Day 43 of the government shutdown, and Congress swears they’re almost there — though at this point, “almost” has been working harder than most members of Congress. Meanwhile, the post-election hangover continues as the last of the attack ads finally fade off our screens — leaving us with that eerie silence where you start to question if your own toaster is secretly endorsing a candidate. On a more somber note, Jimmy Kimmel faces a heavy loss with the passing of his longtime bandleader, a moment that reminds us even the funniest shows have their quiet heartbreaks. And speaking of heartbreak — in this week’s Brandon’s Take, we confront a national crisis: our collective lie that turkey is the star of Thanksgiving dinner. Deep down, we all know it’s the stuffing and mac-and-cheese carrying the plate, while the turkey just sits there like an unseasoned group project member taking all the credit.

In the headlines on #TheUpdate this Wednesday, New York City got its first snow of the season as a powerful polar vortex swept across the eastern half of the country, bringing frigid temperatures.

Fallen FDNY firefighter Patrick Brady will receive a hero’s farewell. The married 42-year-old fire department veteran, who died tragically in the line of duty over the weekend, will be mourned at a wake in Brooklyn on Friday and a funeral mass Saturday in his Queens neighborhood before being laid to rest, the FDNY announced.

And in Washington, The Supreme Court extended an order blocking full SNAP payments, amid signals that the government shutdown could soon end and food aid payments resume.