Buenos días. On this day in 1775, American revolutionary forces occupied Montreal in what is now Quebec, Canada. There’s an alternate universe out there somewhere where the entirety of Canada joins the Union and we all love hockey.

We’ve got a some exciting stories for you this morning:

• Political chaos in Spain

• Post office cops are on the case

• Tim Scott calls it quits

• The DOJ takes down a high-end “sex ring”

• And much more!

Here’s today’s edition of The Elective:

 WORLD 

Protests erupt in Spain

Tens of thousands of Spaniards took to the streets (classic Europe move) in protest of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s plan to grant amnesty to Catalan separatists in exchange for their support to keep him in power. Here’s the lowdown:

Background: Catalonia, a region of southeastern Spain, has a large pro-independence movement — this area includes Barcelona, Spain’s second-most populous city.

• In 2017, the Catalan government pushed a referendum calling for the region’s independence from Spain.

• It passed but was ruled illegal by the Spanish government.

Sanchez: Pedro Sanchez, leader of the Socialist Party, has led Spain since 2018. But parliamentary elections in July failed to produce a majority. He’s stayed in power temporarily as various political parties make deals attempting to form a majority coalition in parliament.

The Deal: Sanchez just made a deal with the Junts — that’s the party of Catalan separatists. It gives amnesty to up to 1,500 people convicted or currently on trial for their involvement in Catalonia’s illegal 2017 secession movement.

• The deal is expected to pass parliament with support from Sanchez’s left-wing allies, Catalan parties, and parties from other regions of Spain with their own separatist ambitions.

• The Junts say they will still push for independence but will do so only with approval from the prime minister, parliament, and King Felipe VI.

• Catalan independence leader Carles Puigdemont has been in exile in Belgium since 2017. The amnesty deal allows for his return to Spain.

Opposition: This whole thing is obviously not popular with Sanchez’s opponents. They view it as a giveaway to traitors that endangers Spain’s future stability. Center-right leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo successfully called for mass protests nationwide. He says they will not rest until new parliamentary elections are held.

Future: If the amnesty bill passes this week, expect continued protests. If it fails, Spain still has no permanent government. So regardless, the chaos continues!

 NEWS 

⚠️ Immigration: The Texas Senate passed a bill late last week that criminalizes unauthorized border crossings into the state from Mexico. Both Texas House leadership and Gov. Greg Abbott have indicated they support the measure. It orders state law enforcement to transport unauthorized migrants, after an appearance before a judge, to a legal border crossing and force them back into Mexico. If enacted, it’s likely to be challenged in court. Federal courts have long held that enforcing immigration law is the exclusive power of the federal government. The bill's sponsor is aware of a possible constitutional issue but says it will “get the federal government’s attention” faster than anything else. Opponents also expressed concerns about possible discrimination in a state that is 41% Latino.

📨 Elections: Suspicious letters were mailed to election offices in five states — California, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. At least four letters contained fentanyl. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger called the situation “domestic terrorism.” California, Oregon, and Washington conduct almost all their elections by mail alone. This situation especially risky for their election workers opening mailed-in ballots. The US Postal Service discovered and intercepted most of the letters before they arrived at their destinations. Thankfully, no one was injured. The FBI and Postal Inspection Service (mail cops) are investigating.

💰 Budget: If Congress does not approve a budget by this Friday, Nov. 17, the federal government will shut down all nonessential services. That includes things like national parks and paychecks for millions of federal workers (great time of year for that!). Per the Constitution, budget bills must originate in the House — not the Senate. So House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled his plan over the weekend. He proposed a continuing resolution (CR), that would continue current spending levels for a short time. His atypical proposal splits the budget in two. It funds part of the government until Jan. 19 and part until Feb. 2. His CR notably does not include President Biden's requested funding for Israel, Ukraine, or the border. Johnson wants that voted on separately. The White House called the plan "unserious."

 POLITICS 

Vice President Harris flew to South Carolina to fill out paperwork that put the Biden/Harris ticket on the state’s 2024 primary ballot. The South Carolina primary will be the first on the Democrats’ calendar next year after the national party, with Biden’s backing, knocked Iowa and New Hampshire out of the first two spots. The party argued those states no longer represented the party’s diverse voters. Critics say the move was meant to prevent an effective primary challenge against Biden. He lost both Iowa and New Hampshire in 2020 but later won the nomination based on momentum gained from his win in South Carolina.

Sen. Tim Scott dropped out of the Republican presidential race Sunday evening. He announced the decision on Fox News, saying “I love America more today than I did on May 22. But when I go back to Iowa, it will not be as a presidential candidate. I am suspending my campaign.” He said he would not endorse another candidate in the primary. When asked if he would accept the vice presidential spot, he, like everyone who's ever been in his position, pretended not to want it, saying “Being vice president has never been on my to-do list.”

A federal appeals court says Louisiana's state legislature has to remap its congressional districts by Jan. 15. The court says the current district map violates the Voting Rights Act. Federal courts have long ruled that the Voting Rights Act means states with large Black populations need congressional districts with large Black populations. That's an oversimplification. But basically, Louisiana spread its Black population out across too many congressional districts. This dilutes their voting power. One congressional district in Louisiana fits this description. But the court says they need two. So back to the drawing board they go.

 TRIVIA 

 BRIEFS 

⚖️ The FBI seized two cell phones and an iPad from New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The seizure is part of a federal corruption investigation. Allegedly, the mayor illegally funneled cash from Turkey into his 2021 campaign.

🍆 The Department of Justice arrested three people late last week in connection with an exclusive, “high-end” “sex ring” and “brothel network.” Based in Boston and DC, clients included politicians, military leaders, and business executives.

🇺🇸 The Department of Justice is investigating the Lexington, MS police department for civil rights violations. They claim police arrested people without cause, used excessive force, and set up illegal roadblocks targeting Black drivers.

🗯️ NewsNation will host the fourth Republican primary debate on Wednesday, December 6. Dozens of thrilled viewers are sure to tune in.

🍿 The Marvels debuted last week to the worst ever domestic opening for an MCU film at $47 million. The film took in $110 million globally. Despite the financial failure, the film boasts a strong 84% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

 QUOTE 

 ANSWER 

Six states have just a single representative in the House. They are:

1. Alaska (R)

2. Delaware (D)

3. North Dakota (R)

4. South Dakota (R)

5. Vermont (D)

6. Wyoming (R)