What we're covering
• USDA’s order: The Department of Agriculture ordered states to stop issuing full food stamp benefits and to “immediately undo” steps taken to issue full benefits for November as the government shutdown drags on.
• Thanksgiving travel in question: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNN he believes air travel will be “reduced to a trickle” ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday as airlines continue to implement FAA-mandated reductions in flights. You can track today’s cancellations here.
• In the Senate: Majority Leader John Thune indicated the Senate plans to take an initial vote today on a working plan to reopen the federal government, as Republicans hope to break the funding impasse with Democrats.
Senators near deal to reopen government as key Democrats signal willingness to back plan
Several Senate Democrats are signaling a willingness to vote to reopen the government if they secure some final key concessions from the White House, according to a person involved in the talks, a sign that a major breakthrough could be within reach amid the longest shutdown in US history.
The emerging deal would include a stopgap measure to extend government funding until January and be tied to a larger package to fully fund several key agencies.
The deal would not include an extension of the expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies — a key Democratic demand — but it would guarantee a vote in the Senate on the issue at a later date.
There are no assurances that the extension of ACA subsidies would become law.
The source said Democrats recognize that President Donald Trump’s new hardline against extending the ACA subsidies prevents a real chance of reaching a bipartisan deal on that issue, so several of them are willing to settle for a stand-alone vote to end the worsening shutdown crisis.
There are still some key sticking points that must be resolved before the government can reopen, according to the source. Chief among them is the demand by Democrats to reinstate federal workers fired by the Trump administration.
It’s unclear when the votes may occur as the final negotiations play out behind the scenes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled the initial vote could take place as soon as Sunday.
The Senate would first vote to take up the House-passed stopgap measure, which eight Democrats would need to support for it to advance. Then, the Senate would amend that bill with the larger funding package negotiated between the two parties.
If the bill passes the Senate, it would have to go back to the House for final passage to send to Trump’s desk to reopen the government. The process could take several more days to play out.
A passenger's advice to others following a diverted flight: "Bring patience"
Many travelers across the country are battling changes to their travel plans as the ongoing government shutdown makes an impact on them.
Tracy Nicholson, a travel adviser, shared her story on TikTok and explained to CNN how her travel day resulted in a diverted flight, lots of patience and a rental car.
Nicholson was initially scheduled on a Delta flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, but due to staffing issues, the plane was diverted to Birmingham, Alabama, leaving many passengers without a way to get to their original destination.
When the plane landed in Birmingham, the waiting game began. Nicholson explained that there were not enough gate agents so passengers had to wait on the plane before they could deplane, then they had to wait for the bags as there wasn’t enough staff to help handle all the luggage.
“If you have your travel booked just bring patience, be prepared that it may get delayed,” Nicholson said.
Nicholson noted that Delta provided the option of buses to help passengers get to Atlanta, but she opted to rent a car to drive herself.
She eventually made her way back to Atlanta just after 2 a.m. local time, which was about 10 hours after the initial time she was expected to land in the city.
Watch the moment Nicholson heard the announcement from the pilot:
Delta Airlines cancels 14% of flights Sunday
Delta Airlines has canceled 492 flights, or 14 percent, of their flights Sunday, according to FlightAware.
“Canceling a flight is always a last resort after all options have been exhausted,” Delta spokesperson Emily Pitchford told CNN in an email.
Additionally, 19% of the airline’s flights are delayed.
“All planned FAA-directed flight cancellations through Tuesday, Nov. 11 have been completed,” Pitchford said.
Customers receive notifications through text, email and via the Delta application when a flight is canceled along with a rebooking option to the next best flight, Pitchford explained.
Customers are instructed on how to make further changes if needed on the app, delta.com or by calling the airline directly.
Travelers at Atlanta airport anxiously wait to see if their flights will take off
As passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport anxiously check to see if their flights are canceled or delayed due to the government shutdown, many are calling on politicians to come together to find a solution.
Nicole Scott-Hughes told CNN she’s been checking every 15 minutes to make sure her flight to Dallas for business hasn’t been canceled.
“I’m traveling to Dallas, and my company was just bought out, so we’re actually doing implementation for a payroll system. So it’s really important that we get there. Seven thousand people rely on us to pay them,” she said.
Scott-Hughes said it’s unfortunate that flights are being canceled due to the shutdown.
“People have real lives and real things are going on, so it’s unfortunate that we can’t get this together,” she said.
Another passenger, Bill Grill, said he believes both sides of the aisle need to tackle the issue.
“I don’t think it’s one side or the other. I think we just need to get together and figure this out,” Grill said.
Sarah Lundeen noted that many workers have been forced to continue working without pay as the shutdown goes on.
“I understand from people coming to work without being guaranteed pay or waiting on back pay. I can understand why it’s tough to keep everything staffed,” she said.
When asked what bothers her the most, Lundeen said it’s “the unwillingness to negotiate, to come to the table over it.”
“I understand the different policy perspectives, proposals, but I think it’s unacceptable to not be willing to continue to work,” she added.
Senate plans to vote today on reopening the government as Republicans hope to break impasse
Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated the chamber plans to take an initial vote Sunday on a working plan to reopen the federal government, as Republicans hope to break the funding impasse with Democrats.
Thune said he hoped text for the measure would be released “really soon” and expected the chamber to vote soon after. The procedural vote would move to break a Democratic filibuster of a House-passed bill that would have funded the government through November 21.
The measure is expected to be changed to extend federal government spending into January, and will also include three full-year funding bills for military construction, veterans’ affairs, the legislative branch and the Agriculture Department.
It’s not clear whether this new measure will garner enough Democratic support.
Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin said the working plan would only guarantee a future Senate vote on enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, not an extension of the credits that some Democrats have made a key demand in exchange for their votes.
Even if the Senate passes the new funding measure, it would have to go back to the House for another vote before going to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.
Thousands of flights canceled or delayed Sunday with more expected
As of Sunday around 2 p.m. EST, 1,780 flights have been canceled within, into, or out of the United States today.
At least 5,731 flights have been delayed, according to flight tracking site, FlightAware.
The air travel headaches caused by the ongoing US government shutdown and the Federal Aviation Administration’s mandated 4% cut to flights has been compounded by air traffic control staffing problems and a surge of cold air sweeping across the eastern half of the country Sunday and Monday.
More cancellations and delays are expected as airlines will be required to gradually increase their schedule reductions over the next week, unless Congress can come up with a funding compromise to reopen the government.
Here's a timeline of the back-and-forth messaging about the status of food stamps during the shutdown
The US Department of Agriculture on Saturday ordered states to cease issuing full food stamp benefits.
It’s the latest move in a month of uncertainty over the fate of the program during the government shutdown. For weeks, the 42 million Americans who rely on food stamp benefits have gotten inconsistent cues as lawsuits over distributing the aid have worked their way through federal courts.
Here’s a timeline of the back-and-forth since the government shutdown began on October 1:
October 10: The Department of Agriculture indicates it will not tap into contingency funds to supply the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, which nearly 42 million Americans rely on, and tells states to not issue benefits for November.
October 16: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins tells reporters that the program will run out of money in two weeks.
October 28: A coalition of 25 Democratic-run states sue the Trump administration to keep SNAP benefit funds flowing.
October 30: A coalition of cities, nonprofits, unions and small businesses file a lawsuit against the Trump administration to distribute food assistance.
October 31: Two federal judges order the Trump administration to use the emergency funds to at least partially cover food stamp benefits.
November 1: SNAP benefits were scheduled to begin distribution, but still face delays for the Department of Agriculture and states to get money flowing again.
November 3: The Trump administration says it will provide only half of the normal food stamp benefits for the month by tapping into the program’s contingency fund.
November 4: After a threat from Trump to withhold assistance, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tells reporters that she spoke with the president and that the administration would be “fully complying” with a court order to keep some benefits flowing.
November 5: The USDA issues revised guidance to states that will result in food stamp enrollees receiving somewhat larger partial benefits.
November 6: A federal judge in Rhode Island says the Trump administration must fully cover food stamp benefits. The administration quickly appealed the new order, as well as the judge’s ruling from the previous week.
November 7: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily paused a lower court order that required the Trump administration to cover full food stamp benefits. Jackson’s “administrative stay” freezes any additional action by the administration to give an appeals court additional time to review the case. It’s unclear how the case will ultimately impact the billions of dollars spent in federal SNAP funding.
November 8: Following Jackson’s stay, the US Department of Agriculture ordered states to cease issuing full food stamp benefits and to “immediately undo” steps taken to issue full benefits for the month of November. In the Saturday directive, the USDA warned states that failed to comply could face a cancellation of federal cost-sharing of SNAP.
CNN’s Devan Cole, Tami Luhby, Marshall Cohen, Sarah Ferris, John Fritze and Adam Cancryn contributed reporting.
United Airlines cancels more than 600 flights through Tuesday
United Airlines said Sunday it has finalized more than 600 flight cancellations through Tuesday, November 11, to comply with Federal Aviation Administration-mandated airline schedule reductions due to the US government shutdown.
- Sunday, November 9: 158 flights canceled
- Monday, November 10: 190 flights canceled
- Tuesday, November 11: 269 flights canceled
CNN has reached out to other major airlines for lists of planned FAA-mandated cancellations.
Additional cancellations and delays may occur due to ongoing air traffic control staffing issues.
Treasury secretary warns there could be supply chain shortages due to impacts of the shutdown
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said today that cargo is being slowed and warned that “we could end up with shortages, whether it’s in our supply chain, whether it’s for the holidays” because of the ongoing government shutdown.
In a wide-ranging interview on ABC’s “This Week,” Bessent said the economy “is getting worse and worse” because of the shutdown, which at 40 days is the longest stretch of time the federal government has been closed.
The economy has been in focus amid the shutdown, as inflation has climbed and with the Supreme Court hearing arguments last week about President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs, which include duties as high as 50% on goods from India and Brazil.
Earlier today, Trump defended his tariff policy on Truth Social.
GOP senator predicts "breakthrough" to reopen government this afternoon
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina predicted that bipartisan negotiations on funding the government could have a “breakthrough” today because he thinks the strain of the record-breaking shutdown is “backfiring” on Democrats.
Graham rejected Democrats’ demand to rollback Medicaid cuts from President Donald Trump’s domestic policy law, as well as the extension of enhanced tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, which he called “the biggest scam on the planet.”
He also praised the president’s suggestion on Saturday that the billions of dollars used to offset ACA premium costs instead get sent directly to Americans to spend on purchasing their own health insurance.
“The government will reopen today. We’re not going to talk about health care until it does,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune threw cold water this weekend on a proposal by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that would offer enough Democratic votes to end the shutdown in exchange for a one-year extension of enhanced ACA
Senate to reconvene for shutdown talks this afternoon
The Senate returns this afternoon as talks to end the record-breaking shutdown continue, after the chamber finished yesterday evening with no deal.
The Senate will reconvene at 1:30 p.m. on the 40th day of the stalemate, as Senate Majority Leader John Thune has vowed to keep the chamber in session until the government reopens.
A small, bipartisan group of negotiators has been working through a package that would include a stopgap funding bill and a small package of some full-year funding bills.
Thune told reporters on Saturday that they were “getting close” to having legislation drafted, though it is not yet clear how a top sticking point for Democrats will be resolved.
GOP leaders rejected a proposal earlier this weekend by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to vote on a one-year extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies as part of a plan to reopen the government.
President Donald Trump further muddied the waters with a Truth Social post yesterday suggesting that the billions of dollars used to offset ACA premium costs instead get sent directly to Americans to spend on purchasing their own health insurance, a proposal that Democrats have expressed no interest in pursuing.
USDA orders states to stop issuing full SNAP benefits and “undo” benefits sent for November
The US Department of Agriculture ordered states to cease issuing full food stamp benefits and to “immediately undo” steps taken to issue full benefits for the month of November, after a Supreme Court justice on Friday evening temporarily paused a lower court order requiring the agency to pay 42 million Americans their full allotments.
In the Saturday directive, obtained by CNN, the USDA warned states who failed to comply that they could face a cancellation of federal cost-sharing of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, as well as holding states financially responsible for over issuances of benefits.
This latest directive leaves in limbo the roughly 1 in 8 Americans who depend on the nation’s larger anti-hunger program.
The directive follows a memorandum from the department on Friday saying it was working to fully fund food stamp benefits for November to comply with a federal court order, and the process should be completed later Friday.
Several states had quickly pounced on the news, saying the money should start flowing to recipients in coming days.
With less than 3 weeks until Thanksgiving, the US' transit head is predicting travel woes. Here's the latest
We’re hearing from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who said today that he believes air travel will be “reduced to a trickle” ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, which is less than three weeks away.
As for today, more than 1,000 flights so far have been canceled, according to FlightAware. More cancellations are expected as the government shutdown drags on with no end in sight.
If you’re just joining us, here’s more on what we know about flight cancellations and delays:
• Today’s delays: Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport were delayed an average of more than two hours — and up to four and a half hours — Sunday morning due to staffing issues, according to information from the Federal Aviation Administration.
• Today’s staffing shortages: Air traffic control for some of the country’s busiest airports was understaffed today or expected to be, according to an FAA advisory, potentially causing widespread delays. Meanwhile, federal employees picketed outside Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after more than a month of working without pay under the government shutdown.
• More reductions to come: Airlines have started implementing a 4% reduction in domestic flights at 40 of the busiest US airports, following an order from the FAA. Duffy warned the percentage could rise to 15% to 20% if the government shutdown doesn’t end soon.
If you’re concerned about travel issues, here are some tips on how you can navigate flight disruptions.
CNN”s Samantha Waldenberg, Lauren Mascarenhas, Chris Boyette and Adrienne Vogt
EPA administrator previews "drastic furlough" if shutdown continues
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said today his agency will see a new round of furloughs that will impact “environmental protection across the board” on November 21 if the government shutdown continues.
“This is the last pay period before a far more severe, drastic furlough is going to kick in at the EPA, we’re going to see impacts for environmental protection across the board,” Zeldin said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.”
CNN has previously reported that employees at the EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management received intent to RIF notices last month. The division focuses on hazardous waste cleanup and responding to hazardous waste sites, including overseeing the Brownfields program that helps states clean up and reuse previously contaminated sites.
Many of the busiest US airports face air traffic control staffing shortages
Air traffic control for some of the country’s busiest airports was understaffed Sunday or expected to be, according to an FAA advisory, potentially causing widespread delays.
The staffing shortages could force air traffic control at each facility to reduce the number of flights at the airport to maintain safety.
This could lead to flight delays.
- Until 11 a.m. EST: Newark Liberty Internaional Airport Terminal Radar Approach Control
- Until 1 p.m. EST: Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center Area 4
- Until 1:30 p.m. EST: New York Terminal Radar Approach Control Area N90
- Until 1:45. p.m. EST: Nashville International airport Traffic Control Tower
- Until 2 p.m. EST: Atlanta Terminal Radar Approach Control
- Until 2 p.m. EST: Dallas-Fort Worth Terminal Radar Approach Control
- Until 3 p.m. EST: Dallas-Fort Worth airport traffic control tower
- Until 3 p.m. Chicago O’Hare airport traffic control tower
- Until 3 p.m. EST: Newark Liberty International airport traffic control tower
- From 3:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. EST: New York Terminal Radar Approach Control Area N90 (Newark Liberty International Airport)
How many flights have been canceled this weekend?
As Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warns air travel will be “reduced to a trickle” ahead of Thanksgiving, let’s take a look at the extent of ongoing disruption to flights across the country.
Our chart below breaks down the number of cancellations by airline.
Have you been affected? Let us know here and you could be a part of our coverage.
Transportation chief predicts Thanksgiving travel woes: "There are not going to be that many flights"
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said today he believes air travel will be “reduced to a trickle” ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. More than 1,000 flights have been canceled so far today, according to FlightAware, with the number expected to climb.
“Listen, many of them are not going to be able to get on an airplane, because there are not going to be that many flights that fly if (the government) doesn’t open back up.”
Asked how many Americans’ Thanksgiving travel plans could be impacted, Duffy said, “I think the number is going to be substantial. Again, you look at the trend line Jake, and it’s only gotten worse as we’ve gone through the shutdown.”
Airlines have started implementing a 4% reduction in domestic flights at 40 of the busiest US airports, following an order from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Duffy has previously warned that the percentage could rise to 15-20% if the government shutdown doesn’t end soon.
Jeffries defends Schumer proposal and warns GOP not negotiating in good faith on healthcare
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries defended Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s proposal to vote on a one-year extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies in order to reopen the government while casting distrust on Republicans intentions to negotiate on healthcare, highlighting the tenuous state of talks on Capitol Hill to end the record-breaking shutdown.
Jeffries told NBC’s “Meet the Press” he had previously rejected the idea of a one-year extension discussed by rank-and-file House Republicans because, he warned, House GOP leadership has “no interest in driving down the high cost of living for everyday Americans.”
The Schumer proposal, which has already been shut down by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, was offered “in good faith,” Jeffries argued, adding that it “also provides a path toward bipartisan negotiations for a multi-year extension, which would provide the type of certainty that the American people need.”
Asked if he thinks the shutdown will be resolved before Thanksgiving, Jeffries responded, “I hope so,” calling for President Trump to “get off the golf course and get back to the negotiating table.”
What's on Trump's schedule today?
President Donald Trump has spent this weekend in Florida and will leave for Washington this afternoon, according to the White House.
He is expected to depart Palm Beach at around 2.45 p.m. ET, in time to attend the Detroit Lines game against the Washington Commanders at 5.35 p.m ET.
The president is then due to arrive at the White House at 7.45 p.m. ET.
"People against tariffs are fools," says Trump as he floats $2,000 rebate checks
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump defended his trade agenda in a Truth Social post this morning, calling opponents of his tariffs “fools” and promising rebate checks for Americans.
Trump has previously weighed the idea of $2,000 rebates through revenue generated from tariffs. In an interview with OAN on October 1, Trump said. “We’re thinking maybe $1,000 to $2,000 — it would be great.”
For context: Layering rebate checks on top of tariffs “is a very serious risk,” which can cause a more widespread and lasting inflation increase, David Kotok, co-founder of Cumberland Advisors, told CNN in August.
“If you do it as the workforce is shrinking, which is what we have now, then you risk triggering a wage-price spiral,” Kotok said.
Remember: Trump’s comments come after the Supreme Court heard arguments last week over Trump’s authority to impose tariffs through a series of executive orders under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
