5 things to know for Nov. 4: Election Day 2025, Aviation safety, Food stamps, Michigan FBI raid, Dick Cheney

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

Hello readers — welcome to a special Election Day edition of 5 Things. Voters will head to the polls today in critical races across the country, from New York to California. It’s the first major electoral test of President Donald Trump’s second term, and it may offer insights into how next year’s midterm elections will unfold.

1️⃣ Election Day 2025

CNN is following key elections in the coming hours, including the race for mayor in New York City, the races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, and the Proposition 50 redistricting measure on the ballot in California. Here’s what you should know:

📍 New York

New York City voters will choose their next mayor today, closing out an eventful campaign between Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, is leading in the polls. He has electrified young voters but has also come under fire from some for a lack of governing experience. On Monday, President Trump urged New Yorkers to vote for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, saying he has a “Record of Success.” Cuomo dismissed Trump’s endorsement, insisting that the president was simply opposing Mamdani. Polls in New York close at 9 p.m. ET.

📍 New Jersey

Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill faces Republican Jack Ciattarelli in the race for New Jersey governor. Ciattarelli has leaned on his support from President Trump in the traditionally Democratic-leaning state and has repeatedly praised the administration’s policies on issues from immigration to tax reforms. Meanwhile, several high-profile Democrats — including former President Barack Obama — hit the campaign trail for Sherrill. She is the frontrunner in the race, but a win is not guaranteed as public polls have found her with a single-digit edge over Ciattarelli. Polls in New Jersey close at 8 p.m. ET

📍 Virginia

In Virginia, Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears faces former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger. The winner will become the state’s first female governor.​ Polls show Democrat Abigail Spanberger has a stable, double-digit advantage in the race. On Monday, President Trump called in to an election eve tele-rally in support of the Virginia Republican statewide ticket, but notably stopped short of endorsing Earle-Sears. Both the Virginia and New Jersey governor’s races, which are held a year after presidential elections, are widely viewed as an important gauge of the nation’s political mood almost a year into a new presidency. Polls in Virginia close at 7 p.m. ET.

📍 California

California voters will decide whether to adopt a new congressional map that could shape control of the House of Representatives next year. Democratic leaders hope Californians will vote yes on Proposition 50 to help their party win five more seats in the House. So far, Republicans have enacted new maps in four states for a potential net gain of nine seats. Some analysts tell CNN the ballot measure, backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, may pass resoundingly this week. Either outcome will carry huge implications in the redistricting arms race playing out across the country. Polls in California close at 11 p.m.

2️⃣ Aviation safety

As the US government shutdown drags on, more air traffic controllers who are working without pay are missing shifts or taking on side jobs to make ends meet. This has raised concerns among some travelers about whether it’s safe to fly during the government shutdown, with aviation workers facing stress that could potentially affect their job performance. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said some delays at US airports are intentional to give controllers on duty more time to manage flights safely. Several aviation experts tell CNN that passenger safety is not being compromised, but travelers should plan for long waits — sometimes several hours. In recent days, staffing shortages and delays have been widespread in Chicago, Denver, Houston and Newark.

3️⃣ Food stamps

The Trump administration said Monday that food stamp recipients will only get half of their typical benefits in November, and for many, that assistance will likely be delayed. The US Department of Agriculture said in a court filing that it will only tap into the program’s contingency fund, which doesn’t have enough money to cover enrollees’ full allotments during the government shutdown. The agency said it will not use an additional pot of money to make up the difference in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Nearly 42 million Americans receive food stamps, providing households just over $350 a month, on average, according to the most recent USDA data.

4️⃣ Michigan FBI raid

Two men face federal charges for allegedly plotting an ISIS-inspired Halloween attack in the US — possibly on the scale of the 2015 Paris terror attacks that killed at least 130 people, authorities say. An FBI raid on Halloween morning stunned neighbors in Dearborn, Michigan, the second-safest city in the state. The suspects had “multiple AR-15 rifles, tactical gear, and a detailed plan to carry out an attack on American soil,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media. Dearborn is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the US and has frequently faced Islamophobic and hateful remarks. Members of the community, including neighbors and attorneys for the suspects taken into custody, say they are skeptical of the allegations.

5️⃣ Dick Cheney

Former Vice President Dick Cheney has died at age 84, according to a statement from his family. The 46th vice president, who served alongside Republican President George W. Bush for two terms between 2001 and 2009, was for decades a towering and polarizing Washington power player. He was America’s most powerful modern vice president and chief architect of the “war on terror,” who helped lead the country into the ill-fated Iraq war on faulty assumptions. Cheney was plagued by cardiovascular disease for most of his adult life. He survived a series of heart attacks and lived many years in retirement after a heart transplant in 2012 that he hailed in a 2014 interview as “the gift of life itself.”

Weather

🌤️ Check your local forecast to see what you can expect.

And finally…

▶️ Surviving Melissa: Jamaica’s Hidden Aftermath

In western Jamaica, communities remain isolated after Hurricane Melissa tore through the island. CNN’s David Culver reports from towns where neighbors dig out by hand, hospital staffers work in ruins, and yet hope still endures amid the devastation. Watch the video here.

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Today’s edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN’s Andrew Torgan.