Flight issues after shutdown ends; Google’s lawsuit : NPR

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Today’s best stories
The Republican-led House of Representatives is expected to approve a funding bill today. it will end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Most Democrats denounced it because it does not address health care subsidies that expire at the end of the year.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on November 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Jeffries responded to a vote in the Senate last night to defund the federal government that aims to end the longest shutdown in history, when the House of Representatives is expected to vote on the legislation tomorrow.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
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Win McNamee/Getty Images
- 🎧 Some Democrats have called for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to be ousted from his leadership role.even though he voted against the plan. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries dodged questions about Schumer with reporters last night, highlighting divisions within the party, NPR’s Claudia Grisales said. First. The deal includes a promise to vote on the Affordable Care Act in December, although it’s unclear whether it will reach the House.
- 🎧 Even if the shutdown ends this week, flight disruptions will likely persist. Airlines have already canceled thousands of flights to comply with a Federal Aviation Administration order and there is now a staffing shortage. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA restrictions will remain in place until regulators are satisfied that staffing levels have returned to normal, NPR’s Joel Rose reports.
The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is now within the area covered by the United States Southern Command.which covers a region that includes Venezuela. In recent weeks, US forces have opened fire on small boats, killing at least 76 people. The Trump administration claims that the people on the boats were trafficking drugs without any public evidence to support this claim. Here are the number of strikes against suspected drug ships the United States has announced.
- 🎧 Citizen killings could put US troops in legal jeopardyaccording to NPR’s Quil Lawrence. Alvin Holsey, who oversaw the strikes, resigned two years earlier. Sources in Congress and the Pentagon say he resigned over concerns the operations may have been illegal.
Have you ever received a text message informing you that you have to pay a road toll or need to collect a mysterious package? Google has had enough of these scams. The tech giant today filed a lawsuit in the Southern District Court of New York against an alleged China-based criminal organization called “Lighthouse” that provides software and support to online scammers.
Deep dive
Sunnu Rebecca Choi for NPR
A pregnancy test can confirm that you’re expecting as early as four weeks, but many prenatal providers don’t see patients until the pregnancy is eight or nine weeks old. Although waiting is not necessarily risky, many expectant parents still want to receive care sooner. If you want to get an appointment sooner, here’s what you need to know.
- 🤰At first, it may be difficult for doctors to see a pregnancy clearly on an ultrasound.
- 🤰 Many clinics delay scheduling appointments early on because they are not designed to handle the estimated 15% of pregnancies that end in the first trimester.
- 🤰 In the meantime, you can try seeing a primary care provider or your obstetrician/gynecologist to manage symptoms like nausea and heartburn.
Life advice
Food Bank Distribution As Trump Says, US Will Not Provide SNAP Funding During Shutdown. Food donation at Curley’s House Food Bank in Miami, Florida, U.S., Tuesday, November 4, 2025. President Donald Trump further muddled the fate of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program with a social media post Tuesday suggesting it would not provide benefits until the government reopens. Photographer: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images
SNAP benefits were delayed in November due to the government shutdown. In response, food influencer and former perk recipient Kevin Curry, founder of Fit Men Cook, shared tips for finding free or affordable food. Curry spoke with Life kit on how to get discounts and deals on food, especially when money is tight.
- 🥫 If you’re a SNAP recipient, use your card to get double up on fruits and vegetables if your state offers the Double Up Food Bucks program.
- 🥫 Contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Hunger Hotline to find food pantries and meal sites near you.
- 🥫 Don’t be afraid to shop at multiple pantries. If you’re looking for something specific and can’t find it, another pantry may have the products you need.
- 🥫 Ask your grocery store when they post deals or markdowns.
For tips on how to buy food when money is tight, listen to this episode of NPR Life kit. Subscribe to THE Life kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.
3 things to know before you leave
- Podcast hosts and their guests are overwhelmingly male and white, according to a new study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. Here’s a look at what was discovered.
- The Wright family mansion, former home of the world’s first pilot, Orville Wright, is now recognized as a historic landmark in Oakwood, Ohio. (via WYSO)
- Two dozen violins, played by Jewish musicians before and during the Holocaust, are on display at the Milwaukee Jewish Museum as part of the exhibition Violins of Hope: The Strings of Jewish Resistance and Resilience. (via WUWM)
This newsletter was published by Majd Al-Waheidi.



