Good morning, it’s Friday, November 14, 2025. In today’s edition, Connecticut passes major housing package; DOJ sues California over redistricting; state rep embraces that stupid 6-7 meme:
Top Stories
HOUSING: Connecticut lawmakers have given final approval to new legislation requiring towns to develop detailed plans for adding affordable housing, or to opt into regional housing plans. The bill bars towns and cities from requiring smaller developments to include off-street parking, and requires towns and cities to allow “middle housing,” like townhomes and duplexes, in commercial areas. (Pluribus News)
Connecticut is at least the ninth state this year to enact a big pro-housing legislative package.
IMMIGRATION: Connecticut lawmakers also approved a measure barring ICE officers from immigration enforcement at courthouses without a judicial warrant. The bill also bars state agencies from sharing personal information about Connecticut residents with federal agencies. (CT Mirror)
REDISTRICTING: The U.S. Justice Department has sued to block California’s new congressional district lines, the first time the Justice Department has gotten involved in the midst of mid-decade redistricting kicked off by Texas Republicans earlier this year. The lawsuit accuses California of racial gerrymandering. (Associated Press)
HEALTH CARE: North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) will call lawmakers back into special session on Monday to address Medicaid funding. House and Senate Republicans have rejected the special session, calling it unconstitutional because the legislature is already in session. (Raleigh News & Observer)
MARIJUANA: Massachusetts legislators are advancing a measure to overhaul the Cannabis Control Commission, shifting responsibility for appointing members from the state treasurer to the governor and the attorney general. The bill would also double the legal possession limit to two ounces and loosen medical marijuana rules. (State Affairs)
ENERGY: The Trump administration is rescinding federal rules aimed at protecting the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska from new development. The Interior Department said it would publish a final rule allowing more drilling in the reserve next week. (Associated Press)
In Politics & Business
CALIFORNIA: U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D) is considering a run for governor, with an announcement coming as early as next week. Swalwell has positioned himself as President Trump’s “most vocal critic,” in his own words. The Trump administration is targeting Swalwell with mortgage fraud allegations. (NBC News)
MORE: California’s powerful SEIU-UHW union will propose a ballot measure imposing a one-time 5% tax on net worths over $1 billion. Supporters must collect about 875,000 signatures to get on the ballot. They say it could raise $100 billion for the state. (Wall Street Journal)
NEW YORK: Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R) is traveling through Upstate New York as he explores a gubernatorial bid. He says he’ll decide within a few weeks whether to challenge U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R) in the GOP primary. (Albany Times Union) Blakeman just won re-election with 56% of the vote.
CRIME BLOTTER: Former Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder (R) has been indicted on felony theft charges for allegedly stealing a cypress board once displayed in the Capitol building. Schexnayder said he thought state officials picked up the board when they collected state property from his office two years ago when his final term ended. (Shreveport Times)
By The Numbers
16,942 megawatts: The amount of available battery storage in California, about a third of what the state needs to reach its goal of 100% clean energy by 2045. California has added 1,200 megawatts of battery energy storage to the electrical grid in the last six months. (Los Angeles Times)
Nearly 24%: The drop in air travel between Canada and the United States, compared with last October. It’s the tenth consecutive month that travel from Canada has declined. (New York Times)
Off The Wall
The Atlantic Shark Institute is celebrating what it calls a “major milestone” after tagging its 50th great white shark. The shark in question, a 6-foot-long female tagged off Narragansett last week, is named Ellen Marie. (Providence Journal)
Ryan Martin, a high school gym teacher in Maine, set a new Guinness World Record by sinking 1,516 three-point shots in an hour this week. He beat the previous record of 1,372, despite a “real bad cramp” he suffered halfway through his attempt. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“I think you recognize my district number. And I think I have no choice but to say it officially that I represent 6-7, 6-7.”
— Connecticut Rep. Bill Buckbee (R), who represents the state’s 67th district, making a joke of that meme all the kids are doing. CT Insider reports the joke “was met with a mix of laughter and groans.”