This week’s guide to government and politics in under 10 minutes

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I WHAT’S NEXT FOR DEMS AFTER HISTORIC VICTORY

Democrats flipped more than 40 House seats and gained control of the Senate in last week’s midterm elections. Congressional Democrats in both chambers plan to launch investigations into the Trump administration and Trump family. While Democrats secured a historic majority, they will likely not be able to pass major policy priorities. President Donald Trump said that he will be “Mr. Veto” when it comes to Democrat-led legislation, and the party lacks the two-thirds majority in each chamber needed to override a presidential veto. President Trump has also expressed a willingness to work with Democrats on some issues. Democratic leaders have expressed interest in restoring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, reversing Medicaid cuts, rolling back most of President Trump’s tariffs, and ending the war with Iran. 

I VANCE BLAMES LOSS ON IRAN, AFFORDABILITY ISSUES

Vice President JD Vance posted a memo to X shortly after Democrat’s historic election victory became apparent, blaming Republican losses on American’s frustration with the war with Iran and price increases associated with it. Vice President Vance cited an unnamed pollster, calling him “the smartest guy I know,” to make the argument that Republicans did not lose in this election as a result of low turnout, but rather that many Trump 2024 voters were angry and voted for Democrats. According to Vance, the top reasons why those voters cast ballots for Democrats include a desire to end the war in Iran, concern over the cost of living and inflation, a need to put America first, and a push to change the U.S. relationship with Israel.

 I SOME SEATS STILL UNCALLED

At least 19 House seats and two Senate seats — Mississippi and Alaska — remain uncalled after last week’s midterms. While the races won’t determine which party controls each chamber, they will determine the margin congressional Democrats have to work with in terms of passing legislation and voting on President Trump’s nominees. Mississippi will likely call its race this week, as state law gives county clerks 10 days to certify the election, making the deadline November 13. With no candidate in Alaska getting a majority, the state will progress to an automatic runoff using its ranked choice ballot system. That process is expected to begin on November 18. Alaska counts votes received up to 10 days after election day, provided they are postmarked by election day, so ballots are still coming in from the state’s remote populations. 

>> ASP explains exactly how Alaska’s ranked choice ballot system works here.

I REP. MASSIE TO FORCE VOTE ON EPSTEIN FILES THIS WEEK

Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), sponsor of the original Epstein Files Transparency Act, is planning a move, known as a discharge petition, to force the House to vote on a follow-up bill this week. The bill, the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, would allow state attorney generals to prosecute people named in the Epstein files, allow survivors and members of Congress to sue the U.S. Attorney General to compel the release of withheld or heavily redacted files, requires the Department of Justice to turn over unredacted files to lawmakers for private review within seven days of a formal request, and restricts the U.S. Attorney General from invoking certain privileges to withhold, delay, or redact covered records. 

>> Dig deeper into how discharge petitions work and the first Epstein Files Transparency Act here.

I GOV. NEWSOM COMMUTES ALL CALIFORNIA DEATH SENTENCES

California’s Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom, commuted the sentences of all of the state’s 548 inmates on death row. Newsom argued that “state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values” in an open letter to state residents explaining the move. California has not executed an inmate since 2006. Under state law, the state Supreme Court must review and approve clemency for any inmate with more than one felony conviction, which applies to 382 of the 548 cases. Newsom has asked the court to issue those recommendations by the end of the year. 

>> See a bipartisan debate about capital punishment here.

Meta explored scenarios in which AI could help reduce some teams by as much as 60%, according to Reuters reporting discussed at Next Gen AI, an event hosted by ASP and Reuters in Los Angeles. The planning exercise reflects the scale of the workforce changes companies are considering as they look to integrate AI, even as questions remain about how the technology will affect the overall workforce. Those questions brought leaders from Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and Washington together to discuss how young people should navigate the AI economy.

Reuters Social Media Reporter Katie Paul, whose reporting examined Meta's internal layoff planning, described how employees were needed to train AI tools even as the company explored ways to reduce its workforce.

Rep. George Whitesides (D-CA) said young people who learn to use AI will be well positioned as businesses integrate the technology. At the same time, he raised a question about what happens to traditional career paths when AI takes on entry-level work: “How do you train the next generation?”

The shift is also changing creative industries and the information people consume. Emmy and Peabody Award-winning actor and producer Keegan-Michael Key made the case for the value of human creativity, saying “You've got to be able to give a refined, specific sense of something from within you for it to spit back out anything close to what you're imagining. It needs you,” he said. Tim Friedlander, president of the National Association of Voice Actors, argued that AI should be “used as a tool and not a mandate,” particularly as performers confront the unauthorized use of their voices and likenesses. 

At the same time, Gail Kent, Google's Public Policy Director for Search, News and Gemini, examined how AI is changing the way people find information online. She highlighted the growing role of hyperlocal creators in providing news and information to communities that traditional media outlets may underserve.

Watch the full Next Gen AI conversation today, exclusively on ASP.

Watch actor and producer Keegan-Michael Key and President & Co-Founder of NAVA Tim Friedlander share their thoughts on different uses for AI in Hollywood.

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