NEWS - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2026 - NEWS
Diplomats and business leaders fear that, with the U.S. election now over, the war pitting the U.S. and Israel against Iran could escalate. LA Times
Reflecting on the losses, Trump largely put the onus on the candidates, some of whom he said he only endorsed for the good of the party. LA Times
VOA VIEW: Fox did a poor job.
The low-cost carrier is ramping up service to reconnect orphaned airports left in the lurch by Spirit’s collapse and is adding tropical getaways to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. New York Post
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"I could probably count a dozen people who've been poisoned by our substances." New York Post
The electoral backlash extended even into deep red states and indicated that President Trump has lost his hold over the coalition that lifted him to the White House twice. New York Times
VOA VIEW: Liberal left wing media.
The world’s richest person has antagonized Democrats, some of whom have signaled their intent to investigate him when they take control of Congress. New York Times
President Isaac Herzog has tried to avoid controversy and heal rifts in his largely ceremonial role. But his skills as a savvy mediator could be instrumental after an inconclusive election. New York Times
A series of storms has added to reservoirs in the Colorado River basin, but the long-term water outlook remains bleak. New York Times
Katie Hobbs has won the Arizona gubernatorial race, defeating Republican Andy Biggs. OANN
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Republican Tommy Tuberville has won the Alabama gubernatorial race, defeating Democrat opponent Doug Jones. OANN
The race was called in favor of incumbent Senator Hagerty (R-Tenn.) when 99% of the total votes were counted. He received 55.1% while his opponent, Democrat Marquita Bradshaw, received 42.9% of the vote. OANN
Senator Mike Rounds has won re-election as U.S. Senator from South Dakota. OANN
Wall Street stocks surged Wednesday as investors saw signs of political stability following the Democrats' clear-cut victories. Washington Times
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Skies began to clear Tuesday, but while floodwaters from almost two weeks of on-and-off heavy rain still inundated parts of the U.S. Southwest, other areas left mud-caked by receding torrents presented homeowners and businessowners with the filthy work of cleanup. Washington Times
A cocaine buyer complained in an online form to police in Greensboro, North Carolina, that their dealer cheated them. Washington Times
NASA officials said a communication lapse put them out of contact with the Voyager 1 spacecraft, which later this month will have traversed one light-day -- or the distance light travels in 24 hours -- in its nearly 50-year journey. Washington Times
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The Supreme Court waded back into the realm of religious liberty Tuesday as the justices heard a case testing whether states can ban Catholic schools from a universal preschool program because those schools exclude families that do not adhere to the church's teachings on homosexuality. Washington Times
An Oklahoma man is facing charges after he sent hundreds of pieces of mail containing a white powder to officials ahead of the 2024 and 2026 elections, according to the FBI. Washington Times
Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in an election that's widely viewed as a rebuke of President Trump. CBS
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan after one of the most contentious contests of the midterm elections. CBS
Democrat James Talarico will defeat Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race marking a major flip for Democrats that they have long sought in the Lone Star State. CBS
VOA VIEW: Texas will lose.
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GOP Sen. Ashley Moody defeated Democrat Angie Nixon in the Florida Senate race, CBS News projects, keeping the seat under Republican control. CBS
President Trump congratulated Democrats on their victories, but he also threatened to use his "total veto power." CBS
Elon Musk's spending may have become a liability as voters in exit polls raised concerns about government corruption and the growing influence of billionaires. CNBC
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The move would reverse the company's $78 billion acquisition of Aetna and dismantle the vertically integrated healthcare conglomerate it created in 2018. CNBC
Mortgage rates came down again last week, but mortgage demand from homebuyers continued to decline, as high home prices and inflation stretch affordability. CNBC
Ghalibaf said that "Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message." CNBC
VOA VIEW: Iran seems to win for now.
Apple’s annual filing warns that AI agents could exceed permissions, resist instructions or take actions that are difficult to reverse. CNBC
JetBlue raised baggage fees for the third time in a year as fuel costs continued to climb. CNBC
The rebound in oil prices come a day after the U.S. and Iranian presidents signalled they are open to a diplomatic solution to Iran war. CNBC
VOA VIEW: Don't count on a deal with Iran.
The Learjet 60's left elevator was found miles from the Palm Beach County crash site, adding to evidence the jet broke apart before killing all nine aboard. FOX News
Jacob Allen Morley broke out of the Northwest Correctional Complex last week before Missouri state troopers tracked down the escaped murderer. FOX News
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin blasts sanctuary policies after Baltimore, Maryland, stabbing suspect was previously released by NYC despite ICE detainer. FOX News
Adam Robinson's final LinkedIn post celebrated RB2B hitting $10 million in annual recurring revenue and teased a live debate he would never attend. FOX News
North Korea launched several missiles toward the sea separating Korea and Japan on Wednesday morning, South Korea's military said, as Pyongyang rejected dialogue with Washington. UPI
Voters in 36 states are casting ballots to elect governors in contested races offering Democrats a chance to win statehouses held by Republicans. UPI
Seven flights across Europe had bomb threats against them Tuesday, officials said. UPI
Job openings changed little in September while the number of people who quit their jobs grew, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday. UPI
At least 33 people were killed, 10 were injured and 50 remain missing after Russia dropped 3.3 ton bombs on a village where residents were taking cover. UPI
The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments on Tuesday in a case over Colorado's universal preschool program brought by Catholic schools. UPI
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With mortgage rates continuing to stay untenably high for most Americans, many are staying put. But that doesn’t mean homes don’t need improving and upkeep. And some homeowners figure that if they can’t move into a new home, they’ll make their old home “newer” — a new deck or perhaps a walk-in closet. They should not have waited.
Traditionally, a home equity loan or home equity line of credit would be the first tool to reach for. But even those are getting too expensive for homeowners. This leaves homeowners effectively trapped in aging homes with no easy way out, or way to improve them. And even when homeowners are tapping into home equity loans — homeowners did originate nearly 20% more second mortgages or HELOCs in the second quarter of this year compared with the first quarter — they likely aren’t using the equity for improvements. Experts say they are using them to stay afloat.
Untapped or expensive, Americans are sitting on a record amount of home equity.
“As rates keep rising, tapping into home equity will become more and more expensive for homeowners. This will generally hold back consumer spending, but it will hit big-ticket items, like home renovations, particularly hard,” said Tom Graff, chief investment officer of Facet, a financial planning and wealth management firm.
This struggle is something built into the rate hikes, according to Graff. “The Fed is hiking interest rates in an attempt to control inflation. One of the ways that is supposed to work is by pushing down consumer spending. So the fact that consumers will struggle to finance large purchases is by design,” he said. But the Fed policy also comes with risks for a consumer-driven economy.
“Consumer spending is already lagging way behind as a driver of GDP growth,” Graff said. And he added there is little cushion in the economy, given the soft jobs market, wage growth that has been declining, high gas — as well as diesel — prices, and net negative immigration. The biggest economic driver right now is data centers. “Spending on data centers is really driving GDP growth and holding the economy together. If that were to slow even mildly, the economy could easily fall into recession,” Graff added.
