Us Govt Shutdown

Trump asks House Republicans to release Epstein files after email release

The reversal in Trump's remarks comes just days after Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released emails referencing his past association with Jeffrey Epstein and renewed scrutiny of the case

States scramble to send full SNAP food benefits after shutdown ends

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

Trump signs govt funding bill, ending shutdown after 43-day disruption

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.

House passes bill to end historic govt shutdown, sending measure to Trump

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 Supreme Court extends block on full SNAP payments amid shutdown talks

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended an order blocking full SNAP payments, amid signals that the government shutdown could soon end and food aid payments resume. The order keeps in place at least for a few more days a chaotic situation. People who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to feed their families in some states have received their full monthly allocations, while others have received nothing. The Senate has approved a bill to end the shutdown and the House of Representatives could vote on it as early as Wednesday. Reopening the government would restart the program that helps 42 million Americans buy groceries, but it's not clear how quickly full payments would resume. The justices chose what is effectively the path of least resistance, anticipating the shutdown will end soon while avoiding any substantive legal ruling about whether lower court orders to keep full payments flowing during the shutdown are correct.

US govt shutdown nears end, but would leave lasting impact on economy

The longest federal government shutdown in US history appears to be nearing an end, but not without leaving a mark on an already-struggling economy. About 1.25 million federal workers haven't been paid since October 1. Thousands of flights have been cancelled, a trend that is expected to continue this week even as Congress moves toward reopening the government. Government contract awards have slowed and some food aid recipients have seen their benefits interrupted. Most of the lost economic activity will be recovered when the government reopens, as federal workers will receive back pay. But some cancelled flights won't be retaken, missed restaurant meals won't be made up, and some postponed purchases will end up not happening at all. Short-lived shutdowns are usually invisible in the data, but this one will leave a lasting mark," Gregory Daco, chief economist at accounting giant EY said, "both because of its record length and the growing disruptions to welfare programs and travel.

Air travellers face frustration as FAA's further flight cuts take effect

Air travellers could face more frustration as busy US airports need to meet a higher Federal Aviation Administration target for reducing flights Tuesday after already cancelling thousands to scale back demands on the nation's aviation system during the government shutdown. The FAA ordered domestic airlines last week to drop 4 per cent of their flights at 40 major US airports, saying absences and signs of stress among traffic controllers made it imperative to act in the name of public safety. After already cancelling more than 7,900 since Friday, the goal for cutting flights is set to rise to 6 per cent on Tuesday and again to 10 per cent on Friday. But it was unclear exactly how many additional flights would need to be cancelled Tuesday. The average cancellation rate over the last few days already exceeded the FAA's requirement, according to aviation analytics company Cirium. The FAA also expanded its flight restrictions Monday, barring business jets and many private flights from ..

US Senate approves bill to end govt shutdown, sending it to House

The Senate passed the bill by a 60-40 vote, ending a long six-week deadlock. US President Donald Trump supported the deal

US Senate advances plan to end govt shutdown after some democrats agree

The Senate is set to hold a procedural test vote on Sunday. If that vote succeeds, the Senate will need the consent of all members to end the shutdown quickly

After 40 days, bipartisan Senate deal moves to end US govt shutdown

A cross-party Senate agreement with the White House sets the stage for a vote to reopen the US government within days, ending weeks of halted services and political standoff

US airlines' cancellations top 2,000 for 1st time since shutdown cuts began

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 ..

US govt shutdown delays inflation data, deepens uncertainty for divided Fed

The CPI and its core measure, which excludes more volatile food and energy costs, each rose a lower-than-forecast 3 per cent in September from a year ago

Hunger, flight chaos and health-care woes fail to end US govt shutdown

Shutdown is costing the US economy about $15 billion a week and the Congressional Budget Office estimates that it will cut annualised quarterly growth rate of real GDP by 1.5 per cent by mid-November

US govt shutdown forces some overseas bases to stop paying workers

The longest US government shutdown on record is doing more than grind activities to a halt at home; an ocean away in Europe, local workers at US military bases have started to feel the pain. Thousands of people working at overseas bases in Europe have had their salaries interrupted since the shutdown began almost six weeks ago. In some cases, governments hosting the US bases have stepped in to foot the bill, expecting the United States to eventually make good. In others, including in Italy and Portugal, people have simply kept working unpaid as the gridlock in Washington drags on. It's an absurd situation because nobody has responses, nobody feels responsible, said Angelo Zaccaria, a union coordinator at the Aviano Air Base in northeastern Italy. This is having dramatic effects on us Italian workers, he told The Associated Press. An array of needed jobs The jobs foreign nationals do at US bases around the world range from food service, construction, logistics, maintenance and othe

US airlines cancel over 1,000 flights for 2nd day amid govt shutdown

US airlines again cancelled more than 1,000 flights on Saturday, the second day of the Federal Aviation Administration's mandate to reduce air traffic because of the government shutdown. So far, the slowdown at many of the nation's busiest airports hasn't caused widespread disruptions. But it has deepened the impact felt by the nation's longest federal shutdown. We all travel. We all have somewhere to be, said Emmy Holguin, 36, who was flying from Miami Saturday to see family in the Dominican Republic. I'm hoping that the government can take care of this. Analysts warn that the upheaval will intensify and spread far beyond air travel if cancellations keep growing and reach into Thanksgiving week. Already there are concerns about the squeeze on tourism destinations and holiday shipping. Here's what to know about the flight reductions: How many flights have been cancelled? Flight disruptions ticked up a bit on Saturday typically a slow travel day as each of the first two days cr

People in some US states get SNAP food aid, while others await Nov benefits

People in some US states will be able to buy groceries with federally funded SNAP benefits Saturday while those in other states were still waiting for November food benefits that had been delayed by a protracted legal battle over the federal government shutdown. The Trump administration initially said last month that it would not fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for November because of the US government shutdown. The twists and turns since have exacerbated uncertainty for the nearly one in eight Americans who receive monthly SNAP benefits to spend at grocery stores and farmer's markets. On Friday, some states began issuing full monthly SNAP benefits to people, a day after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to provide the funds. But Friday night, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily paused that judicial order to allow time for an appeals court to decide whether to issue a more lasting halt. Jackson acted because she handles ...

Trump signals no shutdown compromise as senators schedule weekend session

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 eluded them as federal 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 uncertain whether Republicans and Democrats could make any headway toward reopening the government and breaking a partisan impasse that has now lasted 39 days. President Donald Trump made clear Saturday that he is unlikely to compromise any time soon with Democrats who are demanding an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits, posting on social media that it is the worst Healthcare anywhere in the world. He suggested Congress send money directly to people to buy insurance. Senate Republican leaders have signaled an openness to an emerging proposal from a small group of moderate Democrats to end the ...

Washington's struggling economy takes another economic hit from shutdown

With the combination of the longest government shutdown, the mass firings of government workers and a fresh cut in federal food aid, the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington is bracing for the swell of people who will need its help before the holiday season. The food bank, which serves 400 pantries and aid organisations in the District of Columbia, northern Virginia and two Maryland counties, is providing 8 million more meals than it had prepared to this budget year a nearly 20% increase. The city is being hit especially hard," said Radha Muthiah, the group's CEO and president, "because of the sequence of events that has occurred over the course of this year". The nation's capital has been battered by a series of decisions by the Trump administration, from the layoffs of federal workers to the ongoing law enforcement intervention into the district. The added blow of the shutdown, which has furloughed workers and paused money for food assistance, is only deepening the economic ...

US govt shutdown forces local workers at overseas bases to go without pay

The longest US government shutdown on record is doing more than grind activities to a halt at home; an ocean away in Europe, local workers at US military bases have started to feel the pain. At least 2,000 people working at overseas bases in Europe have had their salaries interrupted since the shutdown began almost six weeks ago. In some cases, governments hosting the US bases have stepped in to foot the bill, expecting the United States to eventually make good. In others, including in Italy and Portugal, workers have simply kept working unpaid as the gridlock in Washington drags on. It's an absurd situation because nobody has responses, nobody feels responsible, said Angelo Zaccaria, a union coordinator at the Aviano Air Base in northeastern Italy. This is having dramatic effects on us Italian workers, he told The Associated Press. An array of needed jobs ----------------------------- The jobs foreign nationals do at US bases around the world range from food service, constructio

US senators work through weekend as shutdown drags on with no deal in sight

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