As Democrats take control of both chambers of Congress, party politicians are debating how to handle the upcoming Republican minority. Some want to work together with the GOP, while others say investigating them and stonewalling President Donald Trump should be top of mind.

‘Lawyer up’
Many Democrats seem eager to “fight on nearly every front the president has opened,” said Nik Popli and Julia Terruso at Time. The incoming Democratic leadership seems to be “preparing a legislative offensive aimed at reversing some of the administration’s most unpopular policies.” 

Republicans should “lawyer up,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the incoming chair of the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement. Democrats may “use their new subpoena power and agenda-setting authority” to investigate alleged corruption in Trump’s family while also setting up probes into tech billionaire Elon Musk’s leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency and the Department of Homeland Security’s “aggressive immigration enforcement tactics,” said Chris Marquette at Politico.

‘Unexpected levels of cooperation’
Other Democrats, including some who will be taking up new jobs soon, feel that focusing on Trump is the wrong way to go. “They didn’t send us to Washington for political retribution,” Sen.-elect James Talarico (D-Texas) (pictured above) said to CNN after his victory. “They sent us to Washington to lower costs, to root out corruption, to get this economy back on track.” While investigations will occur, Democrats are “focused on delivering on the affordability agenda,” Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) said to NPR.

More moderate Democrats, including the likely next House speaker, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), are also “expected to be scared of a handful of new members aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America,” said The Washington Post editorial board. While the threat of democratic socialists “might discourage” centrists like Jeffries or Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer from “negotiating in good faith,” there’s also a “strong case for unexpected levels of cooperation, or at least compromise, over the next two years.” Americans voted for a divided government, but that “doesn’t mean they chose paralysis in the face of an impending fiscal emergency.”

With open enrollment underway, many people face a stark reality when it comes to healthcare. A slew of insurers are vanishing from marketplaces, most notably the Affordable Care Act exchange. This could leave many without coverage options for 2027.

At least 11 insurers fleeing
The ACA, or Obamacare, is at the center of the insurer pullouts as they “reassess the profitability of their marketplace participation,” said health policy organization KFF. At least 11 insurers have announced plans to leave the ACA marketplace next year. This includes major companies like UnitedHealth, PacificSource and Cigna. The latter, which has over 350,000 ACA enrollees, will “exit the 11 states in which it currently participates both on- and off-exchange.”

The ACA isn’t the only target. Other insurers believe “flat Medicare Advantage rates as proposed by the Trump administration” would “likely force them to take a deep look at the benefits they offer,” said industry outlet Fierce Healthcare. The funding changes at a time of “sharply rising medical costs and high utilization of care will impact seniors’ coverage,” Chris Bond, a spokesperson for the insurance lobby AHIP, said in a statement.

Creating ‘discontinuities in care’
This insurer exodus could lead to problems for sick people, especially lower-income Americans. If someone has a doctor who “doesn’t accept the fewer number of options that are available to you, that can be very disruptive, especially if you are someone who has a chronic illness,” Miranda Yaver, a health policy and management professor at the University of Pittsburgh, said to NBC News. This is “going to create a lot of discontinuities in care and coverage for people.” These changes also mean “constant upheaval, whether it’s the plan pulling out or the subsidies have changed, or the doctor network has changed,” said insurance broker Jennifer Chumbley Hogue to the outlet.

These withdrawals ultimately “reflect a familiar cycle,” said industry outlet HealthInsurance.org. Insurer participation in various markets has been “cyclical over time, generally increasing when the individual market was healthier and larger and decreasing when it was sicker and smaller.” Decisions on what plans to offer are primarily “driven by insurers’ assessment of profitability and overall market stability.”

A sign hangs on a fence near the White House in Washington, D.C., today. The sign was seemingly amended from “Clean House” to “Cleaned Houses” following the Democrats taking control of the Senate, House of Representatives, and several state governments last night.
Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images

After a horror-heavy slate last month, studios are now rolling out their awards bait. These four movies are among the month’s more alluring new options.

‘Godzilla Minus Zero’
Part creature feature, part rumination on the horrors of WWII, this sequel picks up in 1949, two years after the events of 2023’s hit “Godzilla Minus One.” The story follows Noriko (Minami Hamabe) and Koichi (Ryunosuke Kamiki) when a new monster emerges from the depths. It’s a “dream sequel, fully living up to the spectacular promise of the first,” said Jason Adams at Pajiba. (in theaters Friday)

‘Possible Love’
Still reeling years after losing his manufacturing job, Ho-seok (Sul Kyung-gu) and his wife, Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon), are befriended by a wealthy couple making a documentary, leading to unsettling connections. The film (pictured above) is a “heart-stopping and novelistically layered stunner,” said David Ehrlich at IndieWire. (out Friday on Netflix)

‘I Play Rocky’
The uplifting story of how then-unknown Sylvester Stallone (Anthony Ippolito) wrote and starred in the 1976 movie “Rocky” gets the biopic treatment. The film is a “cleverly crafted crowd-pleaser,” said Owen Gleiberman at Variety. (in theaters Nov. 20)

‘Paper Tiger’
In this stylish ’80s-set thriller, Hester (Scarlett Johansson) and Irwin (Miles Teller) must protect their family from Russian gangsters when Irwin’s brother, Gary (Adam Driver), offers him a seemingly irresistible business opportunity. This “bruising” movie “reveals the heavy price of pursuing the American Dream too recklessly,” said David Rooney at The Hollywood Reporter. (in theaters Nov. 20)