Thursday morning news: November 6, 2025

Editor's note: The following text is a transcript of a podcast story. To listen to the story, click on the arrow beneath the headline above.

Shutdown day 36 » The Federal Aviation Administration says it plans to cut air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume” markets beginning Friday morning. That is to ensure safety during the ongoing government shutdown — now the longest in history at 37 days.

Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy:

DUFFY:  I anticipate there'll be additional disruptions. Uh, there'll be frustration. Uh, we are working with the airlines. Uh, they're gonna work with passengers, but in the end, our sole role is to make sure that we keep this airspace as safe as possible.

Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began on Oct. 1st. Some are calling in sick much more frequently. And some controllers have taken second jobs to make ends meet, and report being much more tired and stressed.

SCOTUS on Trump tariffs » How much authority does President Trump have to levy trade tariffs under emergency powers?

The U.S. Supreme Court tackled that question, hearing arguments on Wednesday.

And many observers sensed a tone of skepticism in some tough questions from conservatives on the high court. Justice Neil Gorsuch grilled Solicitor General D. John Sauer:

GORSUCH:  Could Congress delegate to the president the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations as he sees fit — to lay and collect duties as he sees fit?

SAUER: We, we don't, uh, we don't assert that here. That would be a much harder case now in 1790...

GORSUCH: Isn't that the logic of your, of, of your view though?

SAUER: I don't think so.

 The Trump administration says the president is lawfully using tariffs to tackle trade imbalances and fentanyl emergencies.

He says in wielding those tariffs powers, the White House is not exercising a power to tax, but rather, a power to regulate foreign commerce.

But attorney Neil Katyal argued on behalf of business organizations:

KATYAL: Tariffs are taxes. They take dollars from Americans pockets and deposit them in the U.S. Treasury.

The plaintiffs in the case, say the president should not be using a 1977 emergency powers law to regulate imports, and that the uncertainty is hurting business.

But President Trump says if the justices rule against him on this matter, it would be catastrophic for the economy.

A decision is not expected for weeks or months.

Mamdani victory reaction » New York City’s new mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, says he’s ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work. One day after the socialist Democrat’s historic election win, Mamdani said he plans to deliver on his campaign promises.

MAMDANI:  I and my team will build a city hall capable of delivering on the promises of this campaign. We will form an administration that is an equal parts capable and compassionate.

Those promises include raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations, raising the minimum wage in the city to $30 per hour, large-scale rent freezes, and opening city-run grocery stores.

But Republican leaders in Washington say the election could be felt far beyond New York City limits.

House Speaker Mike Johnson called it the biggest win for socialism in American history:

JOHNSON: And it is the biggest loss for the American people. He is truly a committed Marxist, and the results of that race tell you everything you need to know about where the Democrats and their party are headed.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Mamdani last month. But many other Democrats have distanced themselves from him, particularly over his past remarks about Israel and law enforcement.

UPS plane crash update » Federal investigators say a UPS cargo plane’s left wing caught fire and its engine fell off, just before it crashed on takeoff in Kentucky Tuesday.

National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman:

INMAN:  The plane lifted off and gained enough altitude to clear the fence at the end of runway 17R. Shortly after clearing that fence, it made impact with structures and the terrain off of the airport property.

It ripped the roof off of a nearby building before exploding, near the runway at Louisville's international airport.

The plane was a 34-year-old three-engine McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told reporters:

BESHEAR:  Our fatality count is now up to 11. I expect it to reach 12 possibly.

Three people were aboard the plane, all of the other victims were on the ground when the jet made impact.

Economic updates » Stocks gained ground on Wall Street Wednesday … following several upbeat economic updates. WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher has that story.

BENJAMIN EICHER: Investors are not seeing any new official government economic or jobs numbers amid the ongoing shutdown. But … new private reports are fueling optimism.

Payroll processor ADP said private employers added more jobs in October than expected.

And a survey from the Institute for Supply Management showed the services sector — the largest part of the U.S. economy — continued to expand last month.

The three major indexes each climbed by roughly half a percentage point.

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher.

Ukraine latest » With Moscow showing little interest in ending the war in Ukraine, European countries are putting pressure on Russia's allies to reign in the Kremlin.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna is calling out China by name:

TSAHKNA: China says that they are not part of this military conflict. But I was very clear that China has a huge leverage on Russia, every week more and more, because the Russian economy is weak.

He wants Beijing to press Moscow to end its invasion.

But war rages on in Ukraine, and Russian forces are making a big push in the eastern city of Pokrovsk.

Russian media reported yesterday that the city was surrounded, and that Russian troops had repeatedly thwarted attempts by Ukrainian forces to break through.

SOUND: [Ukraine footage]

But the Ukrainian army released video footage that it said showed that its troops are still putting up a very real right in the city.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: a report from Nigeria on Christian persecution and U.S. involvement. Plus, a trip to Mexico for the Day of the Dead commemorations.

This is The World and Everything in It.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.