What Shutdown Deal Means for SNAP Benefits
www.newsweek.com

... What To Know

The proposed spending plan funds the federal government through to January, but provides full-year funding for the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as congressional operations through the current fiscal year ending September 30, 2026.

This means SNAP benefits would be fully appropriated, averting the risk of another food assistance cut off after January 30 if no appropriations bill is passed to fund the government beyond then.

The agreement to end the shutdown also ensures that federal employees furloughed during the lapse are rehired and receive back pay, and requires agencies to notify Congress in writing about the withdrawal of layoff notices and provide details on the back pay owed.

As part of the agreement to move the legislation forward, Senate Republicans pledged a future vote on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) -- a major sticking point for Democrats -- health insurance tax credits, which are set to expire at year's end. Republicans have signaled they will oppose the extension, potentially causing premiums to rise sharply for the millions of Americans who depend on ACA coverage. ...

imo, FIFA awarded him that prize as a bribe so he doesn't have masked, unidentified ICE agents haul off attendees of the FIFA World Cup 26(tm) ( www.fifa.com ) here in the US.

Alternative facts
en.wikipedia.org

... "Alternative facts" was a phrase used by U.S. Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway during a Meet the Press interview on January 22, 2017, in which she defended White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's false statement about the attendance numbers at Donald Trump's first inauguration as President of the United States.

When pressed during the interview with Chuck Todd to explain why Spicer would "utter a provable falsehood", Conway stated that Spicer was giving "alternative facts". Todd responded, "Look, alternative facts are not facts. They're falsehoods."[1] ...

Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Now in U.S. Southern Command
news.usni.org

... Ford's escorts include guided-missile destroyers USS Bainbridge (DDG-96), USS Mahan (DDG-72) and USS Winston Churchill (DDG-81). Destroyers USS Mitscher (DDG-57) and USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98), which deployed with the Ford CSG in June, are operating in the Middle East and the Mediterranean respectively, according to Monday's USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker. ...

US shutdown fallout: Who came out ahead -- and who didn't
www.reuters.com

... As the U.S. Congress moved toward a deal to end the longest U.S. government shutdown in history, Reuters asked a dozen strategists and analysts to assess who strengthened their position and who paid a price, in the short- and long-term.

DONALD TRUMP: OWNING THE SHUTDOWN

No matter how many times the president has tried to avoid blame for the shutdown, ultimately, the buck stops with him. The White House has faced weeks of headlines about air traffic snarls and low-income families struggling to feed their kids. Even Trump himself admitted that the shutdown probably damaged Republicans in last week's elections that saw Democrats win in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City.

No matter how many times the president has tried to avoid blame for the shutdown, ultimately, the buck stops with him. The White House has faced weeks of headlines about air traffic snarls and low-income families struggling to feed their kids. Even Trump himself admitted that the shutdown probably damaged Republicans in last week's elections that saw Democrats win in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City.

"Americans recognize that 10 months into his presidency, costs have not gone down. And over the course of this 40-day shutdown, Trump did not emerge as someone who was fighting for them," said Democratic strategist Karen Finney. "He wasn't trying to resolve the issue. He wasn't engaged, he was nowhere to be found."

But the public has a short memory. After the government reopens, Trump can train his focus on Americans' cost-of-living concerns before the 2026 congressional midterms. He has shown he can keep his party together under extreme pressure while making few concessions.

"I think he comes out the winner of all this. He had to expend very little political capital in the shutdown," said John Elizandro, a Republican strategist.

"The negotiated deal gives him a resolution without forcing him to further escalate the clash with Senate Republicans over the filibuster," he added, referring to the Senate requirement of 60 votes to pass legislation.

Consensus: Short-term loss, long-term neutral ...

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