Daily Briefing: The government is shut down

Daily Briefing: The government is shut down

Welcome to spooky season 👻!🙋🏼‍♀️ I'mNicole Fallert. Chunk is thefattest bear. The federal governmentshut downat midnight. Life in Broadview, Illinois, has beentransformedamid ICE presence. This WNBA star'sexit interviewwas the news conference heard around the world. There's no end to a government shutdown in sight as Democratic lawmakers demand health care policy changes that President Donald Trump and Republicans have refused to entertain. What is a government shutdown?Each fiscal year, Congress appropriates funds for federal agencies to operate. If Congress does not agree on appropriations or a temporary spending bill, federal agencies must effectively shut down or stop normal spending. How we got here:Both sidestraded barbs over who is to blame. Democrats have demanded the reversal of Medicaid cuts that Republicans passed this year and the extension of health care subsidies be included in a funding measure. Some Americans awake to uncertain employment.Trump said he maylay off"vast numbers" of federal workers and eliminate programs in a shutdown. What happens Wednesday?The Senate will reconvene this morning, while the House won't be in session at all. Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, iskeeping lawmakers in recessin order to pressure Democrats. Will a government shutdowndelayyour flight? A shutdownwon't excuse borrowersfrom making progress on their student loans. Banks, post offices, courts, parks —know what's open and closed. Which Democratsbroke ranksto fund the government? Here's what veteransshould knowabout service disruptions. How do Americansfeelabout a shutdown? A judgeruledTrump's deportation moves against pro-Palestinian students were unconstitutional. Homescollapsedas waves from hurricanes Imelda and Humberto slam North Carolina. How will "TrumpRx"lowerdrug prices? A year after a USA TODAY investigation,a rape kit backlog persists. What's the weather today?Check your local forecast here. President Donald Trump threatened firings and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lambasted "decades of decay" at the Pentagon as they spoke before a silent audience of hundreds of top military commanders who'd traveled from around the world on short notice to hear them at a Quantico, Virginia military base. Hegseth, who took the podium first before a billboard-sized American flag, unveiled his major policy priorities, telling the country's military elite that new measures would weed out political correctness among the world's most powerful armed forces.Critics said the gatheringwas a wasteof taxpayer dollars and dangerous to national security ~Katrina Thompson, mayor of the small village of Broadview outside Chicago home to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility,saying federal agents the area amount to a "siege."Tense moments between the two sides in Broadview have frequently ended with federal agents deploying chemical agents and other crowd control tactics on protesters as well as journalists. Heartbreak overNicole Kidman and Keith Urbanis everywhere. Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and Seth Meyersunitedto say "Hi Donald." We'rewatching"Love is Blind" Season 9. See what 50 differenthomeslook like across America. In her end-of-season comments this week, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier called out WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the league's lack of transparency, in addition to officiating concerns, player safety, and stalled CBA negotiations. Collier, who currently serves as the WNBPA vice president, said she decided to publicly air her grievances after repeated concerns she voiced directly to Engelbert went ignored.Collier made it clear that she was speaking for herself — but fellow WNBA players, coaches and former starsare now speaking upin support of Collier. Engelbert said she was"disheartened"amid the criticism. On the court: The Las Vegas Acesheld off the Indiana Feverto reach the WNBA Finals. October is here and so are Trader Joe's Halloween-themed mini canvas bags.Here's how to get oneof the viral totes. Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY,sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Shutdown, hurricane, military, ICE, WNBA, Halloween, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban: Daily Briefing

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October 01, 2025

Daily Briefing: The government is shut down

Daily Briefing: The government is shut down Welcome to spooky season 👻!🙋🏼‍♀️ I'mNicole Fallert. Chunk is thefattest bear. The federal...

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Democrats embrace a shutdown fight in a rare moment of unity against Trump

Democrats embrace a shutdown fight in a rare moment of unity against Trump

NEW YORK (AP) — On this, at least, the Democrats agree: It's time to fight. Whether far-left activists, Washington moderates or rural conservatives, Democratic leaders across the political spectrum are shrugging off the risks and embracinga government shutdownthey say is needed to push back against PresidentDonald Trumpand his Republican allies in Congress. For Democrats, the shutdown fight marks a line in the sand born from months of frustration withtheir inability to stop Trump's norm-busting leadership. And they will continue to fight, regardless of the practical or political consequences, they say. "It's a rare point of unification," said Jim Kessler, of the moderate Democratic group Third Way. "Absolutely there are risks," he said. "But you're hearing it from all wings of the Democratic Party: The fight is the victory. They want a fight. And they're going to get one." Asthe shutdownbegins, there are few signs of cracks across the Democratic Party's diverse coalition. Even progressive critics from the party's activist wing are applauding Senate Democratic leaderChuck Schumerand House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who are insisting that any government spending package mustextend health care subsidiesthat are set to expire at the year's end.Donald Trump, backed by the Republicans who control Congress, insists on supporting only a "clean" spending package that excludes the health care measure. Trump blames 'radical left' The fight is already ugly as Trump uses his presidential bully pulpit — and taxpayer-funded government resources — tocast blameon the Democrats. The Department of Housing and Urban Development's website on Tuesday welcomed all visitors with this message: "The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people." The president himself posted on social media a deepfake video of Schumer implying that Democrats are fighting to give free health care toimmigrantsin the country illegally. The fake video, widely condemned as racist, depicted Jeffries with a Mexican sombrero and fake mustache. In a press conference, Jeffries offered a harsh message to the president. "The next time you have something to say about me, don't cop out through a racist and fake AI video. When I'm back in the Oval Office, say it to my face," the top House Democrat said. 'I'd rather be us than them' Privately, political operatives from both sides concede that government shutdowns are bad for both parties. But with Democrats dug in, the Trump administration appeared almost eager to shut down the government this time — having alreadythreatened the mass firingof federal workers in the event of a shutdown. And as the GOP blames its rivals in the other party, Democrats say they are confident voters understand that Trump's party controls the White House and both chambers of Congress — and, therefore, Republicans will suffer more political consequences for the chaos in Washington. "I think I'd rather be us than them in this fight," veteran Democratic strategist James Carville said. "The incumbent party will suffer more." And yet Carville acknowledged that Democratic leadership in Washington had little choice but to take a hard line in the budget negotiations with Trump's GOP. The party's activist base, he said, demanded it. Frustrated progressives have been screaming for months at Democratic leaders, who have limited power in Washington as the minority party, to use more creative tactics to stop Trump. They are getting their wish this week. "They're finally not just rolling over and playing dead," said Ezra Levin, co-founder of the progressive activist group Indivisible. "Indivisible leaders are cheering them on." What do voters think? The political impact, meanwhile, is hard to predict as each side presents conflicting data points. On the ground in Virginia and New Jersey, which hostgovernor's electionsin little more than a month, the issue was only just beginning to be a focus on the eve of the shutdown. Virginia's Republican candidate for governor, Lt. Gov.Winsome Earle-Sears, refused to answer directly when asked during a Tuesday interview with NBC whether she would tell Trump not to fire any more federal workers in a shutdown. Instead, she encouraged her Democratic opponent, Rep.Abigail Spanberger, to tell Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner to vote for a "clean" spending bill. "If we're talking about across-the-board cuts, then again, we have to include Sens. Kaine and Warner in this. They have a part to play," said Earle-Sears, ignoring a follow-up question about her message to Trump. Virginia's large population of federal workers is preparing for major disruption. More than 147,000 federal workers live in Virginia, second only to California, according to data compiled last year by the Congressional Research Service. Many may soon stop being paid. Duringthe 35-day partial shutdownin Trump's first term, 340,000 of the 800,000 federal workers at affected agencies were furloughed. The remainder were "excepted" and required to work with or without pay, although they all received retroactive pay once the shutdown was resolved. Warner, the Virginia senator, said the impact on his state's workforce — or even permanent firings — does not change Democrats' strategy. "I've been very amazed at the comments I've got from federal workers who are saying they've been terrorized enough, they want us to push back," the Democratic senator said. On the Senate floor, Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2-ranked senator in the Democratic caucus, offered a similar message. "On the Democratic side," he said, "we think this is a battle worth fighting." ___ AP writers Olivia Diaz in Richmond, Va.; Mike Catalini in Trenton, N.J.; and Joey Cappelletti and Eunice Esomonu in Washington contributed.

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October 01, 2025

Democrats embrace a shutdown fight in a rare moment of unity against Trump

Democrats embrace a shutdown fight in a rare moment of unity against Trump NEW YORK (AP) — On this, at least, the Democrats agree: It's ...

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Kremlin on Hegseth's war preparation remark: Russia is also strengthening its military

Kremlin on Hegseth's war preparation remark: Russia is also strengthening its military

MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia was also working to strengthen its armed forces when asked about U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's remark that the U.S. must prepare for war to ensure peace. "We also prefer to strengthen our armed forces in every possible way, remaining full supporters of peace and remaining open to solving all problems, including the Ukrainian crisis, through diplomatic negotiations and political contacts," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Asked about an Axios interview in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Kyiv was prepared to say that it would only seek to regain its territory through diplomatic means in the future, Peskov said there was a pause in the negotiation process. He said Kyiv, which has accused Moscow of making unreasonable demands tantamount to surrender, appeared to be in no hurry to resume talks. (Reporting by Dmitry Antonov, Writing by Felix Light; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)

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October 01, 2025

Kremlin on Hegseth's war preparation remark: Russia is also strengthening its military

Kremlin on Hegseth's war preparation remark: Russia is also strengthening its military MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin said on Wednesday t...

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Solo Swimmer, 54, Bitten by 3-Foot Shark in 'Rare Attack' During Marathon Swim Near Los Angeles

Solo Swimmer, 54, Bitten by 3-Foot Shark in 'Rare Attack' During Marathon Swim Near Los Angeles

Getty A 54-year-old man was bitten by a 3-foot-long shark while swimming between Santa Catalina and San Pedro at around 1.30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept 30 The marathon swimmer sustained wounds to his foot and leg and was attended to by his accompanying crew before four boats from the Los Angeles Fire Department arrived Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Adam VanGerpen told theLos Angeles Timesthat the man was "lucky" the creature just "nipped" at him, adding that the attack was "rare" A man was bitten by a 3-foot-long shark during a solo marathon swim in the ocean near Los Angeles, authorities have confirmed. On Tuesday, Sept. 30, at around midnight, the 54-year-old was swimming from Santa Catalina towards San Pedro — a distance of over 20 miles — when the "rare attack" occurred, authorities toldThe Los Angeles Times. The man had swum around 12 miles off Catalina Island and was halfway towards the mainland when authorities responded to the incident at approximately 1:30 a.m., according toKTLA. "It sounded like about a three to four-foot white shark just nipped at his leg and his foot and then took off," LAFD Fireboat Pilot Shaun Corby told the outlet, withNBC Los Angelesnoting that his cuts were "minor." PEOPLE has contacted the Los Angeles Fire Department for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The swimmer, who was accompanied by a crew, was pulled out of the water and attended to on their boat before authorities arrived, per KTLA. Four boats from the LAFD were dispatched to the man's vessel, with the first arriving around 40 minutes after the initial call for help. The vessel was located approximately eight miles from San Pedro at the time, according toThe Los Angeles Times,who also note that he was treated by two paramedics. "We just grabbed the victim and transported him back to our station, and transported him to the hospital," Corby told KTLA. Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Adam VanGerpen also toldThe Los Angeles Timesthat the man "was awake and talking and sitting up." "He suffered only mild distress," he added. Ted Soqui/Corbis via Getty The swimmer told officials that he and his team left Catalina at around 12:00 a.m. to avoid disruption from shipping lanes. "It's pretty rare and I guess we're all lucky that the shark just nipped at him, didn't like it and swam away," VanGerpen added to theThe Los Angeles Times. Read the original article onPeople

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October 01, 2025

Solo Swimmer, 54, Bitten by 3-Foot Shark in 'Rare Attack' During Marathon Swim Near Los Angeles

Solo Swimmer, 54, Bitten by 3-Foot Shark in 'Rare Attack' During Marathon Swim Near Los Angeles Getty A 54-year-old man was bitten b...

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Clemson, Florida lead college football's biggest disappointments after first month

Clemson, Florida lead college football's biggest disappointments after first month

Inevitably whenevercollege footballspeculation meets reality, the teams that overperform will be balanced by those that don't live up to their billing, fair or not. This piece focuses on the latter group with the first month of the campaign officially in the books. To clarify, this list of September's biggest disappointments will not include teams that lost one of the month's marquee contests. In other words, the likes of Texas, Penn State, Michigan and others that are currently below theirpreseason US LBM Coaches Pollranking will not be included here. We'll also givetwice-beaten Notre Damea pass for now, even if those close defeats have complicated their at-large playoff case. PATH TO PLAYOFF:Sign up for our college football newsletter No, these are the teams whose season's might already be lost, with a long two months still to come. Here are the five biggest busts of September. Preseason ranking:6. Current record: 1-3. There can be no other choice to top this list.A one-score loss to LSUwasn't cause for panic, but fans started to hear alarm bells when the Tigers needed a furious second-half rally to beat Sun Belt member Troy a week later.A walk-off loss at Georgia Techfollowed by a listless outing against Syracuse has now all but eliminated Clemson from the ACC race. A punchless offense that was supposed to be improved is the main culprit, but the defense that is averaging just 2½ sacks a game and has just five takeaways through four games isn't entirely blameless. Preseason ranking:13. Current record: 3-2. There were warning signs when the return game helped mask a spluttering offense in wins against Virginia Tech and Championship Subdivision member South Carolina State. Even so, the 38-7 pummeling on the Gamecocks' home field by Vanderbilt was sobering. Things didn't get much better a week later at unbeaten Missouri. South Carolina did get off the SEC schneid against likely cellar dweller Kentucky, but the Gamecocks' next five opponents are all ranked in the top 13, and the line's inability to keep quarterback LaNorris Sellers from getting pounded doesn't bode well. Preseason ranking:16. Current record: 2-2. The good news for SMU is it is not a member of the Big 12. The Mustangs haven't played an ACC contest yet, so things might still be salvageable given that league's declining reputation. But SMU's inability to get defensive stops against former Southwest Conference foes Baylor and TCU, the only two power-four teams faced to date, is a strong indicator that last year's playoff appearance was a mirage. Preseason ranking:17. Current record: 1-3. Like South Carolina, Florida's preseason projection was based on the perception that last season's promising finish was a sign that the offense, and quarterback D.J. Lagway in particular, would continue to make strides. A plethora of miscues and a three-game losing streak later, and the Gators are staring at another sub-.500 campaign. The defense, still statistically among the best in the SEC despite constantly being put in untenable positions, will at least make future opponents take notice. Preseason ranking:20. Current record: 2-3. Maybe the Dublin curse is real.A three-point loss to Iowa Statedidn't raise red flags on its own, but then a narrow escape against North Dakota portended setbacks against Army and Arizona. The Wildcats did right the ship a bit by beating Central Florida for their first Big 12 win, so things might not be 2024Florida Statelevel bleak. But September was a tough reality check for a team with conference title aspirations. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College football disappointments include Clemson, Florida

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October 01, 2025

Clemson, Florida lead college football's biggest disappointments after first month

Clemson, Florida lead college football's biggest disappointments after first month Inevitably whenevercollege footballspeculation meets ...

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