First
4) Change our relationship to Israel
Our voters showed up. And the above four reasons are why many of them voted for Democrats. This is according to a pollster who nailed the results. While many spent Monday attacking Rachel Campos Duffy for calling for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, it turns out her political advice was sound. (She’s also a great person.)
In the next few months, there’s going to be a lot of gaslighting. Expect to hear any number of establishment politicians say the solution to our woes is amnesty. I’m open to the idea that we should change enforcement—by focusing more on businesses that hire illegal labor, for instance. But anyone pushing amnesty is lying to you.
The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night.
If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest.
But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.
I remain hopeful about our country. To the people who are pissed off and want to say, “I told you so”: you’re right, you did tell us so. Take that energy into electing Republicans who share your worldview. To the people who are just pissed at the results, you should be. Let’s take that anger and get back to the work of saving our country.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) November 4, 2026
Neocons in full meltdown as voters punish GOP for Iran war Responsible Statecraft
The Limits of Going it Alone: Lessons from Dan Osborn’s Defeat in Nebraska Les Leopold
Will Anything Fundamentally Change?
“Now what?” Patrick Lawrence, The Floutist
The Iran War Is Over Ken Klippenstein
The Election Is Over, but Iran Is Not John Mearsheimer
“Hakeem Jeffries will lead the House of Representatives. Chuck Schumer will run the Senate. Both are my friends; both voted with Israel this year even when the majority of their party caucus voted otherwise.”:
השינויים בקונגרס – עובדות, ואז תוכנית
—
הדמוקרטים לקחו הלילה את שני הבתים. מה זה אומר? זה אומר שיש צורך דחוף במנהיגות ותוכנית עבודה במקום פאניקה של פוליטיקאים. הכי קל לצעוק ש”אמריקה אבודה”, כי אם היא אבודה לא צריך לעבוד. זה רק לא נכון. ממש לא.
את בית הנבחרים יוביל חכים ג’פריס. את הסנאט ינהל צ’אק שומר. שניהם ידידים שלי, שניהם הצביעו השנה עם ישראל גם כשרוב הסיעה שלהם הצביע אחרת. הם בדיוק סוג המנהיגים שישראל אמורה לדעת לעבוד איתם, גם אם לא נסכים על כל דבר.
אין שאלה שהגרעין האנטי-ישראלי בבית הנבחרים גדל. יהיו שם קולות קיצוניים יותר, אבל גם אחרי הבחירות מדובר בכעשרים וחמישה חברי קונגרס מתוך 435.
גם בסנאט נוספו כמה קולות מאוד עוינים לישראל אבל גם אחרי הלילה האחרון הגרעין הקשה והקיצוני שפועל נגדנו לא מגיע ל-10% מחברי הסנאט.
הבעיה האמיתית היא לא הקיצונים.
לפני שנתיים 11 סנטורים הצביעו להגביל את משלוחי הנשק לישראל. לפני שנה המספר עלה ל-27, באפריל היו כבר 40. זה נורא, אבל רובם לא באמת שונאים אותנו. חלק מהם ישבו כאן בחורף של 2023 עם סרט צהוב על הדש. ישראל חשובה להם, והם מבינים את החשיבות האסטרטגית שלנו. פגשתי כמעט את כולם ואני אומר לכם, אפשר לדבר איתם, אפשר להסביר, אפשר לשנות את המגמה.
האנשים האלה לא נגד ישראל. הם נגד שרים קיצוניים שאומרים דברים מטורפים. הם נגד אלימות מתנחלים, הם נגד ממשלה שהם לא מבינים, הם בעיקר נגד נתניהו, מבחינתם כל דבר שקשור אליו הוא רעיל.
אז מה עושים?
חוזרים לכלל שעבד בשבילנו שבעים שנה ונשבר ב-2015, כשנתניהו נסע לנאום בקונגרס נגד אובמה. אמרתי את זה אז, אני אומר את זה היום: ישראל לא בוחרת צד באמריקה. עובדים עם כולם.
יש אתגרים גדולים. יש כוחות חזקים שרוצים שניכשל. יש הרבה כסף קטארי ואיראני שמממן את הקמפיין נגדנו. אבל כמו שאנחנו מטפלים באתגרים ביטחוניים, אנחנו צריכים לטפל גם באתגרים מדיניים.
הביקור הראשון בוושינגטון של נציגי הממשלה הבאה חייב להיות גם בבית הלבן, אבל גם בקונגרס, אצל שתי המפלגות. לא רק לנאום אלא גם להקשיב, לדבר, לספוג בקורת, להסביר את העובדות, לבנות אמון מחדש.
אחרי וושינגטון צריך לצאת למסע בארה”ב, לדבר עם מושלים, נציגים מקומיים, תקשורת בכל רחבי היבשת. להגיע לאמריקה שמעבר לפוליטיקה. לדבר עם קהילות יהודיות, הן רעבות לזה, אבל לא רק איתן.
גם עם מנהיגים היספנים, עם כנסיות של אפרו-אמריקניות, עם האוונגליסטים הצעירים שנטשו אותנו. הם צריכים להכיר ישראל אחרת, לא של נתניהו ובן גביר.
את החברים שעדיין יש לנו צריך לחזק. את הגרעין הקשה צריך לבודד. כדי לבודד עשרה צריך מאה שיהיו בצד שלנו. את המאה האלה איבדנו. אותם אנחנו צריכים להחזיר.
להחזיר אותם לא מביא לנו רק אהדה. זה גם נשק לצה”ל, שיתוף פעולה מודיעיני, חיזוק הביטחון הלאומי שלנו (ולא, לא הרמנו ידיים לגבי הסכם הסיוע הבא).
עשינו את זה כבר בעבר.
ב-2022 חתמתי עם הנשיא ביידן על “הצהרת ירושלים” בלי לאבד רפובליקני אחד. זה לא קסם, זו עבודה. אמריקה לא אבדה ולא אבודה. היא מחכה שמישהו יחזור לדבר איתה.
— יאיר לפיד – Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) November 4, 2026
Celebrate? I can’t hear you over the sound of the screams. Free Market Moralism
Je suis Russia Don Hank
An Electoral Victory Is Not the Defeat of Fascism: A Black Radical Perspective on the Democratic Party’s Midterm Victories Black Agenda Report
***
Blue Tsunami Means Congress is Coming for ICE Migrant Insider
Bring On The Church Committee, Not The Firing Squad Dan Boguslaw
***
Hakeem Jeffries Is Bankrolled by the Most Controversial Tech Companies in Existence Futurism
The new democratic speaker of the House https://t.co/LBayyF5isA
— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) November 5, 2026
“If that occurred”???? Musk directed the raid of every single federal data system in the country, syphoned out our deepest personally identifying data, and gave it to groups like Palantir. If you don’t have advisors to explain this to you, leave office today. It’s 2026.
— Silicon Valley Fodder (@Playerinthgame) November 5, 2026
***
Donald Trump and the Republican Party Have Lost Both the House and Senate Majority in the Midterm Elections.
What About the Future of American Energy Dominance, Now That Elections Exposed Core Flaws of Trump’s Energy Statecraft ?
Here are the key takeaways. 👇🇺🇸🛢️⚡️ https://t.co/3lgTU3Loet
— Francesco Sassi (@Frank_Stones) November 4, 2026
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Bluesky Gets a Midterms Bump, Ships Pronouns-in-Bios Feature Gizmodo
Healthcare?
Democratic Domination of Midterms Sparks Hope for Medicare for All Common Dreams. Umm…
Blue Wave Changed Who Governs. But Not Who Has Influence. HEALTH CARE un-covered
Economy
Chartbook 483 After the midterms: How does America come down from Trump’s “speedball economy”? Adam Tooze
Imperial Collapse Watch
Pentagon Eyes Unprecedented 75-Year Deal to End China’s Rare Earth Stranglehold OilPrice
Mr. Market Rides the Blue Wave
What was really behind Wednesday’s monster rally? Trump quickly making peace CNBC
Guillotine Watch
Prop. 40’s failure points to the tax California already pays for its wealth: Politics overrun by money Cal Matters. The measure would have imposed a one-time 5% tax on residents with wealth of $1 billion or more.
Zeitgeist Watch
Princess who married ‘shaman who rose from the dead’, says pregnancy photos are deepfakes WION
AI
A generative election Blood in the Machine
Newly Elected Governors Could Pause 41% of America’s Planned Data Centers Cleanview. “Could”
Class Warfare
Will Labor Strike to Overcome Trump’s Vetos? Payday Report
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
