Morning Brew Newsletter (November 5, 2026): Downvoting Data Centers, CVS Splits, and Nintendo's Zelda Bet
The November 5, 2026 edition of Morning Brew, sent under the subject line "Downvoting data centers," covers a broad mix of business, politics, technology, and culture. It opens with a reader prompt for a special fine art edition, then moves through market performance, the midterm elections, corporate restructuring, gaming, and a viral story about an hourly worker. Below is a detailed breakdown of the newsletter's contents.
Contents of the Newsletter
Opening Reader Prompt: Underrated Art Museums
The newsletter begins with a playful "gallery of words" theme for a special Sunday edition. Readers are asked to name an underrated art museum they enjoyed, with the Museum of Bad Art in Boston offered as an example, and to share a treasure they saw there. Selected responses are promised for a future issue.
Markets Snapshot
The market section reports that the Nasdaq rose 1.44% to 25,736.51, the S&P 500 gained 1.58% to 7,688.62, and the Dow climbed 3.03% to 53,356.12. The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.894%, and Bitcoin was priced at $80,671.24. Apple shares rose 5.31%. The Dow posted its best day since President Trump introduced tariffs the previous April.
Election Impact on Data Centers
The lead story argues that data centers were the biggest "loser" of the midterm elections. Democrats gained control of the House and Senate and won several key governor races, with promises to slow AI development and data center construction. Highlights include:
- Texas: Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican incumbent Greg Abbott after promising a data center moratorium.
- Ohio: Democrat Amy Acton, who called for a conditional moratorium, was elected, while Meta and Amazon Web Services had planned a combined $3 billion in Ohio data center spending.
- Georgia: Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, who campaigned on a construction moratorium, won.
The newsletter estimates that roughly half of proposed US data center projects are now in areas whose leaders have pledged to halt them. At least 38 localities across nine states voted to ban or restrict construction. Elon Musk spent at least $474 million supporting Republicans, a record for an individual donor, and his companies Tesla, SpaceX, and X had relocated to Texas. Musk posted that "data centers in space" looked appealing.
Sponsored Feature: Doroni
A sponsored segment promotes Doroni and its H1-X flying car, citing 600+ preorders, planned commercial deliveries as early as 2028, and more than $60 million raised from over 20,000 investors. The offering is a Regulation A offering, with shares priced at $3.72.
World Headlines
- Vice President JD Vance blamed the war in Iran for Republican midterm losses and listed suggested fixes for the GOP, including ending the war and focusing on cost of living.
- Waymo plans to end its exclusive robotaxi partnership with Uber in Austin and Atlanta in January 2028, moving rides to its own app. Uber disputed that the decision was mutual.
- McDonald's plans new value bundles after US same-location sales fell for the first time since early 2025. Its stock rose more than 6% because the decline was smaller than expected.
CVS Breaks Up Its Pharmacy Business
CVS Health announced plans to spin off its roughly 9,000 retail pharmacies into a separate company called CVS Pharmacy during the first half of 2028, while Aetna and Caremark remain with CVS Health. CEO David Joyner cited agility and growth as reasons. The move follows pressure from lawmakers, including a bipartisan bill to bar pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from owning pharmacies, and state laws in two states. CVS shares fell 12.5% after the announcement.
Sponsored Feature: UrbanStems
A sponsored message promotes UrbanStems' Fall Edit, including a $68 Honeycrisp bouquet and a gold-vessel centerpiece, shipped without water and delivered with a personalized note.
Nintendo's Zelda Remake
Nintendo released its remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which holds a 96 on Metacritic, making it the best-reviewed game of the year so far. The remake is exclusive to the $500 Switch 2 and is viewed as a potential driver of holiday sales, as Switch 2 purchases have slowed. The newsletter notes that Grand Theft Auto VI, expected later this month on PlayStation and Xbox, could challenge its year-end standing. A reader poll asks whether readers will play the remake.
Molly Explains the Internet
This segment covers Walt Z, a Red Baron grocery worker from Michigan who confronted a streamer attempting to bait him in a viral video. A GoFundMe for Walt raised about $785,000 in roughly a week. Red Baron publicly supported him. A separate fundraiser was started for the man who created Walt's campaign after donors learned he was an unhoused veteran.
Sponsored Feature: Rugiet
An advertisement promotes Rugiet Ready, a dissolving 3-in-1 medication, with a 20% discount code.
News Roundup and Recommendations
- New York's attorney general appointed an ex-prosecutor to reopen a criminal investigation into an alleged gang rape at Cornell.
- French blood banks were hit in a European refrigeration-system hack.
- Snap's stock fell more than 11% after missing Q3 revenue and daily active user estimates.
- An appeals court allowed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to proceed with a pied-à-terre tax on second homes over $5 million.
- Celebrity hairstylist John Frieda died at 75.
The "Recs" section includes winter travel ideas, a computer speed tip, a pie crust video, a pet-themed sweatshirt, Snap's SPECS AR glasses, and Lola Blankets with a 35% discount code.
Games, Quiz, and Referrals
Readers are invited to play the Brew Mini puzzle and a "Three Headlines and a Lie" quiz, where the fabricated story was the one about a man sentenced to run a dairy farm. The newsletter also features a referral program, a Word of the Day ("niche"), and a disclaimer about AI-assisted images in the Doroni advertisement.
Products Featured
Doroni H1-X
The Doroni H1-X is a personal flying vehicle unveiled in March and described by FOX Business as a "flying car" set to revolutionize personal air travel. It has more than 600 preorders, and commercial deliveries are targeted as early as 2028. Doroni's CEO, Doron Mordinger, is positioned as a founder who met a one-year milestone promise. The product is offered to investors through a Regulation A offering at $3.72 per share.
UrbanStems Fall Edit
UrbanStems offers designer-made floral arrangements, including a $68 Honeycrisp spray-rose bouquet and The Hearth, a garden rose centerpiece in a gold vessel. Flowers ship without water and include a personalized note.
Rugiet Ready
Rugiet Ready is a 3-in-1 oral medication that dissolves under the tongue and is marketed to work in as little as 15 minutes, with effects lasting up to 36 hours. A 20% discount is offered with code MORNINGBREW.
Nintendo Switch 2 and Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake
The Switch 2 costs $500 and is the only platform for the Zelda remake. A special Zelda-themed Switch 2 edition has repeatedly sold out. The newsletter notes that Nintendo's cheaper hardware and games may offer protection against the global memory shortage.
Lola Blankets
Lola Blankets are luxury blankets with more than 35,000 five-star reviews. A 35% discount is offered with code Morningbrew35.
SPECS by Snap
SPECS are Snap's AR glasses, offering a virtual 115-inch screen, heads-up directions, and virtual gaming, while keeping the wearer aware of their surroundings.
Custom Pet Sweatshirt
A custom sweatshirt for pet lovers is recommended by Morning Brew writers. The publication may earn a commission on purchases made through the link.
About Morning Brew
Morning Brew is a business news publication operated by Morning Brew Inc., based at 22 West 19th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10011. The newsletter is written by Abigail Rubenstein, Matty Merritt, Dave Lozo, and Molly Liebergall, and it is designed to deliver a quick, approachable digest of business and culture in about five minutes. Its homepage is morningbrew.com, and the publication offers a network of specialized newsletters. These include Tech Brew, Brew Markets, The Playbook for real estate, Bossy for money and career topics, Marketing Brew, CFO Brew, HR Brew, Revenue Brew, IT Brew, Retail Brew, Healthcare Brew, and Founder Brew. It also produces podcasts. The brand emphasizes a conversational tone, witty headlines, and a mix of news, games, reader engagement, and sponsored content. Readers can refer friends to earn rewards, submit responses and word suggestions, and manage their email preferences. The publication's copyright is dated 2026.
