Americans head to the polls on Election Day; Dick Cheney dead at 84
From New York City’s high-stakes mayoral race to governor’s contests in New Jersey and Virginia, voters head to the polls in elections that could shape both parties heading into next year’s midterms.
Plus, the nation remembers former Vice President Dick Cheney, who died at 84. One of the most powerful and polarizing figures in modern American politics.
And SNAP payments are being cut in half this month as the shutdown drags on. The White House says it’s doing what it can within the law; Democrats call that an excuse.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.
Americans vote in high-stakes elections across the country
It’s Election Day in America, and while President Donald Trump is not on the ballot, some believe his presidency is at stake. From New York to California, voters are deciding races that could reveal where the country stands in his second term.
There are five key contests happening across the country.
Starting in New York City, Zohran Mamdani — a 34-year-old Democratic socialist and progressive favorite — faces former governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
It’s a battle between the party’s future and its old guard, with Mamdani promising affordability and Cuomo promising a return to experience.
Trump threw his support behind Cuomo Sunday night, calling him a “dad Democrat,” but better than a “Communist.”
Across the Hudson, New Jersey voters are choosing a new governor.
Democrat Mikie Sherrill faces Republican Jack Ciattarelli in a race centered on one thing: affordability.
With rising taxes and utility costs, Ciattarelli calls Sherrill a Washington insider, while she warns he’s too close to Trump.
The state has leaned blue for years, but this one’s tight.
Virginia residents will also be picking a new governor, as the state feels the effects of the ongoing government shutdown.
Democrat Abigail Spanberger holds a lead over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.
Spanberger’s message: Focus on the cost of living and federal workers hurt by Trump’s downsizing.
Earle-Sears is running on a platform of tax cuts and tougher school policies on trans students.
In Pennsylvania, voters aren’t picking candidates but choosing whether to keep three Democratic justices on the state supreme court.
The result could influence how the court rules on election cases in 2028, including those involving mail-in ballots and redistricting.
And in California, a ballot measure with national stakes: Prop 50.
It would replace the state’s nonpartisan congressional map with one drawn by Democrats, potentially adding five House seats to the party’s column.
Supporters call it needed to counter GOP redistricting in Texas.
Critics, including former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, call it a “power grab.”
Dick Cheney, former vice president, dies at 84
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has died at the age of 84. His family confirmed the news in a statement to CNN.
Cheney served alongside Republican President George W. Bush for two terms, from 2001 to 2009. He was known as a powerful modern vice president and chief architect of the “war on terror,” becoming the driving force behind the war in Iraq following 9/11.
Long considered the most influential vice president in history, he was known for his steely style, his defense of “enhanced interrogation” and his unwavering belief that he did what was necessary to keep America safe.
Prior to his vice presidency, Cheney worked as secretary of defense under President George H.W. Bush. He also previously served in the U.S. House as a Republican from Wyoming and as White House chief of staff for President Gerald Ford.
In later years, Cheney expressed criticism of his own party, calling President Donald Trump a “coward” and “the greatest threat to the republic.”
Senators say end to government shutdown is in sight
There may be an end in sight to the government shutdown, now tied as the longest in American history.
After 13 failed attempts to pass a short-term funding bill, Senate Majority Leader John Thune says he’s “optimistic” Congress can reopen the government this week.
However, the House-approved bill only funds the government through Nov. 21.
Thune says that date “has to change,” adding the goal is to send something back to the house that actually reopens the government.
“I think that would be the objective here, is to try and get something that we could send back to the house that would open up the government,” Thune said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson struck a similar tone at a news conference Monday, saying GOP leaders are working against the clock as the current bill’s expiration date nears.
“We’re very mindful of the calendar. We’re very frustrated by that. It’s part of the reason we’re so angry about this, because they’re eating up the clock, and the Democrats know how much more we have to do here this year. But we cannot do it if the government’s not opened and not serving the people,” Johnson said. “So, this is a very important matter. It’s something we’re giving all of our attention to. Our leaders will go and meet on the calendar right now.”
The Senate is expected to vote again on Tuesday on that short-term bill. If it fails, Wednesday will mark the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Trump administration to send partial SNAP payments as shutdown drags on
As the government shutdown drags on, millions of Americans who rely on food stamps are left wondering how they will feed their families. The Trump administration plans to send partial SNAP payments this month, a temporary measure for approximately 42 million Americans who rely on the program.
However, officials admit that many families could receive only half of their normal benefits, with no clear date for when those payments will arrive.
The White House argues it cannot legally tap other accounts to cover full payments, a move courts have already questioned.
The USDA says it’s using about $5.5 billion in contingency funds, enough to cover only half of November benefits, and won’t tap a separate $23 billion school lunch account that Democrats had urged it to use.
The decision sparked debate in the Senate Monday night over how much help low-income Americans should receive as the shutdown enters its sixth week.
“Food deprivation is not a correct strategy for any government in the United States of America. Trump’s Make America Hungry Again agenda is wrong. It is immoral,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.
Republicans shot back, accusing Democrats of politicizing hunger and holding up the budget deal that would reopen the government.
“This isn’t lawmaking. This is a political stunt by the Democrats. The resolution they’re offering is empty. It is meaningless. Democrats shut down this government. Democrats have voted against reopening the government 13 times. Democrats are holding food assistance for 42 million Americans hostage,” said Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo.
The USDA says it’s moving as fast as possible to issue those partial payments, but anti-hunger groups warn the decision could leave some families without enough to eat and states without funds for new applicants or emergency aid.
It’s unclear when those payments will arrive. States will have to recalibrate their systems, and the administration warns it could take weeks or even months in some places.
Prosecutors oppose Comey’s dismissal; Trump’s Department of Justice accused of retribution
Federal prosecutors are pushing back hard, urging a judge not to dismiss the case against former FBI Director James Comey.
Comey faces charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding stemming from his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020.
Prosecutors say he leaked information to the media and misled lawmakers about his actions while running the FBI.
Comey called the case political payback, saying the Trump Justice Department is targeting him for his criticism of the president.
But in new filings Monday, prosecutors fired back, writing, “The defendant is a former FBI director who lied to Congress about his conduct while at the helm of the nation’s primary federal law-enforcement agency.”
Comey has pleaded not guilty, and the judge has yet to rule on his motion to dismiss.
Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd dies at 89
A Hollywood icon and one of its true originals has passed away. Three-time Academy Award nominee Diane Ladd has died at her California home. She was 89.
Her daughter, actress Laura Dern, confirmed her passing, calling her “my guiding light and my heart.”
Over more than six decades in film and television, Ladd was recognized for bringing depth, humor and heart to every role — from “Chinatown” and “Wild at Heart” to “Rambling Rose” and “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” — the latter three earning her Oscar nominations.
She also made Hollywood history as part of the first mother-daughter duo to be nominated for an Academy Award in the same year.
Diane Ladd will be remembered as a performer of strength, soul and grace.
Jonathan Bailey named 2025’s Sexiest Man Alive
People magazine has announced its pick for 2025’s Sexiest Man Alive, and this year’s honor goes to Jonathan Bailey.
The British actor, best known as Lord Anthony Bridgerton in “Bridgerton,” has transitioned from period drama heartthrob to a full-fledged leading man.
He starred in “Jurassic World: Rebirth” and the upcoming “Wicked” movie. He even earned an Emmy nomination for his role in Showtime’s “Fellow Travelers.”
Bailey told Jimmy Fallon he thought he was being “punked” when he received the news, calling it “absurd” but also “the honor of a lifetime.”
More from Straight Arrow News:
A data center is moving into a small town. Residents say it will ruin their history
TAYLOR, Texas — When Pamela Griffin was growing up in Taylor, Texas, the plot of land on the edge of her neighborhood was more than an empty field. It was a playground, a baseball field and a makeshift campsite with tents made from old sheets and cardboard boxes.
Back then, in the 1970s, the land was owned by Frank Rhea Cromwell and his wife, Bonnibel Bland Cromwell, who Griffin said allowed kids to play on the property. Griffin recalls dozens of kids joining baseball games, making mud pies and fishing for minnows in a small creek.
In 1999, the Bland Cromwell family sold the land to the Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation. The deed stated that the property was “to be held in trust for future use as parkland by Williamson County, Texas.”
The land changed hands a few more times and was subdivided, but it never developed into parkland. In 2024, the Taylor Economic Development Corporation sold the largest parcel to Blueprint Data Centers.
Griffin remembers Mr. Cromwell waving at her and the other kids from his tractor.
“He was a kind-hearted soul,” Griffin told Straight Arrow News. “It brings tears to my eyes that the wishes of that man did not get done.”
Griffin’s parents owned several properties on First and Second Avenues, next to the 87-acre tract in Taylor, a city of over 16,000 people northeast of Austin. Griffin’s parents put the properties in a trust and passed them on to their five children. When the family first moved in, Griffin said the three-block neighborhood had not yet been incorporated into the city of Taylor, and it was the only area around town where non-white families were allowed to live.
“We had promised my dad we would stay here,” Griffin said. “When he passed, he said, ‘I’m turning it over to y’all.’ But I didn’t think I would be fighting a data center.” Read the full story now>
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
