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US Shutdown
With the longest US government shutdown over, state officials said Thursday that they are working quickly to get full SNAP food benefits to millions of people, though it still could take up to a week for some to receive their delayed aid. A back-and-forth series of court rulings and shifting policies from President Donald Trump's administration has led to a patchwork distribution of November benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. While some states already had issued full SNAP benefits, about two-thirds of states had issued only partial benefits or none at all before the government shutdown ended late Wednesday, according to an Associated Press tally. The federal food programme serves about 42 million people, about 1 in 8 Americans, in lower-income households. They receive an average of around $190 monthly per person, though that doesn't necessarily cover the full cost of groceries for a regular month. A spokesperson for the US Department of Agriculture, which
President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill Wednesday night, ending a record 43-day shutdown that caused financial stress for federal workers who went without paychecks, stranded scores of travellers at airports and generated long lines at some food banks. Trump's signature draws to a close the second government shutdown he's overseen in the White House, one that magnified the partisan divisions in Washington as his administration took unprecedented unilateral actions -- including cancelling projects and trying to fire federal workers -- to pressure Democrats into relenting on their demands. The signing ceremony came just hours after the House passed the measure on a mostly party-line vote of 222-209. The Senate had already passed the measure Monday.
The House passed a bill Wednesday to end the nation's longest government shutdown, sending the measure to President Donald Trump for his signature after a historic 43-day funding lapse that saw federal workers go without multiple paychecks, travelers stranded at airports and people lining up at food banks to get a meal for their families. House lawmakers made their long-awaited return to the nation's capital this week after nearly eight weeks away, with Republicans using their slight majority to get the bill over the finish line by a vote of 222-209. The Senate has already passed the measure. Trump has called the bill a very big victory." Democrats wanted to extend an enhanced tax credit expiring at the end of the year that lowers the cost of health coverage obtained through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. They refused to go along with a short-term spending bill that did not include that priority. But Republicans said that was a separate policy fight to be held at another time. The
US airlines cancelled more than 2,100 flights Sunday mostly because of the government shutdown and the Federal Aviation Administration's order to reduce air traffic. The slowdown at 40 of the nation's busiest airports is now in its third day and beginning to cause more widespread disruptions. That includes more than 7,000 additional delays Sunday alone, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions. More than 1,000 flights were cancelled Friday, and more than 1,500 more on Saturday. Earlier Sunday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that US air traffic could slow to a trickle if the shutdown if the federal government shutdown lingers into the busy Thanksgiving travel holiday season. The Federal Aviation Administration last week ordered flight cuts at the nation's busiest airports as some air traffic controllers, who have gone unpaid for nearly a month, have stopped showing up for work. The reductions started Friday at four per cent and will ..
Senators are working through the weekend for the first time since the government shutdown began more than a month ago, hoping to find a bipartisan resolution that has so far eluded them as government workers have gone unpaid, airlines have been forced to cancel flights, and SNAP benefits have been delayed for millions of Americans. As the weekend session was set to begin Saturday, it was unclear if Republicans and Democrats could make any headway toward reopening the government and breaking a partisan impasse that has now lasted 39 days. Republicans on Friday rejected an offer from Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to reopen the government and extend expiring health care subsidies for a year, with Thune calling it a nonstarter. Republicans have refused to engage with Democrats who are demanding that GOP leaders and President Donald Trump negotiate an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire at the end of the year. But GOP leaders have signalled an openness to
Flight delays continued at US airports Sunday amid air traffic controller shortages as the government shutdown entered its second month, with Newark airport in New Jersey experiencing delays of two to three hours. New York City's Emergency Management office said on X that Newark delays often ripple out to the region's other airports. Travellers flying to, from or through New York should expect schedule changes, gate holds, and missed connections. Anyone flying today should check flight status before heading to the airport and expect longer waits, the social media post added. George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Chicago O'Hare were also seeing dozens of delays and one or two cancellations, along with major airports in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver and Miami, according to FlightAware. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been warning that travellers will start to see more flight disruptions the longer controllers go .
The crises at the heart of the government shutdown fight in Washington came to a head as the federal food assistance programme faced delays and millions of Americans were set to see a dramatic rise in their health insurance bills. The impacts on basic needs food and medical care underscored how the impasse is hitting homes across the United States. Plans by the Trump administration to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme on Saturday were halted by federal judges, but the delay in payouts will still likely leave millions of people short on their grocery bills. It all added to the strain on the country, with a month of missed paychecks for federal workers and growing air travel delays. The shutdown is already the second longest in history and entered its second month on Saturday. This is more than a crisis, said the Rev John Udo-Okon, who runs the Word of Life Christian Fellowship International food pantry in the Bronx, where hundreds more people than .
A US federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's administration from firing workers during the government shutdown, saying the cuts appeared to be politically motivated and were being carried out without much thought. US District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco repeatedly pressed the assistant US attorney to explain the administration's rationale for the more than 4,100 layoff notices that started going out on Friday even though furloughed workers cannot access their work emails and there are no human resources specialists to assist with next steps. "It is very much ready, fire, aim on most of these programmes, and it has a human cost," she said. "It is a human cost that cannot be tolerated." She granted a temporary restraining order blocking the job cuts, saying she believed the evidence would ultimately show the cuts were illegal and in excess of authority. Asked for comment, the White House referred The Associated Press to the Office of Managemen