Live updates: NYC mayor, N.J., Va. elections notch Democrat wins as government shutdown becomes longest ever

Democrats focused their campaigns on the economy, and their election wins could spell warning signs for Republicans and Trump.
What to know today
ELECTION TAKEAWAYS: Democrats won by large margins in the New Jersey and Virginia governor’s races, New York City’s mayoral election, California’s redistricting ballot measure and every other major race yesterday, affirming their decisions to focus on the economy in what could spell warning signs for Republicans and President Donald Trump.
LONGEST SHUTDOWN: Day 36 of the government shutdown makes it the longest in U.S. history, beating out the 35-day closure during Trump’s first term. While Congress hasn’t reached a deal to end the funding impasse, some senators say they see signs of progress in talks.
TARIFFS SHOWDOWN: The Supreme Court will hear arguments today on whether Trump can impose sweeping tariffs on global imports under a law designed for national emergencies in a case with huge implications for Trump and the U.S. economy.
Trump tariffs showdown reaches the Supreme Court
Trump’s signature economic policy comes under Supreme Court scrutiny today as the justices weigh whether he has the authority to impose sweeping tariffs on imports under a law designed for use during a national emergency.
The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority that has regularly backed Trump on various contentious cases since he took office in January, but many legal observers think the tariffs dispute is a close call.
The consequences are huge for Trump and the economy at large, with Americans increasingly anxious amid signs that the tariffs are contributing to, rather than alleviating, higher costs.
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Takeaways from the 2025 elections: Trump looms over every race, while Democrats win on the economy
Democratic wins in yesterday’s elections gave the party a sorely needed burst of momentum ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
The party came in favored in races for Virginia and New Jersey governor, New York City mayor and a California ballot measure to green-light a Democratic gerrymander of the state’s congressional map.
But the huge margins in those governor’s races and other contests left many Democrats feeling a new emotion — excitement — for the first time in some time. The results affirmed the candidates’ decisions to run economic-centered campaigns, highlighted Republicans’ trouble replicating Trump’s coalition and included other signs of repudiation and warning for Trump.
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At 36 days, the government shutdown is now the longest in history
The lengthy standoff between Trump and congressional Democratic leaders is now the longest government shutdown in American history.
The shutdown enters its 36th day today, eclipsing the record set during Trump’s first term. That 35-day federal closure in late 2018 and early 2019 resulted from a fight over Trump’s demand for a border wall, which Democrats refused to fund.
Read the full story here.