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With no end in sight for the political standoff that shuttered the federal government, funding for some key programs is drying up. More than 40 million Americans may not see their food stamps issued next month, as the government shutdown extends into its third full week. Some states have begun warning their residents of the looming threat to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP. Because Republicans in Washington D.C., failed to pass a federal budget, causing the federal government shutdown, November 2025 SNAP benefits cannot be paid, a notification on Pennsylvanias SNAP info page reads. New York Governor Kathy Hochul demanded that the federal government release funds for SNAP recipients, accusing the Trump administration of deliberately enacting a cruel, senseless and politically motivated punishment that could be avoided. Im outraged that Washington Republicans are deliberately withholding federal funding from millions of New Yorkers who rely on SNAP to put food on the table, Hochul said in a press release, highlighting the three million New Yorkers who stand to be affected by a SNAP shortfall. Ronald Ward, the acting associate administrator of SNAP, warned states in a letter that the program was only funded through October, Axios reported earlier this month. That budget shortfall could leave 42 million people without the benefits they rely on, beginning in November. The letter cautioned states to hold off on distributing funds to SNAP recipients EBT cards until further notice. Blame game The federal shutdown has turned into a heated blame game, even compared to past shutdown standoffs. At the end of September, Democrats refused to support a bill to fund the federal government, seizing on the rare opportunity for political leverage to demand an extension to the tax credits that reduce the cost of health insurance for millions of Americans. Democrats have also called for Republicans to roll back Medicaid cuts from the Big Beautiful Bill that passed in July. Because Republicans cant hit the 60 vote threshold needed to fund the government without Democrats, the shutdown is a stalemate unless one side backs down. The Trump administration has taken extraordinary measures to associate the shutdown with his political opposition, even ordering airports to play a video of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for shutdown-related travel delays. Many airports refused to air the video, citing policies against displaying political content. Noem isnt the only member of Trumps cabinet to spread that messaging. Democrats are putting free healthcare for illegal aliens and their political agenda ahead of food security for American families, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on X, blaming what she referred to as the Democrat shutdown. During the shutdown, some government websites are displaying unusually partisan messages. The USDAs website is currently topped by a banner noting that it wont be updated and blaming the Radical Left Democrat shutdown. President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people, the message reads. Selective funding Most of the federal government is shuttered in light of the political standoff, but the Trump administration is finding ways to fund its own political priorities. Trump ordered the Pentagon and the White House to use all available funds to pay active-duty members of the military, avoiding the political fallout of servicemembers missing paychecks. The White House also opted to fund the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, better known as WIC, using money collected from tariffs. “The Trump White House will not allow impoverished mothers and their babies to go hungry because of the Democrats’ political games, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios. The Democrats are so cruel in their continual votes to shut down the government that they forced the WIC program for the most vulnerable women and children to run out this week.Thankfully, President Trump and the White House have identified a creative solution to transfer https://t.co/tj9Xt7f4yQ— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) October 7, 2025 Trump went around Congress to allocate those funds, but Congress also has the ability to selectively dole out cash for programs that would otherwise have their funding cut off during a federal shutdown. Still, the food stamps program may not be a priority for Republicans given the partys willingness to slash SNAP dramatically to fund tax cuts and defense spending in the massive bill that passed this summer. The federal shutdowns short-term hit to SNAP could be devastating for Americans who rely on the program to put food on the table, but lasting changes to the program mean fewer Americans will be eligible for food assistance when the spigot of federal funds does eventually open back up.
Category:
E-Commerce
President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a critical-minerals deal at the White House on Monday as the U.S. eyes the continents rich rare-earth resources when China is imposing tougher rules on exporting its own critical minerals abroad. The two leaders described the agreement as an $8.5 billion deal between the allies. Trump said it had been negotiated over several months. Todays agreement on critical minerals and rare earths is just taking the U.S. and Australia’s relationship to the next level,” Albanese added. This month, Beijing announced that it will require foreign companies to get approval from the Chinese government to export magnets containing even trace amounts of rare-earth materials that originated from China or were produced with Chinese technology. Trump’s Republican administration says this gives China broad power over the global economy by controlling the tech supply chain. Australia is really, really going to be helpful in the effort to take the global economy and make it less risky, less exposed to the kind of rare earth extortion that were seeing from the Chinese, Kevin Hassett, the director of the White Houses National Economic Council, told reporters on Monday morning ahead of Trumps meeting with Albanese. Hassett noted that Australia has one of the best mining economies in the world, while praising its refiners and its abundance of rare earth resources. Among the Australian officials accompanying Albanese are ministers overseeing resources and industry and science, and Australia has dozens of critical minerals sought by the U.S. The prime minister’s visit comes just before Trump is planning to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea later this month. For Albanese’s part, the prime minister said ahead of his visit that the two leaders will have a chance to deepen their countries’ ties on trade and defense. Another expected topic of discussion is AUKUS, a security pact with Australia, the U.S., and the United Kingdom that was signed during U.S. President Joe Bidens Democratic administration. Trump has not indicated publicly whether he would want to keep AUKUS intact, and the Pentagon is reviewing the agreement. Australia and the United States have stood shoulder to shoulder in every major conflict for over a century, Albanese said ahead of the meeting. I look forward to a positive and constructive meeting with President Trump at the White House. The center-left Albanese was reelected in May and suggested shortly after his win that his party increased its majority by not modeling itself on Trumpism. Australians have chosen to face global challenges the Australian waylooking after each other while building for the future, Albanese told supporters during his victory speech. By Seung Min Kim and Aamer Madhani, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
Get ready to hurry up and wait. As delays and cancellations continue to pile up at the nations busiest airports during the weeks-long government shutdown, some travelers who have been anticipating extra headaches are hedging their bets with extra insurance protections. According to data shared with Fast Company from the price comparison service InsureMyTrip, 10% of travel insurance policies purchased in September and into October have included cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage. Thats the highest percentage of the year so far and above the average of 8% seen from January through August, InsureMyTrip says. The additional protection, which can increase your insurance costs by upwards of 50%, according to NerdWallet, can be a kind of safety net for travelers who are willing and able to spend the extra cash. Travel delays are among the most visible impacts of prolonged government shutdowns, adding increased uncertainty and chaos as air traffic controllers who are being forced to work for partial or no pay call in sick or take leave. Over the weekend, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that staffing shortages were causing delays at airports in Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, and Newark, according to Reuters. With no end in sight to the political impasse that led to the shutdown, the problem is likely to get worse as thousands of air traffic controllers are expected to miss their paychecks at the end of this month. A hedge against government dysfunction Travel disruptions caused by government regulations are not covered under standard insurance plans, according to InsureMyTrip. Additionally, travelers who had planned to visit one of Americas national parkswhich are only partially open or have reduced services during the shutdownmight find they have little recourse under a standard plan. CFAR coverage offers more protection against the unexpectedor against the expected, depending on your level of confidence in our governments ability to function the way its supposed to. The increased interest in CFAR coverage tracks with a recent report from the trade publication Insurance Business, which cited consumers seeking extra protections in a perpetually uncertain world. According to InsureMyTrip, travelers who opt for that extra coverage can be reimbursed up to 75% of their trips non-refundable costs, provided they cancel 48 hours before they actually leave. Would-be fliers may be considering doing just that. Data from flight tracking service FlightAware shows that delays and cancellations into, within, and out of U.S. airports spiked again this weekend, with some 7,806 delays on Sunday alone. window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}); Americas tourism industry was already facing headwinds before the shutdown, with the U.S. Travel Association expecting total inbound spending to fall 3.2% to $173 billion in 2025, its first decline since 2020. Still, domestic leisure travel had been a bright spot. It’s expected to grow 1.9% to $895 billion this year, according to the associations fall travel update. Whether or not it hits that number might yet depend on a number of possible outcomes, including the most unlikely of all: elected officials doing their jobs.
Category:
E-Commerce
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