Good morning. In this edition:

• 🪙 America’s penny shortage
• 🎾 “Battle of the Sexes”
• 🐕 Tom Brady’s clone dog

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.75-minute read (997 words).

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"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved."

–Helen Keller (1880-1968)

Election Day 2025 is now firmly in the rearview mirror, and results have been finalized from key races and ballot measures across the country.

It was a blue sweep

New Jersey: Democrat Mikie Sherrill clinched the governorship with ~56% of the vote, while GOP candidate Jack Ciattarelli earned ~43%. Sherrill’s victory is the third straight term won by a Democrat in New Jersey, marking the first time since the 1960s that either party has pulled off a three-peat.

Virginia: Abigail Spanberger (D) was elected as the state’s first female governor in history, earning ~57% support compared to ~43% for her GOP opponent. Democrats also swept the Lt. Governor and Attorney General elections, and pushed their state House majority from 51/100 seats to 64—preserving the party’s push to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts to benefit Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterms.

New York City: Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won the mayor’s race with just over 50% of the vote, outperforming fellow Democrat Andrew Cuomo (~42%) and Republican Curtis Sliwa (~7%). Voter turnout in the Big Apple surpassed 2 million, the first time that mark has been reached since 1969.

California: Voters approved Proposition 50 with 63.5% support, giving Democrats the green light to redraw the state’s US House districts with a goal of flipping five seats from GOP control to Dems.

Pennsylvania: In the state Supreme Court, all three Democratic justices up for re-election handily won their retention votes, preserving the court’s 5-2 Democratic majority as it prepares to hear key cases on voting rights, abortion access, and other hot-button issues with national impact.

Bottom line: Analysts say Tuesday’s election results suggest that Democrats are gaining momentum across America, while the GOP may need to recalibrate its messaging and work to draw more voters to the polls in next year’s midterms.

The IRS doesn’t make it easy, but there are programs specifically designed to reduce what you owe. TaxQuotes has saved thousands of customers millions of dollars by knowing exactly which programs you qualify for and how to navigate the system. Their team handles the paperwork, the negotiations, and the stress—you just show up for the outcome.

The “Take a penny, leave a penny” tray industry appears to be on its last legs.

President Trump’s order earlier this year halting the US Mint’s production of new pennies has resulted in the coin’s extinction approaching faster than anyone expected, according to retail groups across the country.

How we got here: The penny’s demise follows years of debate in Washington over whether the coin is still cost effective to produce. Each penny costs ~$3.69 to make, meaning the US Mint will save $56 million annually by eliminating production of the one-cent coin.

But…While US Treasury officials are geeked about saving money, the penny’s elimination has added a layer of hassle to many cash-heavy businesses, which are scrambling to adapt.

• McDonald’s locations across the country have begun rounding prices up or down to the nearest nickel. (How the system works)
• Shoppers at Kroger supermarkets and Sheetz convenience stores are increasingly finding signs warning them to be ready for inexact change.
• Kwik Trip recently unveiled a new policy for cash transactions where it rounds prices down to the nearest nickel.

Other nations have experienced a similar transition. The practice of rounding prices to the nearest round number has been recently adopted for cash transactions across Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand, though digital payments are mostly kept precise.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🍕 Apollo Global reportedly withdraws $2.1 billion takeover bid for Papa Johns; analysts describe the move as a sign of weakening consumer demand for restaurants and fast-casual food.
• 📸 Snap reports better-than-expected revenue, a $500 million stock buyback program, and a partnership to integrate Perplexity AI’s tech directly into Snapchat; the company’s shares rose 15% after-hours.
• ☕ Starbucks’ workers union votes to authorize a strike on November 13—the company’s Red Cup Day—if new contract isn’t finalized prior.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🎾 “Battle of the Sexes” returns: Aryna Sabalenka, the #1-ranked women’s tennis player in the world, will face off against men's #652 Nick Kyrgios for an exhibition match in Dubai on December 28.
• ⚾ MLB free agency officially opens at 4 pm CT this afternoon; explore the top FA targets and destinations by clicking here.
• 🍿 The reviews are out for Ryan Murphy’s new series All's Fair starring Kim Kardashian…and it’s not looking pretty.

Guest rooms ready, menu planned, wine stocked—but when a 2 AM fever hits, and the pharmacy is closed, what then? The JaseCase keeps your prescription antibiotics and symptom relief meds on hand, plus board-certified physicians for guidance, so you’re ready for anything the holidays have in store.

Five prescription antibiotics plus symptom relief for 50+ infections. Pediatric, Travel, Dental, and more versions are also available.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🦷 Scientists create breakthrough gel that can regenerate tooth enamel within weeks; tooth enamel is the only part of the human body that can’t repair itself.
• 🤖 Amazon sues Perplexity AI to block the AI startup’s Comet web browser from making online purchases on behalf of users; Amazon claims Perplexity’s system poses security risks to customer data.
• 🫀 Taking melatonin for sleep can increase your chances of heart failure by ~90%, new research reveals—but experts say don’t panic yet.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• ✈️ FAA reduces airline traffic by 10% at 40 major airports while air-traffic controllers work without pay during the ongoing gov’t shutdown, now the longest in US history at 37 days. | UPS cargo plane's engine fell off just prior to Tuesday’s crash in Louisville, per preliminary reports; the death toll from the incident has climbed to at least 12.
• 🚨 FBI arrests five men in New Jersey and Michigan this week in connection with a planned terrorist attack near Detroit over Halloween weekend.
• 🧑‍⚖️ Supreme Court hears oral arguments over the legality of President Trump’s sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs on 100+ countries; Justices across the political spectrum appear doubtful that Trump’s tariffs are legal, per multiple reports. (Dive deeper: Trump’s tariff agenda reaches SCOTUS)

☝️ You’re looking at some of the finalists from the 10th annual Royal Meteorological Society’s Weather Photographer of the Year contest, which drew 4,000+ entries from 84 countries.

🤔 Did you know? The entire human skeleton only makes up ~14% of your total body weight, or roughly the size of a mid-to-large dumbbell (~25 lbs) for a person who weighs 165 lbs.

📰 Worth a read: The trailblazing boxer who "created a sport that did not exist"

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• Tom Brady's new dog is a clone of his late pet
• Scientists think this animal could help humans live for 200 years
• 15 interesting nature facts you should know

🦃 Stay balanced through holiday chaos… Noom’s 5-minute quiz creates a personalized plan to survive holiday stress, improve sleep, and support nutrition. Users report 45% lower healthcare costs after six months.* Take the quiz and try 14 days of Noom free.

Yesterday we covered a blockbuster Supreme Court case centered around whether President Trump has the legal authority to enact his signature “reciprocal” tariff policies without Congress’ approval.

❓ Our question to you: In your opinion, how should the Supreme Court handle the legality of President Trump’s reciprocal tariff plan?

• Uphold it as is: 19%
• Uphold it with small changes: 13%
• Strike it down entirely: 63%
• Unsure/other: 5%

Click here to read some of the most thoughtful longform responses.

+Note on sample size: We received 792 votes and 84 longform responses.

How many states are located in Australia?

🦁 Police in County Clare, Ireland, can now breathe easy after discovering that a "lion" on the loose was just a Newfoundland dog with a fresh haircut. One very fluffy pup is now a local legend.

Six; New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania

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*Based on a 6-month retrospective matched case-control analysis of 723 Noom users and 723 non-Noom members based on Aetna data for a Noom Health Customer.