WSUM Daily Newscast

INTRO GOOD (DAY) EVENING MADISON! YOU’RE LISTENING TO THE 5/6 O’CLOCK NEWS UPDATE ON WSUM 91.7 FM MADISON STUDENT RADIO. I’M NATHAN JAHN.

IN NATIONAL NEWS,
Democrats win almost every election category across the nation. Starting with the governor races democrats in Virginia and New Jersey both won by over 10 points. The highly covered New York City Mayoral race was won by Zohran Mamdani with 50% of the vote, Andrew Cuomo getting 41% and Republican Curtis Sliwa getting 7%. Although a major seat wasn’t up in California their election still has large consequences. Over two thirds of the state voted to pass prop 50, allowing redistricting for the next 10 years. Governor Gavin Newsom has been very vocal about this win, pushing back against President Trump, who has tried to do this in other states. In Pennsylvania all three supreme court justices retained their seats, even after Billionaire Jeff Yass poured money into the state to try to reshape their court system. Also in Virginia both Attorney General seats were won by Democratic candidates. President Trump responded to all of these losses saying that for the GOP affordability is key. The economy still remained the main issue in the 2025 elections according to polls.

ALSO IN NATIONAL NEWS,
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits will be delayed, cut, or potentially nonexistent for millions of Americans this month. SNAP benefits have been at the center of the growing needs and worries throughout this record-breaking government shutdown. Two judges ruled that the administration must release the emergency contingency funds for situations like this one. Yesterday, President Trump posted on Truth Social that he would withhold SNAP benefits until the “radical left democrats open up the government”. This would be a direct violation of a court order to provide said benefits as promptly as possible. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that “the administration is fully complying with the court order.” However, this month’s benefits will only provide a fraction of what the 42 million SNAP beneficiaries normally receive. Because of the shutdown, almost 5 million Americans who rely on SNAP may not receive any support this month. On a better note, communities are coming together to support food banks, prepping for a surge in customers. There has been a tremendous increase in donations. Hunger relief organizations have seen a surge in roughly 587% increase in donations.
For WSUM News, I'm Gray Goldberg

IN MORE NATIONAL NEWS,
The current government shutdown is now the longest ever. This 36-day shutdown that began on October 1st is likely the most damaging in US history. In the past, the economic damage of the shutdown was not as detrimental, however its effect has already hit the world’s economy. Millions of Americans have had their food stamp benefits revoked, 1.4 million federal employees have not been paid while currently working, and investors and policymakers globally are void of information about the US economy. Even if the shutdown ends next week, the GDP will be slowed, even without considering inflation by 1.15 percentage points during the fourth quarter. The shutdown is reflected in reducing GDP by 1-2 percentage points. While most of the decline will be recovered, CBO estimates 7 billion and 14 billion dollars will be permanently lost due to the shutdown.
For WSUM News, I’m Talula Hayes.

IN ECONOMIC NEWS,
About half of the goods that enter the US are subject to tariffs from President Trump’s new tariffs. Throughout the year, Mr. Trump has issued wave after wave of new duties, targeting almost every country in the world at levels not seen in roughly a century. These tariffs are now being questioned by court officials, to make sure they are legal. President Trump has used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose his new emergency tariffs. So far this year, these emergency tariffs have hit more than $300 billion in imported goods. Now, more than 90 percent of imports are subject to some aspect of President Trump’s trade policy. Mr. Trump used the emergency power law to issue tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico in the first months of his term, saying the countries had not done enough to stop the flow of fentanyl and migrants into the United States.

OUTRO: THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN! FROM THE WSUM NEWS BOOTH, I’M NATHAN JAHN. HAVE A GREAT EVENING MADISON!