In November of 2025, Zohran Mamdani—a youthful progressive who, just a few months before, was polling in the single digits—won the mayoral election in New York City. He succeeded in the country’s largest city, home to the highest Jewish population of any city in the world. He achieved this despite the political establishment, billionaires, and media landscape pivoting against him with unusual bipartisan cohesion. For a country that has spent the past decade doubting its own democratic immune system, this is a matter of consequence. It tells us that America may still be able to self-correct when it counts the most.  

As someone who has seen public life in the United States move further away from any moral center—particularly concerning the Middle East, justice, and the worth of Palestinian life—Mamdani’s win represented something I had not experienced in years: American democratic hope.  

Tucson, AZ — AUDIT USA and its Executive Director, John R. Brakey, have filed a Motion for Reconsideration asking the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division Two, to correct several legal errors in its October 20 ruling in Santa Cruz County v. AUDIT USA. The Court, which sided with AUDIT USA in its Opinion, previously agreed the County’s lawsuit should never have been filed but declined to award attorney fees and sanctions — despite statutes requiring them.

In 2022, Santa Cruz County sued AUDIT USA and John Brakey simply for requesting a copy of an election record – the Cast Vote Record (CVR) – from the August 2022 Primary Election. Although the Superior Court judge promptly dismissed the County’s case, the County continued its unjustified litigation by appealing twice to the Arizona Court of Appeals.

There’s no argument about one thing in looking at the results of the off-year elections: Republicans had a very bad day. We can all argue about what that means for the future, but there’s no way not to see this as anything other than an ass-whipping. Democratics won governor races in both New Jersey and Virginia, and they did so by beating the poll predictions by 6 and 10 precent. These were also victories of women candidates over men, which is an accomplishment in and of itself in these dark days. Zohran Mamdani won with a decisive majority over the former governor and longtime political lion of a New York State political dynasty. He is the youngest major there, as well as first Muslim, Southeast Asian, and former resident of Africa. He is also a socialist and will now be the socialist mayor of the largest US city since a socialist was mayor in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That’s not all. California’s Governor Newsom won his controversial ballot referendum approving the redistricting that will give Democrats an opportunity to pick up five seats in the midterms to counter Trump’s efforts in Texas, North Carolina, and other states.

80 percent fear rising electricity costs

A recent poll by Sunrun, the nation's largest residential solar installer, finds that 81 percent of those surveyed have experienced power outages within the past year and 80 percent of U.S. homeowners worry data centers will drive up their electricity bills.

The company surveyed 1,000 homeowners nationwide. The findings point to a public bracing for a strain on the existing utility system and actively considering energy alternatives.

The survey reports 68 percent of homeowners doubt utilities can keep up with rising energy demand in their region

While homeowners expect things to get worse, they report that outages are already widespread:

Many remember the late Dick Cheney for his service as President George W. Bush’s vice president from 2001 to 2009, shaping the War on Terror. Others remember his multi-decade failing heart--”he has his own parking spot on the ER comedians joked”--and how he shot his 78-year-old hunting companion attorney Harry Whittington in the face in 2006.

Fewer know about his love of put-and-take hunting in which game animals are “put” (released) by an organization and hunters pay a fee to “take” them. Real hunters often disdain such no-chase. no-miss pastimes which use no skill.

In 2003, Cheney’s hunting party killed 417 pheasants at the Rolling Rock Club in Ligonier Township, PA, Cheney personally killing 70 pheasants and an undisclosed number of ducks. The birds were donated to Rolling Rock Club staff though the pellets had to be removed before they could be eaten.

The next year, on the day after John Kerry was defeated by Bush, the Veep availed himself of Air Force Two to visit Pierre, SD where a motorcade sped him to a Gettysburg area hunting lodge for what was characterized as a victory hunt.