What we're covering
• Unpaid workers: Hundreds of thousands of people are missing their first full paychecks of the government shutdown today as the impasse extends into another week. Here’s a visual guide of what’s impacted by the shutdown.
• Trade war: President Donald Trump said he was terminating trade talks with Canada in response to an anti-tariff ad released by the Ontario province government, plunging relations into fresh crisis.
• Venezuela buildup: As for another diplomatic flashpoint, three US officials told CNN that Trump is considering plans to target cocaine facilities and drug trafficking routes inside Venezuela.
• Trump travels to Asia: The US president departs this evening for the continent, with stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea — where he’ll hold a high-stakes meeting with Xi Jinping.
A day in politics with CNN. These are headlines you should know
It’s Friday and the government is still closed, President Donald Trump is about to set off for Asia and there are further developments in international trade wars.
These are political headlines across CNN that you should know about:
- We started the day reporting on the Department of Homeland Security funneling $10 billion through the Navy to help facilitate the construction of a sprawling network of migrant detention centers across the US in an arrangement aimed at getting the centers built faster, according to sources and federal contracting documents.
- Then we had analysis on how Americans seem to see through Trump’s legal retribution campaign against his perceived political foes.
- Read how Washington mega lawyer Abbe Lowell, 73, is the fresh face defending many of Trump’s perceived enemies in criminal investigations, security clearance revocations, and other matters.
- And ahead of a weekend summit between Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, we outline just what is at stake.
- We also have analysis on how Trump’s pardoning of Changpeng Zhao, the founder and former CEO of crypto exchange Binance, sends a clear message to white collar criminals.
- And as the government is still shutdown, the impact is spreading through the economy.
- Trump has canceled trade negotiations with Canada over what he called a “fake” ad that featured parts of an anti-tariff speech delivered by conservative hero and former President Ronald Reagan. Find out what the ad was really about.
- We covered how just days after Trump imposed sanctions on Moscow, a top Russian envoy visited the US for “official” talks.
- Trump claimed that grocery prices are “way down,” but that isn’t quite the case. Get the fact check here.
- And with tension rising with Venezuela, Trump is considering plans to target cocaine facilities inside the country, officials say. Get the details here.
- We looked into how the US administration plans to funnel a $130 million donation from an anonymous ally of Trump’s toward paying military service members during the government shutdown.
- How top Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives have taken a Thursday quote from the White House press secretary out of context to deliver a misleading attack on Trump. Read more here.
- Read about how the lingering government shutdown is jeopardizing the safety of air travel and causing flight delays.
- We brought you reporting on how the US Treasury sanctioned Colombian President Gustavo Petro “for his role in the global illicit drug trade.”
Here's where the latest air traffic control staffing issues are being reported today
The Federal Aviation Administration reported several additional air traffic control staffing problems in its 2 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. ET operations plans this afternoon.
Here’s the latest information:
- Centers, which typically deal with high altitude flights, are short staffed around Atlanta until 6 p.m. ET and Denver until 7:30 p.m. ET.
- Earlier today, staffing shortages were reported at Newark’s control tower, which have been resolved, but the facility that handles flights approaching and departing the New Jersey airport is still short staffed until 9 p.m. ET.
- Houston’s approach facility also will not have its full complement of controllers until midnight ET. Planes headed to the city’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport are currently being delayed on the ground an average of more than half an hour
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s control tower is also understaffed from 8:30 p.m. ET to 1 a.m. ET.
- The control tower at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport will not have its full complement of staffing from 6 p.m. ET to 10:30 p.m. ET.
There have been 217 staffing shortages reported since the start of the shutdown, more than four times the number reported on the same dates last year.
This post has been updated with the latest staffing reports from the FAA.
Democratic lawmaker gets ignored at House pro forma as Grijalva goes a month without swearing in
Democratic Rep. April McClain Delaney tried to get recognized during a pro forma session today in the House to call on Speaker Mike Johnson to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, but she was ignored.
“I came in here today as part of the Democratic caucus to really uplift again during the pro forma that the speaker should be directed to administer the oath of office to Rep. Grijalva from the great state of Arizona,” she told a group of reporters Friday.
The Republican in the chair, Rep. Adrian Smith, did not recognize Delaney and ended the session.
“The speaker should be directed to administer the oath of office. … Thirty-one days ago she was elected and yet she still has not been administered the oath? … It’s ridiculous because the people of Arizona deserve representation. They deserve to have their constituent offices, to have legislation, and for her to start getting moving,” McClain Delaney said.
Democrats have repeatedly called on Johnson to swear in Grijalva, but he has held firm that she will not be sworn in until the House is back in regular session and the government is reopened.
Johnson in recent weeks has kept the House out of session and lawmakers in their home districts while the Senate attempts to pass the GOP’s stopgap government funding proposal.
Smith, when asked about his message to federal workers that have gone without pay during the shutdown, said: “Well, I appreciate their service. I appreciate the challenges that they face. And this is an avoidable situation, avoidable especially by Chuck Schumer.”
Ontario premier says it will pause ad campaign featuring Ronald Reagan and criticizing US tariffs on Monday
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the ad campaign criticizing US tariffs would pause on Monday “so that trade talks can resume” between the two countries.
The advertisements were released last week by the government of Canada’s Ontario province and were running in the US. Yesterday, President Donald Trump said he was ending trade talks with Canada in response.
Ford said he made the decision to end the ads after speaking with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The ads featured featured audio from a speech by former US President Ronald Reagan where he lambasted tariffs as hurting “every American worker and consumer” and “triggering fierce trade wars.”
The Ronald Reagan Foundation later claimed it “misrepresents” the speech, and that the Ontario government had not asked permission to use the clip.
Watch the ad below
Debris from the demolition of the White House East Wing seen being dumped in DC park
This afternoon, a dump truck full of dirt arrived at the East Potomac Park Golf Course in Washington, DC, and dumped its load as curious golfers looked on.
One construction worker, who did not want to be named because the person is not authorized to speak with the media, confirmed to CNN that the dirt came from the East Wing of the White House. The East Wing was recently demolished to make room for President Donald Trump’s new ballroom.
CNN observed four dump trucks over the course of about an hour deposit dirt at the site and a bulldozer then assemble dirt mounds.
A handful of construction workers were at the site as nearby golfers made their rounds on the links, which sits on an island in the Potomac River.
Workers also unloaded fencing from a truck bed and reinforced the barriers around the site which is located between holes five and six. A National Park Services employee was also seen putting up signs that read: “DO NOT ENTER RESTRICTED AREA ” at the entrance of the construction site.
CNN has reached out to the East Potomac Golf Links, the National Park Service, and the US Park Police for comment.
See the latest below on the demolition.
Ending extended holdout, House minority leader endorses Mamdani for NYC mayor ahead of early voting
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has endorsed Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, ending an extended holdout that was being closely watched.
The top House Democrat had long set early voting as his self-imposed deadline to address the race. For months, he had been among several senior Democrats who had declined for months to back Mamdani after his surprise victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the primary in June.
Among the points of tension between the Mamdani and Jeffries camps was talk by democratic socialists of challenging Jeffries and other US House Democrats in primaries. A top Jeffries aide dismissed some of Mamdani’s allies as being for “Team Gentrification.”
Donors to White House ballroom effort might get names etched in the new stone, officials say
Donors helping finance President Donald Trump’s new East Wing ballroom might get their names displayed on a plaque or etched into the new stone or in the ballroom itself, though no final decisions have been made, two White House officials told CNN.
The donors received a pledge form from the White House earlier this year, giving them the option to make contributions in a lump sum or spread them out over three payments by 2027, the officials said.
The form, which says it is for “The Donald J. Trump Ballroom at the White House,” also states that donors may be eligible to leave their mark on the new ballroom as recognition of their contribution. The name for the new ballroom has not yet been officially decided, the officials said, despite the reference to “The Donald J. Trump Ballroom” on the form.
Donors also will have the option not to publicize their contributions.
Bloomberg News first reported on the pledge.
Senate Democrats to force votes on reversing tariffs on Canada and other countries next week
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says Senate Democrats will force votes on reversing tariffs on Canada and other countries next week.
“Americans cannot afford Donald Trump’s price-spiking tariff temper tantrums. These constant tantrums end up costing Americans real money. Refusing to negotiate with Canada to alleviate the tariffs will ensure that Americans continue to pay an average of $1,300 due to higher prices on everything from lumber to beef,” Schumer said in a statement.
“The madness must stop. Next week, Senate Democrats will force votes to reverse Donald Trump’s damaging tariffs on Canada and other countries that have been one of the driving forces behind higher prices. Americans will see if Republicans put Donald Trump or average families first.”
Sen. Tim Kaine told CNN earlier this week that he thinks they will also vote on reversing tariffs on Brazil and the countries included in the so-called “liberation day” tariffs announcement.
Jeffries says he's "refused to articulate" position on Mamdani but will "at some point" ahead of early voting
A day ahead of early voting starting in the New York mayoral race, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries continued to dodge on why he has yet to endorse Zohran Mamdani.
Jeffries continued to say “stay tuned.”
“I will have more to say about the mayor’s race when I have more to say about the mayor’s race in advance of early voting when I’m back home tomorrow,” he said.
Jeffries started out his Friday press conference by calling out rising inflation numbers and called on Republicans to end their four week “vacation.”
Pressed again about what can be done to prevent people from losing critical food assistance in November during the ongoing government shutdown, Jeffries said President Donald Trump can tap into emergency funds, but he accused Republicans of trying to “weaponize hunger.”
Newark air traffic control tower reports first staffing shortage of the day
The first air traffic controller staffing shortage of what could be a busy day has been reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Newark Liberty International Airport’s air traffic control tower is short-staffed until 2 p.m. ET, according to the most recent publicly available operations plan.
The problems at the airport are not expected to cause a major impact, but it is the first report of what could be a significant number of staffing issues.
Since the start of the shutdown, Friday evenings have typically seen more air traffic controllers not come to work than most other parts of the week.
The FAA also reported an additional air traffic control staffing problem at the Houston Terminal Radar Approach Control, which handles flights in and out of the city’s airports. It will be short staffed until at least 4 p.m. ET. It has not had its normal complement of controllers each of the last four days, which at times has led to delays at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports.
There have been 211 staffing shortages reported since the start of the shutdown, more than four times the number reported on the same dates last year.
Remember: Air traffic controllers are required to work during the government shutdown but are not being paid. Transportation secretary Sean Duffy has noted some controllers are calling out sick because of the shutdown. Duffy is expected to hold a news conference at Philadelphia International Airport this afternoon.
Not every staffing problem causes delays, as air traffic controllers can route flights to airspace where more people are working, but sometimes there is no choice but to slow flights down so the controllers who show up can maintain safety.
This post has been updated with additional reporting on delays in Houston.
"We can’t control the trade policy of the US," Canadian prime minister says
Canada “can’t control the trade policy of the US,” the country’s prime minister told reporters on Friday, a day after US President Donald Trump said he was terminating trade talks with Ottawa.
“We recognize that that policy has fundamentally changed from the policy in the 1980s, 1990s, the 2000s, and it’s a situation where the United States has tariffs against every one of their trading partners in different countries,” Mark Carney told reporters shortly before boarding a plane to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Canadian officials have been working with their American counterparts to negotiate tariffs, he said, adding that “a lot of progress” has been made.
“We stand ready to pick up on that progress and build on that progress when the Americans are ready to have those discussions, because it will be for the benefit of workers in the United States, workers in Canada and families in both of our countries,” Carney said.
Meanwhile, US taps career ambassador to serve as civilian lead supporting Gaza ceasefire
The US State Department has tapped Ambassador Steven Fagin to serve as the civilian lead for the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) supporting the Gaza ceasefire.
Fagin will serve as the diplomatic counterpart to Adm. Brad Cooper, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this week when previewing the appointment of a senior foreign service officer.
He will work with the civilian and military personnel stationed at the center, including some 200 US troops. The CMCC was established after Gaza ceasefire and hostage release was agreed to serve as the hub for coordinating humanitarian, logistical, and security operations and to monitor the ceasefire.
Fagin, a career diplomat, has most recently been serving as US ambassador to Yemen, based remotely in Riyadh.
Rubio said before departing for Israel on Wednesday that the department planned to appoint “an experienced career Foreign Service officer that is highly regarded.”
“It’s important, and particularly over the next couple weeks, that we keep the ceasefire together,” he said.
“There’s more work to be done, and we know that. So the first couple weeks are going to be key.”
Rubio visited the CMCC on Friday.
Trump is heading to Asia today for a string of high-stakes meetings. Here's a look at his schedule
President Donald Trump departs this evening for his first trip to Asia since taking office in January, with stops in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea.
In South Korea, he’ll hold a high-stakes meeting with Xi Jinping, the first face-to-face meeting with the Chinese leader of his second term.
Trump will depart the White House at 11 p.m. ET today for Malaysia, where he’ll meet Sunday with the country’s prime minister before attending a working dinner for leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
On Monday, Trump continues on to Tokyo, Japan, meeting Tuesday morning with newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
On Wednesday, Trump travels to Busan, South Korea, where he will hold a bilateral meeting with President Lee Jae-myung before speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and participating in a US-APEC leaders working dinner.
Capping off the trip Thursday is the much-hyped Xi meeting. Following that bilateral meeting, Trump returns to the US.
Meanwhile, Hegseth says US has conducted 10th strike against alleged drug smuggling boat, killing 6
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today that the US had conducted an overnight strike against a boat he said was operated by a drug cartel and smuggling narcotics in the Caribbean.
The strike, which Hegseth said killed six people, brings the total number known of targeted boats to 10 and the number of people killed to 43 since the US began its campaign last month.
The strikes, which have been conducted without judicial proceedings or a declaration of war by Congress, have raised questions about the limits of presidential power and been sharply criticized by the governments of Colombia and Venezuela — where many of the boats appear to have originated — and also by the families of those killed, some of whom denied their relatives were involved in drug smuggling.
Hegseth said in his post to X that the boat most recently targeted was being operated by Tren de Aragua, a criminal cartel which President Donald Trump designated as a foreign terrorist organization near the beginning of his second term. The gang has been targeted in previous US boat strikes.
“The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” the defense secretary said in his post to X.
Why Trump is ending trade talks with Canada
President Donald Trump said he was terminating trade talks with Canada in response to an anti-tariff advert released by the Ontario province government, plunging relations into fresh crisis.
A Canadian-made anti-tariff ad, released on US television and featuring audio from former President Ronald Reagan, has sparked a sharp response from President Trump. He announced on Truth Social that he’s ending all trade negotiations with Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed to double Canada’s exports beyond the US.
Hundreds of thousands of workers won't get paid today as the shutdown extends through the weekend. Here's the latest
The government shutdown will extend into next week, as the Senate leaves town for the weekend without a deal to reopen the government.
Yesterday, Senate Democrats blocked a GOP-led bill to pay workers who are deemed essential during the shutdown. Many Democrats have said they want to pass a bill that also pays furloughed federal workers, though Republicans rejected their alternatives.
Today, hundreds of thousands are set to miss their first full paychecks of the shutdown.
Here’s the latest on the shutdown:
- The Federal Aviation Administration has reported even more air traffic controller staffing shortages, with more than 200 since the shutdown started. House Speaker Mike Johnson said there was “not an existing pot of money” to cover air traffic controllers’ salaries.
- Senators admitted they’re concerned that funding for federal food assistance benefits is at risk amid the shutdown after the White House warned key federal food assistance benefits are on the verge of running out.
- Soldiers set to leave the US Army during the government shutdown will instead be involuntarily retained.
- Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin said the state will provide food stamp-like benefits for low-income residents starting next month if the federal government’s funds for food stamps are exhausted amid the shutdown.
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is reinstating roughly 3,000 furloughed workers at a time when millions of Americans will be signing up for Medicare and Affordable Care Act coverage. The agency, which oversees Medicare, Obamacare and Medicaid, will draw on user fees it charges to share data with researchers to restore daily operations.
- More than 450 former employees of the National Park Service are urging Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to close America’s national parks until the government shutdown ends.
Reduced to rubble: The East Wing of the White House, and the 123 years of American history it embodied
CNN’s Anderson Cooper has the latest.
We don't know what the White House ballroom will look like, but we do know who's paying for it
CNN’s Erin Burnett reports on the list of donors behind President Trump’s controversial White House ballroom.
CNN’s Erin Burnett reports on the list of donors behind President Trump’s controversial White House ballroom.
Many federal workers will miss their first full paychecks of the shutdown, starting today
Friday will not be payday for hundreds of thousands of federal workers, who will miss their first full paychecks as the government shutdown grinds on. Others will not receive their full paychecks as scheduled in coming days.
Roughly 1.4 million civilian federal employees are either furloughed or working without pay during the shutdown, which began October 1. When staffers are paid depends on their agency and payroll processing system.
Going without pay is causing serious financial hardship for many federal workers. Hundreds of staffers lined up at a Washington, DC, food bank event earlier this week to receive canned goods and other groceries.
Many workers received smaller paychecks earlier this month since they were not compensated for the first few days of October. They did, however, get paid for working at the end of September.
Senate Democrats yesterday blocked a GOP-led bill to pay workers who are deemed essential during the shutdown. Many Democrats have said they want to pass a bill that also pays furloughed federal employees, though Republicans on Thursday rejected their alternatives. But some Republicans and Democrats have expressed optimism that there could be a bipartisan deal on a compromise measure.
The Trump administration has moved to pay certain federal workers, as well as the military and National Guard, at least temporarily. Also receiving paychecks are Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents and more than 70,000 law enforcement personnel in the Department of Homeland Security, including in Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the US Secret Service and other divisions. The DHS law enforcement personnel were set to receive a paycheck this week that would cover the first four days of October, overtime and the next pay period, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on X.
