An Ignoble Experiment: Dems vow to 'turbocharge' agenda after stunning losses

By Liza Hearon

Thursday, Nov. 4

ELECTION LOSSES PUSH DEMS INTO HIGH GEAR Stunning defeats in Virginia statewide races and New Jersey local contests accelerate the need for Democrats to pass President Joe Biden's legislative agenda quickly, Democratic senators said. Passage of the Build Back Better bill, which would expand the social safety net, has been held up, notably by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who says he needs more time to consider the financial impact. Virginia Democrats argue that this dithering on "kitchen-table" issues contributed to former Gov. Terry McAuliffe's loss in the governor race. [HuffPost]

SUPREMES POISED TO STRIKE DOWN NEW YORK GUN LAW The Supreme Court seemed ready to strike down a New York gun-permit law, but the justices also seemed worried that a broad ruling could threaten gun restrictions on subways, bars, stadiums and other gathering places. It's the biggest gun-control case in more than a decade. [AP]

HEY, TRUMP: THE COURT DOESN'T CARE YOU USED TO BE PRESIDENT Former President Donald Trump faces a federal court hearing on his request to block the National Archives from handing over documents regarding his actions surrounding the U.S. Capitol attack. But an ex-president can expect "much less deference" from a court than a sitting president, a law professor told HuffPost. [HuffPost]

OHIO INTRODUCES EVEN MORE EXTREME TEXAS-STYLE ABORTION BAN Conservative lawmakers in Ohio introduced an abortion restriction that goes even further than the highly controversial measure from Texas. The law aims to ban abortions at any stage of pregnancy. It also includes a bounty to anyone who successfully sues someone aiding or abetting a person seeking an abortion. [HuffPost]

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RAFFENSPERGER REFUSED TRUMP'S ATTEMPT TO STEAL GEORGIA. NOW HE'S DOOMED. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger became a national name when he pushed back on Trump's lies about the 2020 election. But as he seeks reelection in Georgia, a crowded field of MAGA adherents have lined up to dethrone a man they consider public enemy No. 1. "He's dead in the water," Jay Williams, a Georgia GOP consultant, told HuffPost. [HuffPost]

JUDGE WON'T CHANGE MOSTLY WHITE JURY'S RACIAL MAKEUP IN TRIAL OF MEN WHO KILLED AHMAUD ARBERY Despite agreeing with prosecutors that "there appears to be intentional discrimination" in the racial makeup of the jury, the judge in the trial of three white men who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia won't change the jury. There's just one Black juror on the final panel of 12. [AP]

PROSECUTOR: RAIDERS' RUGGS DRIVING OVER 150 MPH BEFORE FATAL CRASH Former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was driving at more than 150 mph with a blood-alcohol content twice Nevada's legal limit before his sports car slammed into the rear of a vehicle that burned, killing a 23-year-old woman, a prosecutor said. Ruggs, 22, was not asked to enter a plea pending the formal filing of charges. [AP]

IT'S A 'NEW DAWN' FOR ICONIC NYC TAXIS New York City taxi drivers reached a deal with the city to reduce the crushing debt that many took on to obtain the medallions that authorize them as drivers, only to see the medallion market crash. Drivers went on a hunger strike to protest the years of exploitative lending practices that saw some drivers take out massive loans amid promises it was a good investment. [HuffPost]

JAN. 6 REPUBLICANS JUST GOT ELECTED TO OFFICE At least eight Republicans who attended the Jan. 6 rally in Washington that turned into a deadly insurrection were elected to office Tuesday. Three were elected to state legislatures, and five won positions at the local level. Their victories are a possible sign of things to come: HuffPost previously identified more state and local GOP officials who attended the rally, who may be up for reelection next year. [HuffPost]