SNAP benefits deadline; Testing nuclear weapons : NPR
Good morning. You are reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to receive it in your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
Today’s best stories
Tomorrow, many Americans will feel the impact of the government shutdown, as SNAP food benefits will cease for approximately 42 million people. Saturday also marks the start of registrations on the federal insurance exchanges, and premiums are expected to more than double on average. Democrats say they will vote to reopen the government if Congress extends health care subsidies to help manage rising costs. Major airlines yesterday called on Congress to pass the Republicans’ stopgap funding plan as air traffic controllers continue to work without pay.
The air traffic control tower is seen at the Orlando International Airport, Florida, early in the morning of October 31. Flights at Orlando International Airport faced significant delays on Oct. 30, after the Federal Aviation Administration said the airport did not have certified air traffic controllers in its tower, forcing arrivals to be halted or severely delayed amid the ongoing U.S. government shutdown.
Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images
- 🎧 Democrats are traditionally reluctant to dismantle the government.but doesn’t seem to be backing down, says NPR’s Barbara Sprunt First. Democrats seem to think that Republicans will be held responsible for the shutdown, not them. They hope public pressure will intensify on the Republican Party over the expected rise in health insurance premium costs. Republicans say they are voting to fund the government and that if Democrats cared about funding nutrition aid and paying air traffic controllers, they would vote with them.
SNAP benefits have never been cut off due to a shutdown, and now a federal judge steps in to decide Should the Trump administration be ordered to find ways to get money to buy food? The Agriculture Department posted on its website that “the well is dry” and said in a memo that it did not have sufficient funds for next month’s SNAP benefits and could not legally use the contingency funds. Democratic governors and attorneys general from about two dozen states have filed suit, arguing that SNAP is an entitlement that cannot simply be taken away.
- 🎧 Even if the decision comes soon, there will still be a delay before states receive the funds they need.according to NPR’s Jennifer Ludden. That’s because the federal government sends funds to states before the first of the month, and then it takes several days to transfer them to the debit cards people use. An added complication is that total SNAP funding for November is about $9 billion, but the administration reports there is only about $5.5 billion in the contingency fund. Recalculating partial payments could take weeks, forcing people not only to wait but also to receive less money.
President Trump announced yesterday that the United States would resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time in decades. Some experts believe the move would constitute a major escalation and could disrupt the balance of nuclear power.
- 🎧 The world’s major nuclear powers have observed a moratorium on testing since the 1990s, as a goodwill gesture for post-Cold War stability.says NPR’s Geoff Brumfiel. The United States has embarked on a program that uses science to ensure weapons work effectively without requiring testing. Much of this science takes place in the same desert tunnels outside Las Vegas where the government was conducting nuclear testing. The United States has a significant technological advantage over Russia and China when it comes to nuclear weapons, but if those countries resumed testing they could narrow that gap, said Jon Wolfsthal of the Federation of American Scientists. There are also environmental concerns: even if the radiation were contained underground, the shaking would be enough to damage buildings near the site.
Deep dive
Scientists are re-examining an Alzheimer’s drug that could help patients particularly at risk of developing the disease.
Jorg Greuel/Photodisc/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Jorg Greuel/Photodisc/Getty Images
A closer look at the effects of an experimental Alzheimer’s drug called valiltramiprosate, or ALZ-801, is rekindling hope that a twice-daily pill could slow the disease in people at high risk of developing it. In April, researchers published the results of a study of more than 300 people aged 50 and older who were genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease. The overall results indicate that those who received the drug did not perform better than those who received a placebo. However, in September, a closer analysis of a subgroup of 125 participants found small benefits for those who had only mild memory problems at the start of their treatment with the drug.
- 💊 By one measure, the drug slowed cognitive decline by 52% in people with mild cognitive impairment. However, it is difficult to assess the true impact of ALZ-801 due to the small sample size in the mild cognitive impairment group.
- 💊 ALZ-801 could receive special attention from the Food and Drug Administration due to its potential advantages over the two drugs already on the market. The medication can be taken at home and does not cause swelling or bleeding in the brain, which often accompanies monoclonal antibody treatment.
- 💊 Further evidence of the drug’s effectiveness should come from people who continued to take the drug after the initial 18-month study period ended, says David Watson, co-author of the new study.
Learn more about new discoveries about the Alzheimer’s pill.
Weekend Picks
Green Bean and Chicken Stir-Fry is one of the many “veggie-based” recipes in Roy Choi’s cookbook, Cooking’s Choice: Flavorful, Rule-Breaking Recipes for a Delicious Life: A Cookbook, which he co-wrote with Tien Nguyen and Natasha Phan. This dish uses Sweet Garlic Teriyaki Sauce which you can find below.
Bobby Fisher
hide caption
toggle caption
Bobby Fisher
Find out what NPR watch, read and listen this weekend:
🍿 Movies: No tricks, just treats when it comes to horror movies released this year. In honor of the holiday, check out these films ranging from the supernatural to a little too realistic, many of which you can watch from the comfort of your own home.
📺 Television: Talamasca: The Secret Order focuses on the secret society that researches and monitors the supernatural elements of Anne Rice’s fictional world.
📚 Books: Destroy follows Catherine Newman’s bestselling novel, Sandwichrevisiting his beloved Rocky and his family. Life seems to be going as normal as possible until Rocky finds herself focused on a local train wreck. Here are some other new features this week.
🎵 Music: Are you really ready for Halloween festivities without a good playlist? These songs are essential for the spooky season, ranging from truly terrifying to autumnal and nostalgic.
🥦 Food: Make your vegetables more exciting to eat by trying the recipes for these three flavorful sauces from Cuisine’s Choice: Flavorful, Rule-Breaking Recipes for a Delicious Life.
❓Quizzes: A “not too bad” rating of 7/11 again for me. Do you think you can do better than that? Try it.
3 things to know before you leave
THANKS
UNICEF United States
hide caption
toggle caption
UNICEF United States
- This year marks the 75th anniversary of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, an initiative where children collect coins to donate to the agency that supports children in need around the world. Since the initiative began, approximately $200 million has been raised.
- An ancient comet named 3I/ATLAS entered our solar system this summer, becoming the third interstellar object to do so in history. The opportunity for scientists to observe this rare event is valuable.
- A new look at the ‘Dueling Dinosaurs’ fossil, which scientists previously believed to be a Tyrannosaurus rex, reveals that it is actually a different species of tyrannosaur: Nanotyrannus lancensis.
This newsletter was published by Obed Manuel.
