Blue Clues, Data Center Debate, Manufacturing a Solid Economy | The Wrap Up

Democrats sweep the midterms, taking control of both the House and the Senate and winning dozens of seats across the country. We break down the results and reasons. Voters push back on AI data centers, but could those same data centers be a ticket to a six-figure trade job? American factories and workers get some good news, and an Army veteran and father of five gets the surprise of a lifetime. We'll get into all that and your quick hits right now. What's up, guys? Welcome to The Wrap Up, where we break down the biggest stories of the week that you might have missed but definitely need to know. I'm your host, Cher. On Tuesday, Americans went to the polls for the 2026 midterm elections. When the ballots were all counted, Democrats gained control of both the House and the Senate. As of Thursday morning, Fox News counted 54 Senate seats and 240 House seats for Democrats, with several races still being counted. Democrats flipped Republican Senate seats in states like Texas and Maine. And they even won a Senate seat in Kansas for the first time in 94 years. President Trump reacted to the election results, in part, saying this. Look, I mean, I'll get along probably with the Democrats unless they want to be destructive. But they have the power of the veto, so if we don't like what they're doing, they'll... They've already called, and they want to talk about things, and that's fine. So what caused this so-called blue wave? According to exit polling data, the war with Iran could have played a major role. Americans also felt that fight at the pump. In January, the national average for a gallon of gas was about $2.81, the lowest in years. This week, it's about $4.16. In the Fox News voter poll, nearly twice as many voters said they would rather end the military involvement to bring down gas prices than restart it to stop Iran's nuclear program. President Trump had this to say. Well, I think it's largely true because it drove the gasoline up a little bit short term. And probably that's, probably it's true. But at the same time, if I had it to do again, I'd have to do it again. Because long term, it's the only answer. You can't let Iran have a nuclear war. I'm gonna play a weapon. High gas prices play right into what may have been the biggest factor of all, affordability. Under President Biden, inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022, the highest level in four decades. After Trump returned to office, his policies helped cool inflation to 2.4% by early 2026. But when the Iran war drove up energy costs, inflation climbed back up to 3.7% in September. That's still less than half of the Biden-era peak. But voters in the Fox poll were more likely to blame Trump's policies for high prices. Interest rates have been another headache. Higher rates make it more expensive to borrow money for things like a car, a house, or a credit card balance. The Federal Reserve kept rates steady for most of the year, then raised them in September for the first time since 2023. Beyond the economy, messaging on immigration enforcement may also have shifted Hispanic voters. In a September Fox News poll, 60% of Hispanic voters said immigration enforcement had gone too far. On Tuesday, Hispanic voters supported Democrats by 27 points, compared with a 12-point margin for Kamala Harris in 2024. Still, voters overall trusted Republicans slightly more on immigration, 44% to 40%. And younger Americans moved even further. Voters under 30 backed Democratic House candidates by nearly 3 to 1. Young men made the most dramatic reversal. Going from favoring Trump by 15 points in 2024 to favoring Democrats by 33 points this year. Keep in mind, historically speaking, the president's party almost always loses ground in a midterm election. Since the Civil War, the party controlling the White House had lost House seats in 38 of 41 midterms before this one. So now, with Democrats controlling Congress, we'll have to wait and see what President Trump's final two years in office look like. Up next, voters in several states also weighed in on AI data centers. According to reporting, 41 data center measures were on ballots in 10 states. Based on early returns, every proposal to limit or block new data centers appears to have passed. In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa won the governor's race. She campaigned on keeping a pause on new data center construction until state lawmakers addressed water, electricity, air quality, and property rights. Texas is expected to hold about 41% of the new data center capacity coming online in 2028. A long pause could delay projects across the state. Still, most political analysts do not expect Democrats to block construction permanently. The biggest concern for opponents is cost. Data centers use large amounts of electricity, and opponents say that pushes up power bills for local residents. But there's another side to this debate. It involves some of the best-paying jobs out there for young Americans with aspirations to work in the trades. Every data center needs an army of skilled workers to build and maintain it, from plumbers to electricians. In Northern Virginia, known as Data Center Alley, apprentices in the local electricians' union can start at about $27 an hour with no experience. Fully trained electricians earn about $62 an hour. That's nearly $129,000 a year before overtime. The union's hiring hall has nearly doubled, from fewer than 9,000 workers to more than 17,500. Veteran electrician Andrew Miller told Fox News that companies cannot produce enough electricians fast enough. And unlike college students, apprentices get paid while they train, so they avoid student debt. Earlier this year, the White House announced a pledge by major tech companies to build, bring, or buy their own power for new AI data centers. The goal is to keep Americans' electric bills from rising as demand grows. So, do data centers cost too much, or are they a ticket to a six-figure career? And in our next story, there's some good news for the American economy. Two new reports show that factories are busy and workers are holding on to their jobs. Every month, the Institute for Supply Management surveys factory executives across the country to see whether business is growing or shrinking. A score above 50 means growth. In October, that score rose to 55.5, up from 54.5 in September. That's the 10th straight month of expansion for American manufacturing. Factory production was especially strong, reaching its highest level since November 2021. New orders grew as well, and five of the six biggest manufacturing industries expanded. Part of that demand is coming from the AI boom, as companies buy computers, electrical equipment, and machinery. The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the first time fell to 194,000 in the week ending October 24th. That keeps weekly claims near their lowest level in 57 years. Claims have stayed below 200,000 in six of the past seven weeks, a sign that few employers are laying people off. The economy grew at a 3.4% yearly pace from July through September, faster than economists expected. One financial advisor told the Epoch Times, The economy is on fire right now. There are still challenges. Manufacturers say the cost of raw materials has climbed for 25 months in a row, and some of those costs could get passed on to shoppers. Several big companies, including Microsoft and Netflix, have recently announced job cuts or buyouts. But for now, American factories are humming, and fewer workers are losing their jobs. And in our final story, with Veterans Day coming up next week, One Army veteran got a surprise he'll never forget. Roy Mora served four years in the U.S. Army, including a deployment to Afghanistan in 2012, and earned numerous honors during his service. Today, he's married and the father of five children, whom he homeschools. When he isn't teaching his kids, he volunteers with nonprofit groups that help struggling families. Last Friday, during a Miami Heat game, Mora and his family were called down to the basketball court. That's when they learned they were getting two big gifts. A brand new vehicle and a scholarship to Miami Dade College. Several groups teamed up to make it happen, including Subaru of Doral, Lithia Motors, the Military Warrior Support Foundation, and Chase Bank. Morris said the gifts will make a huge difference for his family. Quote, we are very happy and very grateful for everybody that came here together and worked hard to make this possible for my family to have a dependable car. It takes a lot of weight off our shoulders. It's also a reminder that the men and women who serve our country often keep serving long after they take off the uniform. And now it's time for Quick Hits. First Lady Melania Trump invited representatives from both Russia and Ukraine to the White House this week. It comes after she helped set up a short ceasefire in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in southern Ukraine. During the pause in fighting, aid was able to reach the town, and the First Lady said nearly 800 people were able to leave. Investigators are learning more about last Sunday's private jet crash in Florida. All nine people on board were killed. Just before the crash, the co-pilot reported ice and heavy turbulence as the jet flew into a fast-growing thunderstorm. Now, federal investigators say pieces of the plane's tail were found nearly four miles away, proof the jet started to break apart in the air. NFL running back Joe Mixon shared that he had flown on the same plane with the same two pilots just last month. Once Upon a Farm is recalling every flavor of its tractor wheel snack bars because of a serious choking risk. According to the FDA, the soft-baked bars for toddlers can form a dry, sticky lump when chewed, and that lump may not come loose even with the Heimlich maneuver. Families should throw them away or return them for a refund. After nearly 22 years in space, NASA's Swift Observatory has come home. The 3,200-pound telescope fell back into Earth's atmosphere on Wednesday over Indonesia. Swift launched in 2004 on a mission meant to last just two years. Instead, it spent two decades hunting gamma ray bursts, some of the most powerful explosions in the universe. But rising solar activity slowly dragged it toward Earth, and a rescue mission this summer failed. Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell is sharing some encouraging news. The 26-year-old was carted off the field and taken to the hospital after suffering a neck injury during Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. In a statement released Wednesday, Campbell said he now has full movement in his lower body and is continuing to make progress with his upper body. He said, I know there's still work ahead, but I remain very optimistic. He also thanked fans for their prayers, adding, God is good. My faith is strong. That's it for this episode. We'll see you back here next week on another episode of The Wrap Up. Thank you for watching The Wrap Up. To make sure you never miss an episode, subscribe at PragerU.com. We'll see you back here next week on The Wrap Up.