Latest News Digest – November 5, 2025

City of Redding – Measure A to Increase Sales Tax By 1% Appears to Be Failing with 63.87% of Voters Rejecting the Increase.  – Shasta County Elections Office 11/5; 1:18 a.m.

California Proposition 50 Passing with About 63% of the Vote in Early Returns.  New congressional maps drawn by the California legislature will favor Democrats in the 2026 midterms.  – Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Supreme Court Tackles Trump-Era Tariffs in Landmark Hearing: The U.S. Supreme Court on November 5th delved into a high-stakes case examining the legality of tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump under a federal emergency powers law.  President Trump has been using the tariffs in response to “large and persistent” trade deficits and also to combat the failure of China, Canada, and Mexico to stop the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the U.S.  The law authorizes the president to “regulate…importation” to deal with “any unusual and extraordinary threat” to national security, foreign policy or the U.S. economy.  – Source: CBS, PBS

Zohran Mamdani Elected as New York City's First Muslim Mayor: Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani made history on November 4 by winning the New York City mayoral race with 50.4% of the vote, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo (41.6%) and Republican Curtis Sliwa (7.1%). His victory speech condemned oligarchy and authoritarianism while promising to address housing and inequality in the nation's largest city. Source: ABC News; NBCNewYork.com

Household Debt Hits Record High in U.S.: Economic data released on November 5 revealed U.S. household debt reaching an all-time high of $18.59 trillion driven by inflation, higher consumer prices, and slowing job growth, prompting experts to warn of widening inequality and advise on managing high-interest credit card balances. Source: CBS News; ABC News

UPS Plane Crash: Latest Report (as of November 5, 2025):  On November 4, 2025, at approximately 5:13 p.m. EST, UPS Airlines Flight 2976—a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F cargo aircraft—crashed shortly after takeoff from Runway 17R at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, one of the world's busiest air cargo hubs. The plane, bound for Honolulu, Hawaii, experienced a catastrophic failure igniting a fire on the wing that led to loss of control; the aircraft plummeted into a field near the airport perimeter, erupting into a massive fireball and thick plume of black smoke.

The death toll has risen to at least 12, including all three crew members as well as nine ground victims.  Eleven others were injured, with several in critical condition at area hospitals; conditions have remained stable for most as of Wednesday afternoon. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched a full investigation, recovering both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder ("black boxes") from the wreckage. The MD-11 was 34 years old.  This tragedy marks one of the deadliest aviation incidents in the U.S. since 2009, drawing national attention amid heightened scrutiny of aging cargo fleets. Source:  USA Today