Welcome back to Monday.

• We're looking at Massachusetts Democrats' newfound power in Washington and Emerson's new degree for the content creator generation.

⛅ Today's weather: Partly sunny, with a high of 58 and a low of 40.

Congrats to Friday's news quiz winners who were the first to get 5/5 right:

• Laura Stubbs, Debbie Kadoura and Jennifer Dever Wood.

🎸 Sounds like: "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey, who play TD Garden tomorrow.

Today’s newsletter is 1,135 words — a 4.5-minute read.

Massachusetts' members of Congress will head back to a changed Washington next year, with Democrats in the majority and the Bay State's delegation wielding considerable influence.

Why it matters: Massachusetts members could help steer the House floor, push legislation through committees and shape the Democratic agenda leading up to 2028.

The big picture: Leadership and committee picks are still to be made, but Massachusetts is fielding a very powerful team:

• Katherine Clark is expected to become House majority leader, the first woman in the job.
• Richard Neal is expected to return as Ways and Means chair, overseeing taxes and trade.
• Jim McGovern is expected to reclaim the Rules chairmanship, which governs how bills reach floor votes.
• Elizabeth Warren is positioned to chair Senate Banking and could angle for Democrats' third top leadership spot.

Between the lines: How they use that clout, and whether they all agree, may signal where the Democratic Party heads before 2028.

• Our delegation has factions.
• Ed Markey and Ayanna Pressley carry national progressive followings energized by Democrats' huge win.
• Clark, Neal and McGovern are insiders tasked with moving legislation.
• Jake Auchincloss will return to Washington as a leader of the party's more moderate wing who just helped some new members get elected.

State of play: Newcomers, veterans and rising voices add to the mix.

• Lori Trahan has worked with Republican Jay Obernolte on the FRONTIER Act, a bipartisan AI regulation framework. If Democrats set up a select committee on AI, Trahan could be on the shortlist to chair it.
• Stephen Lynch and Bill Keating bring oversight and national security experience.
• And there's fresh blood in the form of Dan Koh, who won the 6th District to replace Seth Moulton.

Reality check: Donald Trump remains president. Democrats can set agendas, investigate the administration and negotiate spending, but can't enact priorities over his veto.

What's next: Sherrod Brown's return to the Senate could complicate Warren's Banking gavel.

• We'll be watching which subcommittee roles Lynch and Keating end up with, given Clark's heightened authority.

The bottom line: The delegation will be punching above its weight, but D.C. clout doesn't necessarily translate into tangible gains for Bay State residents.

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Emerson College is going to start giving out diplomas for social media content creation.

Why it matters: Plenty of students already see making content as a career path, not just a side gig.

• Emerson is one of the first colleges in the country to build a formal academic track around influencers and content makers.

The latest: Emerson will begin to offer a Bachelor of Arts in Content Creation starting in fall 2027.

• The major will be part of the School of Communication's Department of Strategic Marketing and Business.

What they're saying: President Jay Bernhardt said in a release the major extends Emerson's hands-on tradition into new creative industries.

• Students will learn both production and how to earn a living from it, including financial literacy.

The big picture: The new curriculum will blend creative production with business training.

• Students will make original work and study how digital platforms operate, including ethics.
• Audience building, branding and marketing will be focus points.
• Each student will publicly launch an original project as a capstone.

Between the lines: Emerson, a longtime leader in communication and media education, is repackaging existing areas of study instead of starting from scratch.

• The college says the new program will pair storytelling with entrepreneurship in one degree.
• The college's publicist says it is only the second major of its kind at a U.S. college.

Tell a (social-media savvy) friend

🏈 The Patriots came up short against the Green Bay Packers yesterday in Foxborough, losing 45-27. (NBC Boston)

🌬️ Vineyard Wind, the offshore wind project off the coast of Massachusetts, is finally fully up and running. (WBUR)

• Its 62 turbines can power about 400,000 homes in the region.

Jurors return to federal court today to deliberate over whether former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell, who allegedly groomed Sandra Birchmore, is guilty of killing her and her unborn child. (CBS Boston)

🏘️ Question 7, the ballot measure to reduce lot sizes for single-family homes statewide, narrowly failed. (Axios)

🎰 ICYMI: Union workers returned to Encore Boston Harbor Friday after reaching a deal with management, ending a two-month strike. (GBH News)

Monday, 11/9

🎬 Double Indemnity at Brattle Theatre gives Billy Wilder's classic film noir a crafty twist with a screening where audience members can work on small craft projects, 6pm.

Tuesday, 11/10

🍪 Joanne Chang presents The Joy of Cookies at MassBay Community College's Wellesley Hills campus features the Flour Bakery founder discussing her new cookbook with Spoonfuls founder Ashley Stanley, plus a tasting and book signing, 7pm.

• Admission is $37.50, including a copy of the book.

🎤 Journey at TD Garden brings its Final Frontier Tour to Boston with classic rock hits including "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Faithfully," 7:30pm.

Wednesday, 11/11

📖 Rachel Maddow with Nicolle Wallace at Orpheum Theatre brings the political commentators together to discuss Maddow's new book, The Department of Fate, about the history of the Justice Department, 8pm.

Friday, 11/13

🐈 A Celebration of Cats Art Exhibition at M Fine Arts Galerie in Boston's SoWa Arts District showcases feline-themed artwork by local and regional artists, presented by Catvocates, which supports MSPCA-Angell, 6–8pm.

• Free; continues through Sunday.

📊 Mona Chalabi: Ten Lives at WBUR CitySpace features the Pulitzer Prize-winning data journalist discussing her new book about wealth and financial security with WBUR's Zeninjor Enwemeka, 6:30pm.

Forward to a friend who loves live music, cats or really good cookies

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"New England will always be home," Rob Gronkowski said Saturday as he was inducted into the Pats Hall of Fame.

• "And I will always love you guys."
  

Deehan thinks it's wild that once a year, New England's top stand-up comedy booker is Cam Neely.

Steph is full of Costco pizza and chicken strips after pigging out with one of their besties yesterday.

This newsletter was edited by Jeff Weiner.