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It’s Thursday, November 6. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Jed Rubenfeld assesses oral arguments in the seismic Supreme Court tariffs case; Gabe Kaminsky talks to the Hunter Biden whistleblowers now working for the Trump administration; Coleman Hughes on Thomas Sowell; and more.
But first: Making sense of Mamdani.
This summer, a prescient email written in 2020 by venture capitalist Peter Thiel found its way onto X. The subject: why so many millennials were saying they favored socialism. “There seems to be a pretty straightforward answer to me, namely, that when one has too much student debt or if housing is too unaffordable, then one will have negative capital for a long time,” he wrote. “And if one has no stake in the capitalist system, then one may well turn against it.”
Welcome to The Big Apple, Mr. Thiel.
In today’s Front Page, we’ve enlisted four writers to take a closer look at the big-picture consequences of Zohran Mamdani’s triumph in New York’s mayoral race—a victory that some think has anointed him as a Democrat who could help lead the party out of its doldrums. Any analysis of his triumph should begin with Thiel’s insight: Voters felt that New York has become unaffordable, especially the cost of housing, and were more than happy to cast their ballots for a socialist who built his campaign on solving the city’s “unaffordability crisis,” as he labeled it.
But Free Press columnist Tyler Cowen leads off today with a warning: Mamdani’s “free lunch” solutions—like rent control, free buses, and government-run grocery stores—will do more harm than good. In all likelihood, they’ll cause prices to rise instead of fall. How? Read Tyler’s provocative column to learn the depressing truth not just about the mayor-in-waiting, but so many of the policies offered by Democrats and Republicans today.
Next up: political columnist Ruy Teixeira, who takes a broader look at the Democratic victories in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races as well as Mamdani’s win in New York. Even though the Republican candidates were soundly thrashed, he writes, Democrats should not read too much into their good night on Tuesday—which could just paper over the fault lines in the party. As for Mamdani, Ruy has his doubts whether his brand of progressive politics will resonate beyond New York. “One thing Tuesday’s elections definitely did not do,” he concludes, “is settle the ongoing civil war between moderates and progressives in the Democratic Party.”
In her piece for us today, Zineb Riboua, who writes the Substack Beyond the Ideological, offers a very different way of viewing New York’s mayor-elect. “Zohran Mamdani is routinely labeled a ‘socialist’ or an ‘Islamist sympathizer,’ ” she writes. Others call him a “radical” or a “provocateur.” But these tags, says Zineb, “overlook the deeper ideological current animating his worldview.” Read her essay to understand the “Third Worldism” that animates Mamdani’s politics.
Reihan Salam, the president of the Manhattan Institute and co-host of our election night livestream, has yet another way of thinking about Mamdani: He’s the accidental mayor. It took a series of lucky circumstances for him to become a breakout candidate—but now that he’s landed the job, it’s going to take a lot more than luck for him to succeed. “Mamdani will take office facing targeted federal budget reductions, a fiscal backstop run dry, and a state legislature unlikely to entertain his tax-hike proposals,” writes Reihan. Read it and weep, New Yorkers.
—The Editors
Investigators inspect the burned car after a motorist deliberately rammed pedestrians and cyclists on the Île d’Oléron on Wednesday, November 5. (AP Photo/Yohan Bonnet)A 35-year-old man shouting “Allahu Akbar” drove his car into pedestrians and cyclists during a 35-minute rampage on France’s Île d’Oléron, injuring five people before setting his vehicle on fire. Authorities arrested the suspect—known to police for erratic behavior and alcohol issues—on suspicion of attempted murder. Investigators have not yet said whether terrorism was a motive.
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum was assaulted during a public walkabout in Mexico City on Tuesday when a man groped her and tried to kiss her, forcing her to push him away as aides intervened. She is now pressing charges. The incident comes just days after the assassination of a local mayor and amid Sheinbaum’s pledge to crack down on violence across Mexico.
With a leadership vacuum and program cuts, staffers at the National Security Agency, America’s global spying organization, say they are “depressed” and demoralized, Nextgov/FCW reported. Earlier this year, at the urging of Republican activist Laura Loomer, both the NSA’s leader and deputy director were ousted and have not been replaced. Staffers worry that the combination of furloughs, cuts, and leadership gaps are diminishing the NSA’s capabilities.
In the New York suburb of Westchester, pending home sales are up 15 percent from a year ago, and average showings are up 25 percent since midsummer. Local real estate agents are calling the upsurge the “Mamdani effect” on the theory that some of the city’s richest residents are looking to escape New York before he takes over as mayor.
“If you don’t terminate the filibuster, you’ll be in bad shape,” President Trump told Republican senators at a breakfast yesterday, adding that ending the 60-vote threshold in the Senate “this afternoon” would be the quickest way to end the shutdown. But Republican senators, including majority leader John Thune, reiterated that they have little interest in ending the filibuster. Trump said he would respect their wishes.
President Trump is weighing military options in Venezuela—including air strikes, special operations raids, and oil field seizure—as he seeks ways to oust Nicolás Maduro. Though wary of risking American lives, Trump’s troop buildup in the Caribbean and the Justice Department’s search for legal cover suggest Washington is actively preparing for potential action.
The deli sandwich trial has begun! In Washington, former Justice Department paralegal Sean Dunn is on trial for throwing a mustard-scented deli sandwich at a Border Patrol agent during a street confrontation. His action quickly became a viral symbol of protest against Trump’s federal law enforcement crackdowns. Prosecutors argue the assault constitutes interference with law enforcement, while Dunn’s lawyers say it was a harmless act of political expression—“an exclamation mark at the end of a verbal outburst.” The trial is expected to—er—wrap up shortly.
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By Bari WeissIt’s Thursday, November 6. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Jed Rubenfeld assesses oral arguments in the seismic Supreme Court tariffs case; Gabe Kaminsky talks to the Hunter Biden whistleblowers now working for the Trump administration; Coleman Hughes on Thomas Sowell; and more.
But first: Making sense of Mamdani.
This summer, a prescient email written in 2020 by venture capitalist Peter Thiel found its way onto X. The subject: why so many millennials were saying they favored socialism. “There seems to be a pretty straightforward answer to me, namely, that when one has too much student debt or if housing is too unaffordable, then one will have negative capital for a long time,” he wrote. “And if one has no stake in the capitalist system, then one may well turn against it.”
Welcome to The Big Apple, Mr. Thiel.
In today’s Front Page, we’ve enlisted four writers to take a closer look at the big-picture consequences of Zohran Mamdani’s triumph in New York’s mayoral race—a victory that some think has anointed him as a Democrat who could help lead the party out of its doldrums. Any analysis of his triumph should begin with Thiel’s insight: Voters felt that New York has become unaffordable, especially the cost of housing, and were more than happy to cast their ballots for a socialist who built his campaign on solving the city’s “unaffordability crisis,” as he labeled it.
But Free Press columnist Tyler Cowen leads off today with a warning: Mamdani’s “free lunch” solutions—like rent control, free buses, and government-run grocery stores—will do more harm than good. In all likelihood, they’ll cause prices to rise instead of fall. How? Read Tyler’s provocative column to learn the depressing truth not just about the mayor-in-waiting, but so many of the policies offered by Democrats and Republicans today.
Next up: political columnist Ruy Teixeira, who takes a broader look at the Democratic victories in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races as well as Mamdani’s win in New York. Even though the Republican candidates were soundly thrashed, he writes, Democrats should not read too much into their good night on Tuesday—which could just paper over the fault lines in the party. As for Mamdani, Ruy has his doubts whether his brand of progressive politics will resonate beyond New York. “One thing Tuesday’s elections definitely did not do,” he concludes, “is settle the ongoing civil war between moderates and progressives in the Democratic Party.”
In her piece for us today, Zineb Riboua, who writes the Substack Beyond the Ideological, offers a very different way of viewing New York’s mayor-elect. “Zohran Mamdani is routinely labeled a ‘socialist’ or an ‘Islamist sympathizer,’ ” she writes. Others call him a “radical” or a “provocateur.” But these tags, says Zineb, “overlook the deeper ideological current animating his worldview.” Read her essay to understand the “Third Worldism” that animates Mamdani’s politics.
Reihan Salam, the president of the Manhattan Institute and co-host of our election night livestream, has yet another way of thinking about Mamdani: He’s the accidental mayor. It took a series of lucky circumstances for him to become a breakout candidate—but now that he’s landed the job, it’s going to take a lot more than luck for him to succeed. “Mamdani will take office facing targeted federal budget reductions, a fiscal backstop run dry, and a state legislature unlikely to entertain his tax-hike proposals,” writes Reihan. Read it and weep, New Yorkers.
—The Editors
Investigators inspect the burned car after a motorist deliberately rammed pedestrians and cyclists on the Île d’Oléron on Wednesday, November 5. (AP Photo/Yohan Bonnet)A 35-year-old man shouting “Allahu Akbar” drove his car into pedestrians and cyclists during a 35-minute rampage on France’s Île d’Oléron, injuring five people before setting his vehicle on fire. Authorities arrested the suspect—known to police for erratic behavior and alcohol issues—on suspicion of attempted murder. Investigators have not yet said whether terrorism was a motive.
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum was assaulted during a public walkabout in Mexico City on Tuesday when a man groped her and tried to kiss her, forcing her to push him away as aides intervened. She is now pressing charges. The incident comes just days after the assassination of a local mayor and amid Sheinbaum’s pledge to crack down on violence across Mexico.
With a leadership vacuum and program cuts, staffers at the National Security Agency, America’s global spying organization, say they are “depressed” and demoralized, Nextgov/FCW reported. Earlier this year, at the urging of Republican activist Laura Loomer, both the NSA’s leader and deputy director were ousted and have not been replaced. Staffers worry that the combination of furloughs, cuts, and leadership gaps are diminishing the NSA’s capabilities.
In the New York suburb of Westchester, pending home sales are up 15 percent from a year ago, and average showings are up 25 percent since midsummer. Local real estate agents are calling the upsurge the “Mamdani effect” on the theory that some of the city’s richest residents are looking to escape New York before he takes over as mayor.
“If you don’t terminate the filibuster, you’ll be in bad shape,” President Trump told Republican senators at a breakfast yesterday, adding that ending the 60-vote threshold in the Senate “this afternoon” would be the quickest way to end the shutdown. But Republican senators, including majority leader John Thune, reiterated that they have little interest in ending the filibuster. Trump said he would respect their wishes.
President Trump is weighing military options in Venezuela—including air strikes, special operations raids, and oil field seizure—as he seeks ways to oust Nicolás Maduro. Though wary of risking American lives, Trump’s troop buildup in the Caribbean and the Justice Department’s search for legal cover suggest Washington is actively preparing for potential action.
The deli sandwich trial has begun! In Washington, former Justice Department paralegal Sean Dunn is on trial for throwing a mustard-scented deli sandwich at a Border Patrol agent during a street confrontation. His action quickly became a viral symbol of protest against Trump’s federal law enforcement crackdowns. Prosecutors argue the assault constitutes interference with law enforcement, while Dunn’s lawyers say it was a harmless act of political expression—“an exclamation mark at the end of a verbal outburst.” The trial is expected to—er—wrap up shortly.