Plus, the largest commutation in U.S. history and Congress is back in session. Jenna covers it all in today's podcast ... 👇🏽
“It needs to make people smile the second they see it.”
Rockefeller Center's head gardener, Erik Pauzé, sharing how he decides which tree will become each year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. The 2026 tree hails from West Edmeston, a small town in upstate New York’s Mohawk Valley. Pauze had his eye on this particular Norway spruce back in 2020, but needed to wait a few more years for it to hit his desired height of 7 –10 stories (roughly 70 – 100 feet): “What I look for is a tree you’d want in your living room, but on a grander scale.”
Note ~ Friends, Congress returns to session this week for the first time in more than a month, after both chambers had brief meetings in September and then spent October in their home districts. With a federal holiday midweek and some important history-making days on the horizon, we created a heftier calendar for you as we think it will be the best use of your time.
Lawmakers return Monday for a lame duck session after Democrats won control of both chambers in the Nov. 3 midterms.
The House is scheduled to meet Monday through Thursday; the Senate will meet Monday and Tuesday before a break for Veterans Day.
Watch This Space: Government funding runs out Dec. 11.
- G7 talks begin in Paris. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with fellow foreign ministers for two days of expected discussions on Ukraine, the Middle East, energy security and artificial intelligence.
- On this day in 1989, as the world watched on TV, East Germany opened its borders and the Berlin Wall came down — ushering in what both the State Department and historians regard as the symbolic end of the Cold War.
- The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. ET and holds a 5:30 p.m. cloture vote to begin debate on the Survivor Justice Tax Prevention Act. The House-passed bill from Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) would exempt sexual abuse survivors' legal settlements from federal taxes. The House votes at 6:30 p.m. on a package of nuclear energy bills and the annual cost-of-living raise for disabled veterans.
- The UN climate summit, COP31, opens in Turkey and runs through Nov. 20.
- Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has stated he will introduce articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as early as this week unless Sec. Hegseth resigns or is removed from office by the president beforehand. Rep. Massie has pursued this course of action previously, citing what he describes as Hegseth “abusing the power of his office” regarding the war in Iran and beyond.
- House Republicans also plan to pick their next leader, with Rep. Steve Scalise and Rep. Jim Jordan running for minority leader; House Speaker Mike Johnson said he will not seek a leadership role after the midterm results.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the October Consumer Price Index, the government's main monthly gauge of inflation, at 8:30 a.m. ET.
- Russian, Ukrainian, and U.S. negotiators are scheduled to meet for two days of peace talks in Abu Dhabi as the war in Ukraine approaches its five-year anniversary — marking their first negotiations since February.
- Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day must arrive by Tuesday in Mississippi, where Democrat Scott Colom is currently ahead of Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) by roughly 2,500 votes in an uncalled Senate race.
- On this day in 1775, the Continental Congress passed a resolution written by John Adams to create the Continental Marines: "Resolved, That two Battalions of marines be raised." The U.S. Marine Corps marks its 251st birthday this year. Its motto of “Semper Fidelis” means “Always Faithful” — but do you know what is commonly recognized as the birthplace of the Marines? A Philly tavern!
- Veterans Day. The National Veterans Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery begins at 11 a.m. ET with a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. While both federal offices and the bond market are closed today, stocks will still conduct normal trade.
- On this day in 1921 — 105 years ago — an unidentified World War I service member was laid to rest in the new Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington. President Warren G. Harding spoke and placed the Medal of Honor on the soldier’s casket after Americans nationwide, listening via radio, observed two minutes of silence.
- The Northern Taurid meteor shower peaks around Thursday, featuring about five meteors per hour under the right conditions. With the new moon just past, skies will still be dark and offer a good chance for spotting the shower's occasional bright fireballs.
- On this day in 1815, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born in Johnstown, N.Y. She put women’s voting rights at the center of the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention's Declaration of Sentiments but died in 1902, 18 years before the 19th Amendment was ratified.
- SpaceX is targeting Starship Flight 15 to launch from Starbase, Texas, as soon as Friday, pending final FAA approval. SpaceX plans to try the first "double-catch landing," snagging both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage with the launch tower's arms. “If successful, this will mark the first full recovery of an orbital launch system and a breakthrough moment in making Starship a reliable, rapidly reusable rocket.” (SpaceX) Big Picture: These test flights continue to work to make spaceflight and exploration cheaper and more efficient as we push farther into orbit.
- Colorado counties face a deadline to finish counting and upload midterm results— including in the 4th District, where Democrat Eileen Laubacher currently leads Rep. Lauren Boebert (R).
- 70 years ago, on this day in 1956, the Supreme Court affirmed Browder v. Gayle— striking down both city and state bus segregation laws in Montgomery, Alabama.
- On this day in 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges walked into William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, escorted by four federal marshals. She became the first Black student at the all-white school, where the marshals continued to escort her throughout the year. “At six years old, Ruby's bravery helped pave the way for Civil Rights action in the American South.” (The National Park Service)
- Look southeast before sunrise Sunday and Monday to see Mars and Jupiter appearing just 1.2 degrees apart (in other words, very close together)!
- On this day in 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation — the first framework both to name the nation "the United States of America" and to serve as the new country’s initial constitution. The weak central government it created, however, led to the Constitutional Convention a decade later.
What Happened:
- On November 5, Gov. Newsom commuted the sentences of everyone on California's death row to life without parole.
- A commutation reduces or eliminates a punishment but leaves the conviction intact. A pardon forgives the offense (though the conviction stays on record).
- California had 548 people facing execution — 30% of ALL death row prisoners in the United States.
"These offenders will die in prison, but not by our hands." ~ Gov. Gavin Newsom
In a 3-page letter, Newsom called the decision “among the most difficult” of his career, writing that “state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California values.” He had previously paused planned executions via a 2019 moratorium; the state hasn’t executed anyone in 20 years.
"I guess if Gavin Newsom wants to commute the baby killers, the cop killers and the serial killers, the absolute dregs of our society, then that's his business." ~ Marc Klaas, father of Polly Klaas
Polly was kidnapped from her Petaluma home and murdered by a previously convicted kidnapper. “He is giving more consideration and compassion to these people … than any of them ever did to their victims,” Klaas said. Law enforcement groups, police chiefs and prosecutors also criticized the move.
Something to Consider:
- California hasn’t executed anyone since 2006, yet voters have chosen to keep the death penalty as an option since reinstating it in 1978.
- In 2012 and 2016, voters rejected ballot measures that would have repealed it.
- Despite Newsom’s commutation, the death penalty is still a possible sentence in California.
Only voters can repeal it.
Why Does Nvidia Matter?
- Nvidia is an American technology company headquartered in California; it makes specialized computer chips and software for a variety of tech systems, including video games, weapons systems and artificial intelligence. Nvidia’s technology has become essential to the development of advanced computing, helping strengthen the United States’ position in the global tech industry.
- CEO Jensen Huang co-founded the company in 1993 and has led it ever since; due to his high-profile central role, his personal and business relationships both matter. Those with access to Nvidia are viewed as potentially having a competitive advantage, especially since Nvidia controls over 90% of the market for high-performance AI chips.
“The NVIDIA Board is initiating an independent investigation in light of recent reporting that founder and CEO Jensen Huang has been the target of a foreign intelligence effort.”
Nvidia's board of directors in a statement Sunday, after reports linked their CEO to a businesswoman allegedly spying for China. Huang, for his part, admitted infidelity but did not name the woman. The investigation raises questions about whether China gained access to sensitive information from one of the world’s leading chipmakers. Nvidia says it “has no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised.” Beijing denies the espionage allegations.
“The so-called Chinese spy allegation is unsubstantiated. It is nothing but smears against China.”
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, responding Monday to reporting from The New York Times that a Chinese businesswoman, working as a senior executive for a Singapore-based data center company, gathered intelligence for Beijing through her relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. According to the Times, Secretary of State Marco Rubio oversaw a classified memo warning senior administration officials about the relationship this past spring. The allegations come amid U.S. restrictions on advanced chip sales to China over national security concerns.
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