Tuesday morning news: November 4, 2025

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KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: Election Day » Today is Election Day for many local and statewide elections across the country. In the Big Apple, New Yorkers are set to choose their next mayor.

Self-described socialist, Democrat Zohran Mamdani enjoys a double-digit lead in an average of recent polls.

MAMDANI:  We have not only come so far, we stand on the verge of ushering in a new day for our city.

But here’s where it gets interesting. The most recent, and by far the largest, poll conducted there suggests that race may have tightened considerably.

An Atlas Itel survey of 2,400 likely voters in the city shows Mamdani up by only about 5 points over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

CUOMO: They want a mayor who can actually make change and get something done, they don't need a mayor whose first job is mayor of the city of New York.

The fellow Democrat running now as an independent predicts New Yorkers will choose him.

Among the other big races to be decided today, voters in Virginia and New Jersey will decide their next governors.

In a final average of polls, the Democratic candidate leads by 9 points in Virginia, 3 points in New Jersey.

Shutdown latest » Meantime in Washington, the government shutdown drags on. Without a breakthrough in the hours ahead, it could become the longest shutdown ever later this week.

 Some Republicans are predicting that after today’s elections, Democrats might agree to reopen the government. Senator James Lankford:

LANKFORD:  They're holding all those things so they can try to get more leverage in the New York City mayoral election. So why they're doing that, I have no idea. But our frustration is these folks need basically their government to be open.

But other Republicans say they doubt anything will change after the elections.

The Senate will vote once again today on the same spending bill Democrats have blocked 13 times already. It would temporarily restore the funding that was already in place to reopen the government.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said again on Monday that Democrats are holding out until Republicans agree to extend Obamacare tax credits.

SCHUMER:  The only plan Republicans have for healthcare seems to be to eliminate it and then to tell working people to go figure it out on their own.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture says it will dip into a contingency fund to send out partial SNAP food benefits, after getting legal clarification from a federal court. The exact amount or when payments will go out is unclear.

Israel latest » In Israel..:

ORNA NEUTRA: For 758 days, we lived between hope and heartbreak. Today, that long night ends with the knowledge that Omer is finally home.

That's the mother of Captain Omer Neutra, a U.S.-Israeli citizen and IDF soldier who died after he was taken hostage on October 7th.

Omer was one of three IDF soldiers whose remains were returned by Hamas Sunday night. He was originally from the state of New York.

Yesterday aboard Air Force One, President Donald Trump told reporters:

TRUMP: I spoke to his parents, and they are thrilled in one sense, but in another sense obviously not too great but we're very happy to have done it.

Meanwhile:

SOUND: Body handover

The Red Cross says Israel handed over the bodies of dozens of Palestinians killed in past clashes with Israeli forces.

Nigerian Chrisitian prosecution » President Trump says the U.S. could deploy troops or launch airstrikes in Nigeria, to stop the massacre of Christians by Islamic terrorists.

The Christian rights group InterSociety estimates more than 7,000 Nigerian Christians have been killed this year, and more than 50,000 since 2009.

TRUMP:  They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We're not gonna allow that to happen.

Trump has reportedly ordered the Pentagon to prepare for possible rapid action.

He also threatened to cut off U.S. aid if the government there fails to take strong action.

Nigeria’s government denies religiously targeted killings but said it would welcome U.S. help—so long as its sovereignty is respected.

Trump also said he will designate Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” a step that triggers special U.S. scrutiny for severe religious persecution.

Deadly earthquake in Afghanistan » At least 20 people are dead in Afghanistan after a powerful earthquake shook a northern region of the country. WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher reports.

BENJAMIN EICHER: At least 640 people were also injured after the 6.3 magnitude quake struck before dawn on Monday.

In the town of Khulm, near the epicenter, residents have been digging through the rubble of collapsed homes, hoping to find loved ones still alive.

The quake also caused wide-ranging damage to many structures across the region, including to a historic mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif.

The impoverished country often struggles to respond to natural disasters, especially in remote regions.

The Taliban government says rescue and emergency teams have been deployed. And The United Nations said its teams are on the ground delivering urgent aid.

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher.

Dianne Ladd obituary » Actress Diane Ladd has died at the age of 89.

The three-time Academy Award nominee known for roles in “Wild at Heart” … and the brash waitress Flo in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.”

CLIP (Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore clip): You know, I can tell that you’re new to this kind of work, but you catch on real quick!

She earned an Oscar nomination for her role as Flo and appeared in dozens of movies over the decades. She also enjoyed a long career in television and stage.

I'm Kent Covington.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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