Day 41 of the government shutdown — or as Congress calls it, “Sunday.” Senators gathered for a rare weekend session to “work things out,” which in D.C. language means grandstanding with snacks provided. Meanwhile, in Major League Baseball, the Cleveland Guardians are living up to their name by guarding their right to embarrass the sport. Two of their pitchers have been arrested for gambling, proving once again that MLB can’t go more than a few months without hitting itself in the face with a Louisville Slugger. Back here in the Empire State, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s plan for free buses has hit… well, traffic. Governor Hochul says she’s not ready to move forward with the proposal — which is politician-speak for “We’re gonna study this until everyone forgets.” And yet — somewhere between the shutdowns, scandals, and stalled buses — there’s still something to be thankful for. Maybe it’s the people we love. Maybe it’s the tiny wins. Or maybe it’s just that the ferry still runs on time. Either way, gratitude’s the one thing not on backorder this year.
In the headlines on #TheUpdate this Monday, a FDNY firefighter died Saturday after suffering a medical episode while battling a five-alarm fire at a Brooklyn apartment building, authorities said.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said that SNAP benefits went out to New Yorkers using federal funds after the longest-ever federal government shutdown cut off food stamp payments for the first time.
And in Washington, President Trump’s administration is demanding states “undo” full SNAP benefits paid out under judicial orders in recent days, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has stayed those rulings, marking the latest swing in a seesawing legal battle over the anti-hunger program used by 42 million Americans. Meanwhile, on the local level in Sacramento, Acorn squash, Spam and baby food lined the shelves on a recent day at a college food pantry in California’s capital city, a resource that students receiving federal aid to purchase groceries may have to increasingly rely on because that assistance has been in limbo during the government shutdown.