The political landscape has shifted decisively. Democrats rode a blue wave driven by voters under 30 to recapture Congress, and they are wasting no time drawing up battle plans. With unified control of the House and Senate, the party is preparing an aggressive investigative agenda targeting the Trump administration, while also facing pressure to deliver on affordability promises that fueled their victories. One early casualty of the new balance of power is likely to be Trump’s pet project to remake the District of Columbia, which an incoming Democratic majority has signaled they will block. State-level news was equally consequential. In a sweeping move, California Governor Gavin Newsom commuted all 548 death sentences in the state, effectively ending capital punishment there. Meanwhile, voters in Washington and Colorado approved measures banning transgender athletes from school sports, showing that this issue transcends partisan lines. In Los Angeles, city councilmember Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Karen Bass in the mayor’s race, signaling a progressive shift in the city’s leadership. The political world also paused to note the passing of Jay Rockefeller, the former West Virginia senator and last member of his family’s political dynasty. On the foreign policy front, the administration escalated its economic campaign against Cuba, targeting China-based suppliers in a bid to tighten the embargo. At the same time, Melania Trump touted a rare agreement she brokered between Russia and Ukraine, marking an unusual diplomatic role for a first lady. Back in Washington, the head of the Justice Department’s Office on Civil Rights resigned, adding to the turnover in an administration already on the defensive. Looking ahead, Democrats have a long to-do list when they take full control next year, but internal divisions over how to wield power are already emerging. The central question remains whether the party can govern as effectively as it campaigned.