JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1159

Representative Jared Golden of Maine, a leader of the Blue Dog Coalition and the Democrat in the House with the most Republican-leaning district, said Wednesday he will not seek re-election in 2026. In a Bangor Daily News essay, the retired Marine cited rising incivility, threats to his family—including spending last Thanksgiving in a hotel—as reasons, not politics. Golden, a frequent party dissenter and the lone Democrat to back a Republican-led plan to keep the government open in September, urged open primaries. His early exit likely shifts this tossup seat toward Republicans.

Cloud gaming arrives on Sony’s PlayStation Portal starting today, opening the handheld to streaming beyond Remote Play. Owners can access select digital PS5 titles from their own libraries and a catalog available through PlayStation Plus, all via a new Cloud Streaming home screen with search. The update also adds 3D Audio support, a passcode lock, and a network status page. Use requires a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription costing $17.99 monthly, with three-month ($49.99) and 12-month ($159.99) options.

Mississippi Democrats won two special State Senate elections on Tuesday, breaking the Republican supermajority and adding two Black voices in Jackson, according to unofficial results. The contests were triggered by court-ordered redistricting intended to give Black voters greater representation. Johnny DuPree took a Hattiesburg-anchored district over Republican lawyer Anna Rush, and Theresa Gillespie Isom won south of Memphis against GOP alderman Charlie Hoots. Republicans now hold a 34-18 Senate edge, just shy of two-thirds. GOP chair Mike Hurst called the defeats disappointing but expected in gerrymandered districts. Democrats also appeared to flip a House seat.

The FDA is roiled by the resignation of George Tidmarsh, former head of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, after a lawsuit by Aurinia Pharmaceuticals alleged he defamed its lupus nephritis drug on LinkedIn, spurring a 20 percent stock drop, and sought revenge against board chair Kevin Tang—claims he denies. Tidmarsh had faced criticism for moving away from expert advisory meetings. Axios described staff texts showing dismay and rising attrition fears. An FDA spokesperson said he was placed on administrative leave over serious personal conduct concerns before he quit.

ESPN has been dark on YouTube TV since October 30 amid a Disney contract fight, and viewers are flocking elsewhere. Apptopia’s mobile analysis shows YouTube TV users boosted their usage of Sling TV, Fubo, and DirecTV apps by more than 35% each after the blackout; ESPN and NFL apps saw smaller gains, while Hulu showed little benefit and can’t be separated from Hulu + Live TV in the data. The standoff is costly: YouTube TV is giving roughly 10 million subscribers a $20 discount, and one estimate puts Disney’s daily fee losses around $5 million.

New York City elected democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as mayor, elevating a progressive agenda of free buses, rent freezes, universal childcare and a higher minimum wage. Backed by the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, which supplied early endorsement and volunteers, Mamdani rejected President Trump’s repeated claims that he is a communist. He framed his politics around fairer wealth distribution, citing Martin Luther King Jr. His victory, endorsed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, energizes the movement even as political scientists question its reach outside New York City; Mamdani says his platform differs from DSA.

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles told fans in a TikTok “get unready with me” video that she’s had three plastic surgeries, teasing followers to guess which ones. She later confirmed a lower blepharoplasty to address “the worst” eye bags and an earlobe repair after an earring was ripped out when she was younger, and appeared to acknowledge a breast augmentation with a cherries emoji. The post arrived as eye lifts surge nationwide, and it also sparked chatter when Biles admitted she hasn’t seen several classic films.

At 5-3, the Chicago Bears have already matched last season’s win total, sitting tied with Detroit for second in the NFC North and a half-game behind Green Bay. Under new coach Ben Johnson, Chicago has flipped late-game fortunes, sealing three victories in the final moments, including Sunday’s 47-42 shootout in Cincinnati. Caleb Williams threw three touchdowns there, hitting rookie Colston Loveland for a 58-yard winner with 25 seconds left; Loveland was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Johnson lauded the team’s resilience and said Williams’ continued growth is vital as the Bears host the Giants in Week 10.

Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu had his one-game suspension overturned on appeal Tuesday, calling it relief and a weight off his shoulders. He will still pay $100,000 for an illegal hip-drop tackle on Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The play marked his third hip-drop tackle; Luvu was also fined for similar tackles in Week 4 against the Falcons and Week 8 against the Chiefs, and had another in January’s playoff win over the Lions. Saying the NFL has a target on him, he won’t change his fast, physical style and insists he isn’t a dirty player.

Donald Trump unleashed 33 Truth Social posts in under two hours Wednesday, spanning book plugs and videos that echoed his texts. The clips appeared artificially generated — Grok on X called them AI — though the Guardian said it could not confirm. He touted meetings with Japan’s prime minister and China’s Xi, claimed Walmart Thanksgiving prices fell 25%, threatened to halt aid to Nigeria, and attacked Obamacare and Democrats while urging an end to the filibuster. The outburst followed Democratic wins, as Zohran Mamdani won New York’s mayoral race and taunted him; Trump blamed a shutdown for GOP losses.