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1 in 8 Americans to lose food aid as Trump refuses to tap $5 billion in contingency funds for SNAP

(Fortune) The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1, raising the stakes for families nationwide as the government shutdown drags on. The new notice comes after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, flowing into November. That program helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries. Democratic lawmakers have written to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins requesting to use contingency funds to cover the bulk of next month’s benefits.

Air traffic control staffing problems spiked over the weekend, raising concerns about growing disruption

(CNN) Air traffic controller staffing shortages worsened over the weekend as the nation's government shutdown hit its fourth week, leading to delays and anxiety, and experts say it won't get better until air traffic controllers get paid. More than 50 staffing shortages have been reported since Friday morning, causing delays from Los Angeles to Washington, DC, according to an operations update. Controllers are considered essential workers, so they must work during the shutdown, but are not being paid.

Stephen Miller sidesteps question on US troops in Venezuela as tensions rise

(The Hill) White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller on Friday dodged a question from reporters about the potential for ground troops on Venezuelan soil, as tensions escalate amid the Trump administration’s war on drugs in the Caribbean. While he said he “would not now or ever get into any detailed discussion” about potential military options, Miller called Venezuela a “central hub” for the trafficking of narcotics, weapons and humans.

Trump official admits 'many' targeted drug boats lacked capacity to even reach US

(Raw Story) The Trump administration’s rationale for the targeted strikes – which have received bipartisan condemnation as “extrajudicial killings” – has been to combat drug trafficking it says is orchestrated, in part, by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. However, according to a senior U.S. official who spoke with Drop Site News on the condition of anonymity, a significant number of the vessels that were destroyed lacked the capacity to even reach U.S. waters. Furthermore, the same official told the outlet that the Trump administration’s purported rationale for the strikes – to curb the trafficking of fentanyl – was also not supported by U.S. intelligence.

New Reuters/Ipsos poll: Trump is underwater on everything

Trump Says He Received 'Perfect' MRI During Walter Reed Visit

(Bloomberg) President Donald Trump said he got a MRI during his October visit to Walter Reed Medical Center, without sharing more details on what prompted the imaging test. “I got an MRI; it was perfect,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One Monday. “I gave you the full results.” A one-page summary memo released by the White House earlier this month pronounced Trump in “excellent overall health” and noted his visit included “advanced imaging, laboratory testing and preventative health assessments.” However, the report from Trump’s physician, Sean Barbabella, did not detail what prompted the imaging studies. Neither did Trump.

Treasury Secretary Mocked for Saying He Feels the Pain of Soybean Farmers Because He is One

(Mediaite) “American farmers have really suffered,” Raddatz said Sunday. “Do you see a real light at the end of the tunnel there, they may allow soybeans again?” “Martha, in case you don’t know it, I’m actually a soybean farmer, so I have felt this pain too,” Bessent answered. According to The New York Times, Bessent — a former hedge fund manager whose net worth is estimated to top $500 million — owns as much as $25 million worth of corn and soybean farmland in North Dakota that he rents out to farmers, netting him more than $1 million a year.

Eric Swalwell Calls On 2028 Democratic Nominees To Pledge To Destroy Trump's 'Monument To Corruption' Ballroom

(Mediaite) Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) proposed a stiff litmus test for any Democrat who hopes to be elected president in 2028: pledge to destroy Donald Trump’s $300 million ballroom. Swalwell posted to X on Sunday, “Don’t even think of seeking the Democratic nomination for president unless you pledge to take a wrecking ball to the Trump Ballroom on DAY ONE.” In a follow-up tweet, he added, “Or, as @RubenGallego proposes, rename it the Barack Obama Ballroom. But a Trump monument to corruption will not stand.”

Mamdani rallies with Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez as Democrats close ranks around NYC mayoral nominee

(CNN) As New Yorkers cast their ballots in the city’s mayoral race, Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani sent a message to voters Sunday, asking them not to choose “settling for the lesser of two evils,” warning his supporters to not take his double-digit lead in the polls as a guarantee. “While Donald Trump’s donor billionaires think they have the money to buy this election, we have a movement of the masses,” Mamdani said to a roaring crowd.

'No state has struggled more': Residents of 'Trump stronghold' blame him for epic downturn

(Raw Story) There is one state that has struggled more than any other with Donald Trump's policies, and its residents are worried, even calling the situation "death by a thousand paper cuts," according to a new report. The New York Times on Sunday published an article called "In Trump-Friendly Iowa, the President’s Policies Have Hit Hard," in which the outlet argues that the "state has become a stronghold for President Trump."