1 Senate Fails To Advance Bill To Pay Some Federal Workers During Shutdown
The Senate failed to pass a bill yesterday that would have paid some federal workers during the government shutdown. The “Shutdown Fairness Act” from Republican Sen. Ron Johnson got 55 votes but needed 60 to move forward. The bill would have paid troops and workers doing emergency jobs, but Democrats worried it gave too much power to the White House to pick who gets paid and who doesn’t. Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen tried to pass a different bill that would pay all federal workers, but Johnson blocked it. Federal workers will miss their first full paycheck today as the shutdown continues, and with senators leaving town for the weekend the shutdown will last at least through Monday.
2 NBA Player And Coach Charged In Massive Illegal Gambling Cases Involving The Mafia
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat player Terry Rozier were arrested yesterday as part of a nationwide sweep involving illegal sports betting and organized crime. The FBI announced that more than 30 people were taken into custody across 11 states in two separate investigations. Rozier was arrested in Orlando in connection with a sports betting ring that allegedly involved NBA players faking injuries. Billups was arrested in Portland as part of a different case involving illegal high-stakes poker games run by organized crime figures. FBI Director Kash Patel called the arrests “extraordinary” and said they took down members of the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese crime families. The NBA has not yet commented on the arrests, but both Rozier and Billups have been placed on immediate leave from their teams.
3 SNAP Recipients Told To Buy Shelf-Stable Food Or Go To Food Banks
Nearly 42-million Americans who receive SNAP food benefits may not be able to use their cards starting November 1st because of the government shutdown. The Department of Agriculture warned states on October 10th that there won’t be enough money to pay full benefits in November if the shutdown continues, and even though October benefits went out normally because funding was approved before the shutdown started on October 1, money for November hasn’t been set aside. Many states are telling people to stock up on shelf-stable foods or prepare to use food banks. Pennsylvania has already stopped issuing SNAP benefits as of October 16th. Texas said benefits won’t be issued next month if the shutdown lasts past October 27th. Food bank leaders say they can’t possibly fill the gap, with one estimating Massachusetts alone could face a shortage of 56-million meals in November. The WIC program for pregnant women and young children is also at risk of running out of money at the end of October.
