Paul Biya, aged 92, secured his eighth consecutive term as Cameroon’s president with around 54% of the vote amid opposition claims of fraud, while Samia Suluhu Hassan won a landslide reelection in Tanzania despite challengers being barred. Deadly protests erupted in both countries, with Cameroonian security forces killing up to 48 civilians and Tanzanian opposition reporting hundreds of deaths from violence, prompting US lawmakers to condemn the polls as sham and the African Union to criticize Tanzania’s election for ballot stuffing, media restrictions, and failure to meet democratic standards. Corruption is running rampant in many parts of the world, and it is particularly troubling the electoral processes in Africa, making the prospects of quality governance emerging in these countries particularly bleak.

Israeli forces launched intense airstrikes targeting Hezbollah military infrastructure in southern Lebanese towns. Israel issued evacuation warnings to residents to move at least 500 meters away from sites of attack, purporting to have interest in keeping civilians safe. The strikes, occurring despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire from late 2024 that ended over a year of conflict and required disarmament and withdrawals, have escalated tensions with Lebanon reporting over 270 deaths and 850 injuries from Israeli actions since the agreement, while both sides accuse each other of violations. It again remains unclear to us if there is a diplomatic solution that will bring Israel into alignment with international law absent external force or an internal revolution.

Pope Leo XIV met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in their first in-person encounter to emphasize the urgent provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilians and the pursuit of a two-state solution for lasting peace. The cordial hour-long discussion, held nearly a month after a U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire and coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Holy See-Palestine agreement, highlighted Palestinian self-determination and the special status of Jerusalem. While not a state actor in the strictest sense, the pope speaks for a tremendous amount of people around the globe, making his staunch stance on the genocide ongoing in Gaza quite impactful.

Nancy Pelosi, the first female Speaker of the House elected in 1987, declared she will not seek reelection at the end of her term in January 2027, concluding a career marked by leading healthcare reform, infrastructure bills, climate initiatives, COVID relief, and two impeachments of Donald Trump. Her family’s stock trades, totaling about $59 million over three years and inspiring tracking accounts and ETFs, have fueled bipartisan pushes for banning congressional stock trading, though she denies involvement in investments and supports such reforms. To be clear and frank, Pelosi represents the worst of American politics, and hopefully the end of her career serves as an impetus for a new type of politics to take hold in the country, particularly at the federal level.

The U.S. government shutdown has lasted over 37 days, the longest ever, furloughing 750,000 workers, reducing flight capacities by 10% at 40 major airports starting November 7, and cutting SNAP benefits by 35% for millions amid legal challenges requiring use of contingency funds. Bipartisan Senate talks focus on short-term funding through November 21 paired with full-year appropriations for select agencies, but Democrats demand action on Affordable Care Act subsidies while Republicans push to reopen government first, with potential White House involvement and state delays in benefit distribution. It remains unclear if and how the tension points regarding the issuance of welfare benefits to noncitizens will get resolved.

The interstellar object 3I/Atlas, the third confirmed visitor to the solar system and roughly Manhattan-sized, exhibited non-gravitational acceleration, a slight course change, significant brightening, and potential loss of over 13% of its mass due to outgassing near the sun, with observations from Hubble showing unusual emissions and a sunward tail. A U.S. lawmaker demanded NASA release images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s HiRISE camera taken during its close pass by Mars on October 3, along with data from Perseverance Rover, Juno mission, and other sensors, amid speculations of alien origins and non-cometary traits. Increasingly people are entertaining the notion that this is not an inanimate object but a craft being directed by intelligent actors. For those hopeful to meet aliens, this is the most interesting prospect perhaps ever.

Illinois lawmakers passed a $1.5 billion package to address Chicago-area transit shortfalls projected at $230 million in 2026, sourcing funds from redirecting $860 million in motor fuel sales tax, $200 million in road fund interest, a 0.25% regional sales tax increase, and 45-cent toll hikes without statewide taxes. The plan allocates $129 million annually for downstate agencies, establishes a Northern Illinois Transit Authority for coordination, creates a public safety task force, lowers fare revenue requirements to 25%, and prohibits operating fund transfers to capital, effective June 1, 2026. The fiscal problems in this country are becoming absurd, and the continued haphazard borrowing and redistribution efforts all appear to us as shortsighted stopgaps that are likely to cause tremendous problems down the road.

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed the “Good Life” executive order directing the health department to terminate Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood clinics in Lincoln and Omaha. The move aims to prevent taxpayer funds from supporting abortion services, with supporters emphasizing program integrity, alternative health options, and promoting a culture of life despite one clinic having stopped abortions in 2024. This is another reminder that if there is an appetite for meaningful universal protections for access to abortion services, legislation will have to come from the federal level.

Mary Sheffield, 38-year-old Detroit City Council President, won the mayoral election on November 4 with 77% of the vote against Solomon Kinloch Jr.’s 23%, succeeding Mike Duggan and marking the largest victory margin in city history after raising nearly $3 million and topping a nine-candidate primary. Her agenda focuses on affordable housing with 44,000 units, property tax reductions, reliable transit, commercial corridor activation, community violence intervention, a gun prevention office, and inclusive governance amid fiscal challenges from expiring pandemic funds. Sheffield is looking to advance a progressive agenda which apparently the residents of Detroit think will improve conditions, so we will be happy to see them get what they voted for.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita urged President Trump to deploy the National Guard to Indianapolis after a violent weekend involving over a dozen shootings, including two juveniles, four stabbings, and contributing to more than 130 homicides in 2025, mostly firearm-related. The mayor opposed the request, favoring community trust, gun reforms, and existing violence reduction strategies, while state officials and the Guard reported no immediate deployment plans. Eventually, we are going to have to become comfortable with the idea of using policing to at least bring the violence to a standstill to implement these progressive tactics to address crime, or we will continue to lose generations of children and young adults while we take a piecemeal approach to implementing these progressive reforms.