What we're covering
• Looming SNAP benefits pause: Millions of Americans are at risk of losing food stamp benefits within the next few days as Congress remains at an impasse. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he’ll vote for a GOP-led bill to extend the benefits — but Republican leadership says standalone bills will not be considered as the shutdown drags on.
• Other impacts: Experts and officials warn that the effects of the shutdown on the US air traffic control system could linger even after the government reopens. Many federal workers continue to go without pay, and House staffers are set to miss their next paychecks on Friday.
• High-stakes meeting: Meanwhile in Asia, President Donald Trump will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss a potential trade deal with global economic impact. Trump said he won’t meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on this trip.
Schumer accuses Johnson of lying in feud over expiring SNAP benefits
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused House Speaker Mike Johnson of lying about the administration’s ability to continue to fund SNAP, with millions of Americans set to lose food aid at the end of the week.
He added, “The bottom line is they can fund it, just as in 2019, just as in other shutdowns, for a long period of time.”
Johnson told reporters Tuesday the White House “certainly tried” to fund SNAP but that when “the Democrats voted against the [clean resolution], they voted against the ability of us to use that money.”
Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, who has introduced a bill to continue funding SNAP and WIC, noted that contingency plans have been removed from the USDA’s website.
“Why would this magically disappear from the website and why is Speaker Johnson lying to the American people, saying, ‘Oh, the law does not allow for this to happen,’ It’s bullsh*t.”
Schumer insisted that Democrats would back GOP Sen. Josh Hawley’s bill or Lujan’s bill to keep food aid funded and attacked Senate Majority Leader John Thune for not bringing either bill to the floor. Pressed on whether SNAP expiring could be a breaking point for Democrats in the shutdown standoff, Schumer insisted their caucus is unified.
Schumer backs GOP-led SNAP bill and pressures Thune to put it to a vote
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said today that he will vote for a Republican-led bill that would extend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits amid the government shutdown as he pressured Senate GOP leadership to bring the bill up for a vote.
Senate GOP leader John Thune, however, has said the Senate will not consider standalone bills as the shutdown drags on.
“There’s a bill right now from Sen. (Josh) Hawley, a conservative Republican, that could ensure SNAP is funded. It has Republican and Democratic support. It’s a bill that I’d happily support and vote for,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.
Schumer argued that “as soon as” Thune puts the bill on the floor, “it will pass, plain and simple.”
Hawley’s bill, which would provide “uninterrupted” food stamps, or SNAP, benefits, has 10 GOP co-sponsors and one Democratic co-sponsor, Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont.
Schumer also touted a separate bill led by Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján that would fund the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. The bill would also reimburse states and tribes for providing short-term SNAP funding.
Asked if it’s a bad strategy for Thune not to do standalone bills, Hawley said: “You know, I don’t have a comment on the strategy. I’ll leave that to him. I just want to see 42 million Americans be fed.”
Luján told reporters on Wednesday that he would co-sponsor Hawley’s bill and commended the Missouri Republican.
GOP senator says Montana cattle ranches "not very happy" about Trump push to import more Argentine beef
GOP Sen. Steve Daines said cattle ranchers in his state are “not very happy” about President Donald Trump’s push to import beef from Argentina.
“They’re seeing what this is doing to cattle prices. They’re dropping. We gave that feedback directly to Vice President Vance,” the Montana Republican told CNN on Wednesday.
CNN has reported that a group of Republican senators repeatedly pressed Vance in a closed-door meeting Tuesday over Trump’s suggestion for a plan to increase imports of Argentinian beef to help lower beef prices in the US.
“The right answer is to allow the free markets to continue to recover,” Daines said, explaining that the industry needs to bounce back from years of drought out west that have brought down cattle herd sizes.
“We are hoping the administration will go after the packers, the monopoly of these, these packers have a significant role in terms of the price that’s going on right now with cattle,” he added.
Daines claimed the $20 billion that the Trump administration offered to Argentina “wasn’t a bail out,” but a “currency swap” that he said is “actually going to benefit the United States several billion dollars” based on the value of the Argentine peso.
Trump to meet Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán next week
President Donald Trump is set to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán next week, a White House official told CNN.
The meeting comes just weeks after a planned Trump-Putin face-to-face was canceled after the two presidents had chosen Budapest as the summit location, and following an unexpected announcement of US sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil producers.
Although the sanctions aim to deplete Russia’s war chest, they can also wreak havoc on Hungary’s economy. Whereas almost all EU countries have diversified their energy mix away from Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Hungary’s dependence has deepened.
The two leaders last met at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in 2024, while Trump was still campaigning for the presidency.
Bloomberg was first to report on details of the upcoming meeting.
US economy could lose up to $14 billion from shutdown, agency finds
The Congressional Budget Office found that the shutdown’s negative effect on the economy will mostly reverse once it ends – but not entirely.
Depending on how long the shutdown stretches on, the agency found that GDP growth in that quarter will reduce by one to two percentage points. Though most of that decline will eventually be recovered, the CBO still found that the US economy will lose between $7 billion and $14 billion, the report said.
“Economic activity at the end of 2025 will be lower as a result of the shutdown. That decline will be driven by three factors: Fewer services will be provided by federal workers, federal spending on goods and services and SNAP benefits will be temporarily lower, and a temporary reduction in aggregate demand will lower output in the private sector,” the CBO said.
“The effects of the shutdown on the economy are uncertain. Those effects depend on decisions made by the Administration throughout the shutdown.”
"Not knowing when you'll get paid is a very difficult thing," air traffic controller says
Jack Criss, who has been working as a Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controller for 16 years, told CNN he decided to take leave during the shutdown in part because of the uncertainty the situation brings.
“I’ve been trying to manage a bit of anxiety,” Criss told CNN’s Pamela Brown, and in an attempt ensure safety he said he is working with counselors to make sure he’s in “the right head space” to return to work.
Criss, who is also a single father, said that it’s important for him to be emotionally available for his daughter and explained that being an air traffic controller is a “very stressful job.”
“Us air traffic controllers literally have to perform at a perfect level,” he said.
And like many federal workers who are dealing with financial uncertainty, Criss is turning to the gig economy, working as a DoorDash delivery driver to make sure he can continue to provide for his daughter.
“If I’m not able to provide for my kid, then I’m a failure as a dad. And so, I have to do exactly what I have to do in order to ensure that my daughter has exactly what she needs. I’m at home right now. This place isn’t free,” Criss said.
He urged lawmakers to get a resolution passed.
FAA reports staffing shortage at Newark Liberty International Airport as shutdown drags on
The Federal Aviation Administration has reported the first air traffic control staffing problem of the day, in its noon ET operations plan.
Controllers who handle flights approaching and departing Newark Liberty International Airport will be short staffed from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET.
The facility has seen more staffing shortages since the start of the shutdown than any other location.
At least 283 staffing problems have been reported since the start of the shutdown, according to the FAA.
Not every staffing shortage results in a delay, as controllers can reroute flights, but sometimes there is no choice but to slow planes down to maintain safety.
Remember: Controllers are considered essential staff and must work during the shutdown, despite not being paid. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says some have called in sick in protest while others are taking time to work other jobs.
Millions of Americans are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits in a few days. Here are key things to know
In an unprecedented situation, millions of Americans could soon lose access to a crucial food assistance program amid the federal government shutdown.
We’re tracking the latest on the looming pause in SNAP benefits. Catch up below on what we know so far:
Why is this happening? The US Department of Agriculture has said it does not have the money to pay $8 billion in food stamp benefits for November amid the funding impasse on Capitol Hill that led the government to shut down on October 1. The agency argues it cannot tap into its roughly $6 billion contingency fund to cover next month’s benefits, though Democratic lawmakers and advocates claim the USDA should — or is even obligated to — use the money.
When will food stamps be halted? Food stamps won’t be issued for November. When beneficiaries will feel the impact varies since states typically provide the benefits on a rolling basis during the month. Some will miss their payments as soon as Saturday, November 1, while others won’t be hit until later in the month.
How many people will be impacted? How many are senior citizens or children? Nearly 42 million people — or about 1 in 8 Americans — received food stamps in May, according to the latest USDA data. Households with children, an elderly individual or a non-elderly person with a disability received 83% of SNAP benefits in fiscal year 2023, according to the USDA. About 39% of food stamp recipients were children, while 20% were elderly and 10% were non-elderly individuals with a disability.
Can states advance funds for SNAP if the federal government can’t pay? States don’t have enough money to cover $8 billion in monthly food stamp benefits, though several have said they will beef up their food assistance programs next month. What’s more, the USDA said it will not reimburse states if they try to cover the cost of the benefits temporarily.
Trump administration to end practice of automatically extending immigrants' work permits
The Trump administration said it is ending the practice of automatically extending work permits for immigrants seeking renewal — a move that will potentially leave thousands of people who are currently employed in limbo.
Immigrants who are legally residing in the US are granted work permissions while their application for benefits or protection are being processed, allowing them to be employed in the country.
The renewal process for those permissions is often delayed and lengthy, which is why US Citizenship and Immigration Services has generally allowed an automatic extension of 540 days.
Only people who have submitted their renewal application before their work permit expires are permitted to get an automatic extension. USCIS processing of those applications can take months, according to federal data.
The administration, however, is ending the automatic extensions, arguing the purpose is to “ensure appropriate vetting and screening,” according to USCIS Director Joseph Edlow.
The announcement warned of a temporary lapse in employment authorization or documentation, which could impact employers who have people with permits working for them.
The change to end the practice of automatically extending work permits for those seeking renewals goes into effect tomorrow.
House staffers set to miss first paycheck of government shutdown
House staffers have received a notice that they will not receive their next paychecks scheduled for October 31, their first missed paycheck of the government shutdown, according to a notice reviewed by CNN.
“Due to the lapse in appropriations, the Chief Administrative Officer’s (CAO) Office of Payroll and Benefits has no authority to pay salaries until an appropriations continuing resolution or a Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bill is signed into law,” the notice states.
House staffers get paid once a month, unlike Senate staffers who get paid twice a month.
Vance calls Rubio "my best friend" in administration and downplays 2028 tension
Vice President JD Vance threw cold water on the idea that any tension would exist between him and Secretary of State Marco Rubio if they both run for president in 2028.
“First of all, no, there’s not going to be any tension. Marco is my best friend of the administration. He and I work a lot together,” Vance said in an interview with the New York Post’s “Pod Force One.”
“So far, I have never woken up and thought to myself, ‘How do I make myself president of the United States?’ What I wake up and think to myself is, ‘How do I do a good job as vice president,’” he added.
While Vance said it’s too early to talk about 2028, his boss doesn’t seem to think so. President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One earlier this week that a Rubio and Vance team would be “unstoppable.”
But Vance said he’s only “joked” about the prospect with Rubio.
“The president first raised this with me probably six months or so ago during just, you know, one of our private lunches,” Vance continued. “And I mentioned to the secretary in jest, but it feels so premature, because we’re still so early.”
When the host noted that Trump doesn’t say, at least publicly, who he thinks should take the top of the ticket, Vance laughed.
“I’m going to work as hard as I can to make the president successful over the next three years and three months, and if we get to a point where something else is in the offer, let’s handle it then, but let’s at least get through the next couple of years,” he said.
Analysis: Why the Xi-Trump meeting is a win for China
For Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a landmark meeting with Donald Trump expected this evening (Thursday morning local time) is a moment to showcase something Beijing has long sought: China standing as an equal to the United States on the global stage.
Trump’s trade war with China has challenged Xi’s drive for growth and innovation, but it’s also given Beijing the unintended gift of a bright spotlight under which to flex its economic strength.
As much of the rest of the world scrambled to flatter Trump and negotiate down global tariffs he unleashed this spring, China fought back with its own measures – until both sides were forced to the table for a truce.
In their first face-to-face meeting of Trump’s second term, they’re expected to agree to a framework for managing their economic ties.
It’s not yet clear what each side has agreed to concede to get to that point – and this is just one touchstone in a complex and volatile competition between superpowers.
But it will also be a moment where Xi is entering the room after cementing a new reality in US-China relations: China will negotiate, but it won’t be cowed.
As Trump continues his Asia tour, get up to speed on the government shutdown in the US
While President Donald Trump is in Asia, back in the US, the government is still shut down for the 29th day.
Republicans’ funding bill to reopen the government failed for a 13th time yesterday as Democrats hold their ground and continue to push for the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Republicans need 60 votes to advance the bill that would fund the government through late November. It’s unclear when the Senate will vote again on a funding bill.
Three senators in the Democratic caucus voted with most Republicans. GOP Sen. Rand Paul voted against advancing the measure.
Impacts from the shutdown are being felt by Americans across the country.
Here’s the latest on the shutdown:
- Travel turmoil: Air traffic controllers received their first $0 paycheck since the shutdown began at the beginning of the month. It came as the Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing shortages and flight delays. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned of “longer-term implications” for the federal government shutdown, noting it could impact holiday travel.
- SNAP benefit concerns: Millions of Americans could lose access to the crucial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the coming weeks. The Department of Agriculture has said it does not have the money to pay $8 billion in food stamp benefits for November. Currently, there is a bipartisan bill in the Senate to continue SNAP benefits, but it’s unclear if the standalone legislation will make it to the floor. Here’s a look at key dates that could intensify pressure on lawmakers to end the government shutdown.
- States step in: States are dipping into their own funds to help residents who rely on food stamps. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said his state is building its own food assistance system for residents and South Carolina is activating a statewide charity fund typically used after hurricanes.
- Lawsuit: A coalition of 25 Democratic-run states, plus Washington, DC, sued the Trump administration to prevent billions of dollars of cuts to federal food assistance that are set to kick in this weekend.
South Korea reaches agreement with US on trade deal details, South Korean official tells reporters
South Korea has reached an agreement on the details of a trade deal with the US on Wednesday, presidential chief of staff for policy Kim Yong-beom told reporters in Gyeongju, following the bilateral meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and Donald Trump.
The agreement on the big frame of the trade deal in July had brought the reciprocal tariff down to 15%, but South Korea’s automobile export was still subject to 25% tariff rate and details on the agreement were not concluded until Trump met with Lee on the sideline of APEC.
Among the $350 billion investments Trump demanded upfront, Kim said that $200 billion will be done in cash and $150 billion through shipbuilding cooperation, which will be led by South Korean companies.
The $200 billion investment will be done over many years, with yearly investment limited to $20 billion depending on the business progress, Kim said.
He added that such limit would make it manageable for South Korean foreign-exchange market, which was the biggest concern for Seoul when asked to originally pay $350 billion in cash.
Wednesday’s agreement will lower automobile tariffs to 15%, same rate as competitor Japan, and semiconductor tariff rate that is not unfavorable compared to rival Taiwan, Kim said.
Trump doesn’t signal a thaw with Canada at small-group dinner
Hours after posting on social media that he “didn’t come to South Korea to see Canada,” President Donald Trump did not appear open to thawing relations with the United States’ northern neighbor today as he attended a dinner with a small group of world leaders that included the country’s prime minister, Mark Carney.
While he offered warm greetings and exchanged pleasantries with many of his other counterparts, Trump did not engage with Carney during a family photo.
Trump and his host, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, stood at the center of the group as Carney stood at the end. At the dinner portion of the event, Trump and Carney were seated across from each other at a table set for eight.
Trump briefly pointed to Carney and the Canadian prime minister gestured back in greeting as the US president took his seat. Carney made a comment to Trump about the ASEAN meeting in Japan, which the president said was a “great meeting.”
Some context: The icy reception comes amid escalating trade tensions between the two countries. Trump said this weekend he would increase tariffs on Canada by 10% over what he called a “fake” ad that featured parts of an anti-tariff speech by former President Ronald Reagan in 1987. He declined to say when the tariffs would go into effect.
During a brief toast, the president thanked Lee for his “red carpet” rollout, touted some of his accomplishments, and looked ahead to his Thursday meeting with China’s leader Xi Jinping, which he predicted could go for “three, four hours.”
US trade deal with South Korea "pretty much finalized," Trump says
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the US has “pretty much finalized” a trade deal with South Korea.
“We had a tremendous meeting today with South Korea. … A lot was determined,” Trump said as he spoke during a dinner with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
“We made our deal, pretty much finalized, a trade deal,” he continued.
Earlier today, Trump said that such a deal would be finalized “very soon.”
A golden crown, a medal and the YMCA: How South Korea flattered Trump
US President Donald Trump has been showered with opulence in South Korea, where he’s just wrapped up a meeting with the country’s leader, Lee Jae Myung, on the final leg of his whistle-stop tour of Asia.
Upon arrival, Trump was greeted by a military band playing “YMCA,” the Village People classic that’s become a rallying cry of sorts for the president and his political movement.
He then addressed CEOs at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where he touted his tariff policy and hinted that a trade deal with South Korea would be finalized “very soon,” before his meeting with Lee.
Appealing to Trump’s love of gold, South Korea gifted Trump a golden crown, its highest honor and treated him to a gold-themed dessert.
All eyes are now on his upcoming meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday local time, where the leaders are expected to discuss a potential trade deal with global economic impacts.
Trump said he would not meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on this trip to Asia, though he’d previously indicated multiple times that he was open to doing so.
Here’s the latest from South Korea:
- The medal: Trump is the first American leader to receive South Korea’s highest honor, the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, awarded in recognition of his efforts to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula.
- The crown: Lee gifted Trump a replica of a historic golden crown in South Korea, the latest lavish present to be bestowed upon him on his Asia tour.
- The dessert: Rounding out the menu for Trump’s working lunch with Lee was a dessert of “Gold-adorned brownies and tangerines… served on a plate lettered with the word “PEACE” to “celebrate a golden era of the Korea-US alliance,” Lee’s office said.
- What Lee wants: South Korea’s leader is pushing for US approval for his country to acquire fuel for nuclear-powered submarines, which it wants to build to keep up with North Korean and Chinese submarines.
- Defense spending: Lee said he will increase South Korea’s military spending to lessen the “burden” on the US.
- Anti-Trump protests: Trump faced small but vocal protests in Gyeongju, South Korea. Anti-Trump activists held up signs and placards, protesting what organizers described as Trump’s “authoritarian” agenda.
Trump treated to a "gold-themed dessert" in South Korea
South Korea is appealing to US President Donald Trump’s love of gold during his trip to the country this week.
Rounding off the menu for the president’s working lunch with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung was a “gold-themed dessert” that is supposed to symbolize “the two nations’ shared commitment to peace and prosperity.”
Gold-adorned brownies and tangerines will be served on a plate lettered with the word “PEACE” to “celebrate a golden era of the Korea-US alliance,” according to Lee’s office.
Earlier, Trump was presented with a replica of a historic golden crown, based on the ancient Silla Kingdom’s gold crown that’s on display at the Gyeongju National Museum.
And Lee wore a custom made gold-colored tie, which his office said “reflects President Trump’s taste for gold, captures the golden future of the South Korea-US alliance and the status of South Korea,” Reuters news agency reported.
Since taking office in January, Trump has brought his proclivity for the precious metal to the White House. The Oval Office has been adorned with lashings of gold decoration, and Trump’s new State Ballroom currently under construction is expected to be replete with gold and crystal chandeliers, gold inlays and gilded columns.
Also on the menu in Gyeongju is an appetizer of Korean seafood with Thousand Island dressing in “a nod to Trump’s New York roots” followed by a main course of short ribs (galbijjim) made from American beef, assorted vegetables and “freshly harvested Gyeongju rice.”
At a dinner banquet later in the day, guests will be served Trump Chardonnay and Trump Cabernet Sauvignon from a winery run by Trump’s son, Eric Trump, according to Lee’s office.
China confirms Xi-Trump meeting on Thursday
China’s foreign ministry has confirmed Chinese leader Xi Jinping will meet with US President Donald Trump in South Korea tomorrow.
The two sides will “exchange views on US-China relations and issues of mutual concern,” a ministry spokesperson said, adding that the meeting would happen in the city of Busan.
Washington announced the much-anticipated summit several days earlier. Beijing typically refrains from confirming the attendance of top officials until meetings draw near.
South Korea's Lee asks Trump for nuclear-powered submarine fuel
South Korea is again pushing for US approval to acquire fuel for nuclear-powered submarines, which it wants to build so it can keep up with North Korean and Chinese submarines.
South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung made the request directly to US President Donald Trump when the pair met in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Wednesday.
“If the President would make a decision to allow us to receive fuel for nuclear-powered submarines, we would appreciate it,” Lee said ahead of his bilateral meeting with Trump Wednesday.
Lee said South Korea did not intend to build submarines that could carry nuclear weapons, but conventionally armed submarines powered by nuclear energy.
“Diesel-powered submarines lack submerging capability limiting us to track North Korean or Chinese submarines,” he said.
Lee said that with US approval for the fuel imports, and new submarines, South Korea could eventually “conduct naval defense operations” in the seas around the Korean Peninsula to “significantly reduce the burden on US forces.’
Some context: Previous South Korean administrations have voiced interest in acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine, but the US has long opposed this, citing concerns over proliferation.
Earlier this year, North Korea showed off what it said was its own under construction nuclear-powered submarine, a weapons system that can pose a major security threat to South Korea and the US.
