united states news

Following a federal government shutdown that threatened to halt SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million Americans, the Trump administration announced it would provide partial funding for November after federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ordered the government to maintain the program. The USDA will use $4.65 billion from an emergency fund, covering roughly half of the normal $8 billion monthly cost, though the exact amounts beneficiaries will receive and timing remain unclear. Multiple states have responded by increasing food bank funding and creating emergency programs to supplement benefits, while Democratic officials criticize the administration for not fully funding the program despite having the authority to do so. The partial funding solution potentially sets up a similar crisis for December if the shutdown continues, leaving millions of low-income Americans uncertain about their ability to afford groceries.

The Trump administration's suspension of SNAP benefits during a government shutdown is creating severe hardship for millions of Americans, particularly affecting Black communities who represent over 25% of recipients despite being only 12.6% of the population. Although two federal judges ruled that the administration must continue funding SNAP, officials indicated benefits lost on Saturday could take at least a week to restore. The disparity in SNAP usage reflects systemic racism stemming from centuries of discriminatory policies that have prevented Black families from accumulating generational wealth, with current data showing Black households earn approximately $36,000 less annually than white households. For Native American communities, the SNAP suspension violates treaty obligations and has prompted multiple tribal nations to declare states of emergency, while food assistance organizations across the country scramble to meet increased demand from families choosing between food and other essential expenses.

Yum! Brands is considering selling its Pizza Hut chain due to persistent underperformance, particularly in the United States where same-store sales have declined for multiple consecutive quarters. While Pizza Hut struggles to attract budget-conscious customers and loses market share to competitors like Domino's and Papa Johns, other Yum! properties including KFC and Taco Bell continue demonstrating strong sales growth. The company's new CEO Chris Turner believes Pizza Hut may achieve better results operating independently outside the Yum! portfolio. This strategic review comes amid broader challenges facing the fast-food industry, including reduced consumer spending driven by inflation and economic uncertainty. # Key Takeaways

Mary Sheffield, Detroit's 38-year-old City Council President and heavily favored mayoral candidate, has made affordable housing and eviction prevention central to her political career and campaign platform. After the tragic carbon monoxide deaths of two children whose unhoused mother had sought help from Detroit's housing system, Sheffield's initiatives have taken on renewed urgency. Her signature achievement, the 2022 right-to-counsel ordinance, has provided free legal representation to over 12,000 low-income households facing eviction, with approximately half retaining their homes and predominantly serving Black women with children. Sheffield's broader vision includes creating neighborhood hubs that consolidate housing assistance, job placement, mental health services, and childcare referrals, alongside programs for senior home repairs and youth after-school programming within two miles of every public school. # Key Takeaways

Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency in response to a federal government shutdown that threatened food assistance for nearly 700,000 state residents. The governor allocated $72 million total—$62 million for direct food aid and $10 million for food banks—while criticizing the Trump administration for refusing to distribute appropriated SNAP funds despite their availability. As federal workers went unpaid and food pantries experienced unprecedented demand, two federal judges ruled that the administration must release emergency SNAP funding, with one ordering partial payments by November 5. The Trump administration announced it would comply with the court orders and not appeal, bringing relief to Maryland officials who had been pursuing legal action to ensure continued food assistance for vulnerable families. # Key Takeaways

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has allocated $62 million in state funds to ensure residents receive their full November SNAP food assistance benefits after the Trump administration announced it would only distribute partial payments during an ongoing government shutdown. This emergency measure affects approximately 360,000 Maryland households who rely on food stamps, as the federal government plans to pay only about half of the benefits owed to 42 million Americans nationwide. Despite two federal judges ruling that suspending SNAP payments violates the law, the administration has refused to use contingency funds for full payment, forcing states to bridge the gap. Maryland has also joined a multistate lawsuit challenging the federal decision and declared a state of emergency to address broader shutdown impacts on its 269,000 federal workers.

Dick Cheney, who died at 84, had an extensive political career spanning from the 1970s through the 2010s, serving in multiple Republican administrations including as Vice President under George W. Bush. Originally from Nebraska, he rose through Washington politics to become White House chief of staff at age 34, later served as Defense Secretary during the Gulf War, and became an influential vice president who helped shape post-9/11 foreign policy including the Iraq invasion. His later years were marked by a dramatic break with the Republican Party as he became a vocal opponent of Donald Trump, even endorsing Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024. Despite his conservative credentials, Cheney evolved on some issues like gay marriage, ultimately leaving a complex legacy that drew both praise and criticism across the political spectrum.

Michigan voters are participating in municipal elections on Tuesday, with particularly significant races in Detroit for mayor and city council positions that may indicate trends for upcoming state and congressional elections. Detroit's mayoral race features City Council President Mary Sheffield as the favorite against Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr., while several competitive council district races pit candidates with different progressive Democratic visions against each other. Beyond Detroit, suburban school districts are seeking voter approval for substantial bond proposals to fund facility improvements, and controversial races in Southfield and Dearborn are drawing attention due to candidates' political alignments and stances on national issues. The elections also include contests in Hamtramck to replace the outgoing mayor who received a federal appointment.

A grassroots organization called Lift Every Voice and Vote Detroit (LEVV) is working to increase voter turnout in Detroit by mobilizing faith communities and church congregations. The coalition, backed by the National Black Empowerment Council, organized concerts featuring gospel singer Shirley Murdock at seven churches over the weekend before Election Day to energize voters. Leaders emphasized that Detroit's historically low turnout rate of 17% in the August primary diminishes the city's political influence on issues critical to Black communities, including public safety, education, and programs like SNAP benefits. The organization aims for 100% voting participation among church members, viewing faith institutions as essential vehicles for civic engagement and community development.

The United States is holding off-year elections featuring several critical state and local races that could signal voter sentiment ahead of next year's congressional midterms. New York City's mayoral contest pits progressive Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani against independent Andrew Cuomo, with the winner potentially becoming either the city's youngest or most experienced leader in generations. Gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey are closely watched, with Virginia poised to elect its first female governor regardless of outcome. California voters are deciding whether to allow mid-decade redistricting of congressional maps, a Democratic response to Republican redistricting efforts in other states. President Trump's influence permeates multiple races through his criticisms, endorsements, and the ongoing national debate over redistricting strategies. # Key Takeaways

Diane Ladd, the acclaimed actress known for her roles in films like Wild at Heart and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, has passed away at age 89 at her California home with her daughter Laura Dern by her side. Throughout her multi-decade career, Ladd earned three Academy Award nominations and became part of Hollywood history as the first mother-daughter pair to receive Oscar nominations for the same film, Rambling Rose, alongside Laura Dern. Her career breakthrough came in 1974 with Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and she continued working until 2022. Despite initially discouraging her daughter from pursuing acting, Ladd frequently collaborated with Dern on screen and co-authored a book with her in 2023 about their relationship. # Key Takeaways

The Trump administration announced it will only provide partial SNAP benefit payments to approximately 42 million Americans this month as the government shutdown continues into its sixth week. Federal court judges had ordered the administration to make full payments or find alternative funding sources, but officials chose to send only about half of November's benefits without tapping additional reserves. In response to the federal funding crisis, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser authorized using $30.5 million from local emergency contingency funds to fully cover November SNAP and WIC benefits for District residents. The shutdown, which started October 1st, has left vulnerable families facing food insecurity, prompting local governments to step in where federal support has faltered. D.C. officials estimate that approximately 85,000 households and 141,000 residents depend on these nutrition assistance programs monthly.

Virginia state Senator Ghazala Hashmi is competing in Tuesday's lieutenant governor election against Republican John Reid, with both candidates potentially making historic breakthroughs—Hashmi as the first Muslim woman elected to U.S. statewide office and Reid as the first openly gay Republican in such a position. While both candidates could break barriers, they have emphasized policy issues over their historic potential, with Hashmi focusing on opposing Trump's agenda and education funding, while Reid emphasizes tax cuts and transgender sports policies. Hashmi, an Indian-born community college administrator who first won state office in 2019, has faced religious discrimination including from Governor Glenn Youngkin, who said he doesn't want her in the state. Final polling shows Hashmi and the Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger holding strong advantages over their Republican opponents in what could be a transformative election for Virginia.

The Trump administration has extended the National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C. through February 2026, maintaining over 2,300 troops from D.C. and several Republican-led states throughout the city. District officials, including Attorney General Brian Schwalb and Mayor Muriel Bowser, have strongly opposed the presence through a federal lawsuit arguing the deployment violates local self-governance laws and amounts to an illegal military occupation. The administration justifies the extended mission as necessary for security, though D.C. officials counter that violent crime is at record lows and no local assistance was requested. The controversy highlights the District's vulnerability to federal overreach due to its lack of statehood, with civil rights organizations warning the military presence threatens residents' safety and constitutional rights.

Russell Vought, who controls the Office of Management and Budget, has systematically frozen or canceled billions of dollars in federally funded programs, disproportionately targeting Democratic-led cities and vulnerable communities. Under the guise of efficiency and fiscal restraint, he has eliminated funding for public transit, disease research, public health programs, and social services while overseeing the removal of over 200,000 federal employees. Congressional leaders and courts have found his actions to be illegal impoundments of funds that Congress had legally appropriated, characterizing them as partisan political attacks rather than legitimate budget decisions. His policies, which he frames within a Christian nationalist ideology, have particularly devastated Black and low-income communities by eliminating over $400 billion in critical programs including housing, education, and medical research funding. # Key Takeaways

The Trump administration announced it will distribute only half the regular monthly food assistance to over 42 million Americans receiving SNAP benefits due to an ongoing government shutdown that has lasted more than a month. Federal courts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ordered the USDA to use $5.25 billion in emergency contingency funds to provide at least partial payments, though this falls short of the program's typical $8 billion monthly cost. The funding crisis began when the government shutdown on October 1st left the federally-funded but state-administered program without resources. Multiple states and organizations have filed lawsuits against the administration over the food aid freeze, with some states pledging to use their own funds to maintain benefits. # Key Takeaways

Two Michigan men, Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud, along with an unnamed juvenile, have been arrested and charged with plotting a terrorist mass shooting targeting Detroit's Ferndale suburb during Halloween weekend. Federal prosecutors allege the suspects, who expressed support for ISIS online, purchased multiple AR-15 rifles and over 1,600 rounds of ammunition while conducting surveillance of areas frequented by the LGBTQ+ community. Authorities discovered the plot through monitoring encrypted communications and using an FBI informant who participated in the group's calls. The investigation, which began last year, culminated in raids that recovered weapons, ammunition, and tactical equipment from addresses linked to the defendants. # Key Takeaways

A South African court has overturned the official 1967 finding that anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Albert Luthuli died accidentally after being struck by a train. The new inquest, conducted more than fifty years after his death, determined that Luthuli was actually beaten to death, with evidence pointing to the apartheid government's notorious Special Branch police unit as likely responsible. This ruling is part of a broader government initiative to reexamine high-profile apartheid-era deaths that may have been covered up by authorities during white minority rule. The decision brings long-sought answers to a case that had been viewed with suspicion for decades, as Luthuli was a prominent ANC leader who advocated nonviolent resistance against apartheid. # Key Takeaways

Two federal judges have mandated that the Trump administration release $5.3 billion in emergency contingency funds to partially sustain the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for November, as an ongoing government shutdown threatens food assistance for approximately 42 million Americans. The emergency funds fall significantly short of SNAP's $9 billion monthly requirement, prompting states like California—where 5.4 million residents depend on CalFresh—to implement stopgap measures including deploying the National Guard and allocating millions to food banks. The crisis marks an unprecedented failure to fund SNAP and disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations already struggling with food insecurity, housing costs, and economic instability. Advocates emphasize that approximately 25 states have filed lawsuits to force fund releases, while warning that current emergency measures provide only temporary, inadequate relief for families facing heightened anxiety and toxic stress over their basic survival needs.

A report from the Center for Progressive Reform indicates that 251 out of 532 actions outlined in Project 2025, a conservative policy agenda developed by the Heritage Foundation, have been implemented under the Trump administration. The implemented measures have significantly altered federal agencies, including rolling back civil rights protections at the Department of Justice, eliminating Title IX safeguards at the Department of Education, restricting abortion access through Health and Human Services, and repealing fair housing regulations at HUD. The article characterizes these changes as deliberately targeting marginalized communities, particularly Black Americans, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, and low-income families, through policy reversals that erode decades of civil rights progress. Key administration figures Russell Vought and Stephen Miller are identified as the primary architects implementing this agenda across federal government operations. # Key Takeaways

Governor Gavin Newsom celebrated federal court victories requiring the Trump Administration to release withheld SNAP nutrition assistance funds during the government shutdown, affecting millions of Americans including 5.5 million Californians who depend on the program. Separately, California is intensifying its legal fight to regain control of 4,000 National Guard members federalized by Trump in June for domestic law enforcement, arguing the action violates federal law and pulls troops from critical state duties like wildfire response. Newsom also indicated he would consider running for president after the 2026 midterm elections, while currently focusing on California's Proposition 50 ballot measure regarding congressional redistricting. Additionally, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom launched the California Women's Wealth Advisory Council to address systemic barriers women face in accessing capital and wealth creation opportunities. # Key Takeaways

Ryan Coogler's vampire film "Sinners" represents a groundbreaking achievement in Black Southern Gothic cinema, blending horror elements with themes of religion, blues music, and racial history set in the American South. The film, which reopened in theaters through Thursday, showcases Coogler's meticulous directorial vision through intentional use of color symbolism, musical scoring, and visual storytelling that gives voice to marginalized communities. Beyond its artistic merits, Coogler negotiated an unprecedented deal with Warner Bros. that grants him full ownership rights after 25 years, allowing him to profit from his work long-term—a rare arrangement for Black filmmakers in Hollywood. The production also broke technical ground as the first film shot simultaneously on Ultra Panavision 70 and IMAX formats, demonstrating innovation in both storytelling and cinematography.

President Donald Trump stated he would hesitate to provide federal funding to New York City if democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the mayoral election, calling him a "Communist" who would waste taxpayer money. Trump effectively endorsed Mamdani's opponent, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, describing him as preferable to what he characterized as a communist candidate, despite Cuomo being a Democrat. Mamdani, who leads in polls ahead of Tuesday's election, rejects the communist label and describes himself as similar to a Scandinavian-style politician, while criticizing Cuomo as a Trump puppet. The Trump administration has consistently attempted to reduce federal funding to Democratic-controlled areas, and New York City currently receives $7.4 billion annually in federal funds. Cuomo is positioning himself as the experienced candidate best equipped to navigate conflicts with the Trump White House.

Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with 185 mph winds on Tuesday, making it the most powerful hurricane to ever impact the island and causing extensive flooding and destruction across the region. The storm subsequently moved to eastern Cuba with reduced wind speeds and was projected to affect the Bahamas, while indirect effects caused fatal flooding in Haiti that killed at least 25 people. Howard University's Chapel organized a prayer vigil Tuesday evening to support affected community members, particularly students with family connections to the impacted Caribbean nations. Students from Jamaica expressed deep concern for their families and communities while appreciating the university's response, though many felt helpless being unable to provide direct assistance from campus. # Key Takeaways

A woman in Mississippi shot and killed one of several monkeys that escaped after a transport truck overturned last week, stating she acted to protect her five children after being warned the animals carried diseases. The Rhesus monkeys, commonly used in biomedical research, were being housed at Tulane University's National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans for scientific purposes, though the university clarified it neither owned nor was transporting the animals at the time of the incident. Despite official statements that the monkeys carried no infectious agents, the 16-year-old son of Jessica Bond Ferguson spotted one in their backyard, prompting her to shoot it. Significant confusion remains about the circumstances of the escape, including the total number of monkeys involved, their actual ownership, and what caused the truck to overturn. # Key Takeaways

The New Jersey gubernatorial race between Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli has become infused with gender dynamics, with Ciattarelli adopting a "Jersey guy" persona while appearing to reference Trump's potentially derogatory language about Sherrill. Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, is balancing her military credentials with her identity as a mother in a changed political landscape where Trump's aggressive masculinity has recently succeeded nationally. The race remains close in traditionally blue New Jersey, which shifted rightward in 2024, with both candidates focusing on economic issues while facing different standards for authenticity based on gender. Ciattarelli has recently faced controversy over his Muslim relations adviser's comments about same-sex marriage and Jewish donors, though he has defended both his own support for marriage equality and his adviser.

Actor George Clooney recently stated that having Kamala Harris replace Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee was a mistake, though he stands by his July op-ed calling for Biden to step down from the race. Clooney argued that Harris faced the difficult challenge of running against her own record as Biden's vice president while trying to distance herself from the administration. The actor had originally advocated for a competitive Democratic primary rather than an automatic succession, but Harris became the nominee without such a contest and subsequently lost to Donald Trump. This controversy has drawn criticism from Hunter Biden, who questioned Clooney's authority to comment on his father's mental fitness, while Harris herself recently indicated she might run for president again in the future.

President Trump recently announced plans to resume U.S. nuclear weapons testing to match rival nations, sparking international alarm before Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified that no actual nuclear detonations would occur. Wright explained the tests would be "non-critical explosions" that examine non-nuclear components of weapons rather than full-scale atomic blasts, which the U.S. hasn't conducted since 1992. Both China and Russia have denied Trump's claims that they are actively testing nuclear weapons, with China last testing in 1996 and Russia in 1990. While Trump maintains that countries like China, Russia, North Korea, and Pakistan are secretly testing their arsenals, only North Korea has conducted nuclear tests since the 1990s, though it declared a moratorium in 2018. The U.S. and Russia possess the world's largest nuclear stockpiles with over 5,000 warheads each, while China's arsenal of approximately 600 warheads is expected to grow substantially by 2030.

President Trump downplayed the likelihood of war with Venezuela while declining to rule out land strikes and suggesting President Maduro's removal is imminent. The US has deployed its largest Caribbean military presence in decades, including warships, bombers, and the world's largest aircraft carrier, ostensibly to combat drug smuggling through strikes on boats that have killed at least 64 people since September. Trump defended the military buildup as addressing multiple concerns including narcotics trafficking and Venezuelan gang activity in the US, while critics like Maduro and Colombia's president characterize it as US aggression. The interview also covered Trump's position on nuclear testing and the ongoing government shutdown, which he blamed on Democrats.

The Society of Professional Journalists' Northern California chapter has selected Kevin Epps, Executive Editor of the San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper, to receive the Silver Heart Award at their 40th Annual Excellence in Journalism Awards ceremony. Epps is being recognized for rescuing the Bay Area's last Black-owned newspaper from potential closure by modernizing its operations, introducing digital innovation and multimedia storytelling, and reconnecting it with the community it serves. Beyond his editorial work, Epps has created impactful documentary films like "Straight Outta Hunters Point" and serves as a mentor to emerging writers and artists. The awards ceremony is scheduled for November 13, 2025, at the Ruth Williams Opera House in San Francisco, with the Bay View encouraging supporters to attend.