Record-long government shutdown ends after 43 days
WASHINGTON — The 43-day government shutdown — the longest shutdown in American history — ended on Wednesday, Nov. 12, after Congress approved a bill extending funding for most government agencies through Jan. 30, 2026.
The Senate approved the legislation on Monday, Nov. 10, with seven Democrats and one Independent crossing the aisle to pass a bill that did not include a provision protecting healthcare subsidies. The House of Representatives then passed the bill in a 222-209 vote, and President Donald Trump signed it into law on Wednesday.
As a result of this new funding bill, tax credits issued under the Affordable Care Act are set to expire at the end of 2025. NBC reports that the roughly 24 million individuals who get their health insurance from the ACA could have their monthly premiums double or even triple in the coming year.
After the government reopened on Wednesday, the Department of Agriculture ordered the distribution of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits on Thursday, Nov. 13.
“State agencies must take immediate steps to ensure households receive their full November allotments promptly,” the USDA directed.
The New York Times reports that it may take time for beneficiaries to see their SNAP benefits reloaded, as each state is individually responsible for distributing money to recipients. The bill responsible for reopening the government will fully fund SNAP benefits through September 2026, according to CBS. The USDA contingency funds that were used to temporarily supply some SNAP benefits in certain states during the shutdown will also be reimbursed.
Other agencies impacted by the shutdown are expected to make a slow return to normal operations. The Federal Aviation Administration announced a reduction in flight cancellations on Friday, Nov. 14, due to the end of the shutdown. The FAA had announced a 10% reduction in flights due to staff shortages. However, this number dropped to 3% in the new announcement, as the agency continues to monitor staffing capacity.
The House is now discussing nine different year-long funding bills to be approved before the current bill expires. Both chambers of Congress and the president must ratify this bill prior to this deadline in order to avoid another government shutdown come Feb. 1, 2026.
Justice Department sues Gov. Newsom over California’s new voting maps
WASHINGTON — Following the passage of Proposition 50, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom and Secretary of State Shirley Weber for adopting California’s new redistricting plan. The suit, filed on Thursday, Nov. 13, argues that California’s redrawn districts are racially gerrymandered, violating the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
After Texas’ recent redistricting effort — designed to help Republicans gain more seats in the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterms — California lawmakers responded by including Prop 50 on the ballot. Prop 50 amended the California Constitution to allow the state legislature redraw congressional districts before next year’s election. These maps will be in effect until 2030.
The Dhillon Law Group, whose founder now works for the Trump administration, originally filed the lawsuit to block California’s new map. The suit, which the DOJ joined, alleges that the map drawer, Paul Mitchell, purposefully intended to create a new “majority/minority Latino district.”
The equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment prevents the government from creating legislation that categorizes its constituents by race. However, partisan gerrymandering is and has historically been protected by the Supreme Court.
While Newsom’s press office has not officially replied to the suit, it posted a response on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“When Trump’s hand-picked hacks at DOJ can’t tell California from North Carolina, you know the lawsuit is about as credible as Trump’s ‘I don’t know Epstein’ line.”
According to The Associated Press, California Democrats say the new map “retains and expands Voting Rights Act districts that empower Latino voters.”
Atmospheric river storm hits San Diego
SAN DIEGO — A Level 3 atmospheric river storm, or AR-3, hit San Diego County from Nov. 14 to 16. Precipitation reached a maximum of 3 inches.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, atmospheric rivers are “relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere – like rivers in the sky – that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics.” Atmospheric river storms are long-lasting and are highly likely to cause flooding.
A storm of this category is rare. AR-3 events are expected to only happen once every several years. San Diego County’s last atmospheric river storm was in January 2023.
On Sunday, Nov. 16, at 8:30 a.m., the National Weather Service reported that La Jolla received 1.45 inches of rain. Only minor flooding was expected in the area.
The NWS warned that a second storm system will hit the county between Nov. 17 and 18. However, this second round of rainfall is expected to be less intense than the weekend’s precipitation.
Penny production suspended
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent suspended the production of the one-cent coin on Wednesday, Nov. 12, after determining the cost of production exceeded the value of the penny itself. Rising costs of raw metals have led manufacturing costs to increase from 1.42 cents to 3.69 cents per penny over the last decade. The U.S. Mint expects to save approximately $56 million per year in production costs.
The penny is still usable in transactions, but the mint will no longer produce the coin. The mint will continue to manufacture limited quantities of numismatic collector pennies that are not used as currency.
According to the American Bankers Association, approximately 250 billion pennies remain in circulation as of Oct. 17.
Retail stores have begun running out of pennies, leading businesses to turn to Congress to figure out how to proceed. In a statement to USA TODAY, Austen Jensen, senior executive vice president for government affairs for Retail Industry Leaders Association, explained that upon the reopening of the government, lawmakers will be able to provide clarity for businesses.
“The lack of enforceable federal or state rules on rounding and transaction processing creates compliance risks, particularly for multistate operations,” the statement read. “Inconsistent practices could increase sales tax audit exposure risk.”
Although the government shutdown ended on Nov. 12, there is no federal guidance yet on how businesses should proceed with rounding up transactions or dealing with the shortages of pennies.
Berkeley protestors clash with police during TPUSA visit
BERKELEY, Calif. — On Monday, Nov. 10, hundreds of protesters at UC Berkeley clashed with police ahead of Turning Point USA’s scheduled “This is the Turning Point” tour event on campus. University of California Police arrested five individuals during the altercations, joining four students who were arrested for felony vandalism after unveiling an anti-TPUSA art installation that morning.
Protests by Students Organizing for Liberation, Cal Young Democratic Socialists of America, Jewish Voice for Peace, GABRIELA Berkeley, and Koreans for Decolonization were announced prior to the event. Ahead of the event and expected counterprotests, UC Berkeley announced the temporary closure of the Cesar Chavez Student Center.
Protesters gathered outside temporary barricades surrounding Zellerbach Hall, where the TPUSA event took place. According to the Daily Cal, approximately 300 police officers were deployed to patrol the venue and its surrounding areas.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Trump administration would be investigating the protests.
“We will continue to spare no expense unmasking all who commit and orchestrate acts of political violence,” the post read. “Under President Trump’s leadership, and pursuant to his Executive Order designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, the Department of Justice and our law-enforcement partners are dismantling violent networks that seek to intimidate Americans and suppress their free expression and First Amendment rights.”
The event at UC Berkeley marked the two-month anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s assassination during a TPUSA event at Utah Valley University.
