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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. Two federal judges ruled Friday that it is unlawful for the Trump administration to suspend SNAP food benefits starting today. President Trump wrote on social media late yesterday he had directed government lawyers to find a way to pay those benefits, asking for what he called appropriate legal direction. But it is still not clear when that food aid will get to the millions of people who rely on it. NPR's Jennifer Ludden has more.
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There will be a lap in funding, and we really don't know for how long. The Trump administration might offer a timeline on Monday. That's the judge's deadline for the government to say whether it plans to pay only partial benefits using its contingency funds, which do fall short of snap's normal monthly budget. The administration has said that calculating partial payments is a logistical nightmare, that it might take weeks.
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NPR's Jennifer Ludden. One out of every aid, Americans relies upon SNAP for help with grocery bills. Today is day 32 of the Federal government shutdown. As that shutdown continues, some states are pulling from local funding to help feed thousands of families, but not Tennessee. Cynthia Abrams from member station WPLN has more.
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Roughly 700,000 Tennesseans are at risk of losing food aid, so local leaders like Joe Pitts, the mayor of Clarksville, Tennessee, are urging the federal government to reopen.
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I'd like a word with those in the legislative and executive branch in Washington. If you want to debate the merits of budgets and budget deficits and spending priorities, then get to it. But for goodness sakes, get back to Washington. Get to work. We the people are depending on you.
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Tennessee does have a $2 billion reserve fund. Other states have used their reserves to donate to food banks, but there doesn't seem to be an appetite for that in Tennessee. For NPR News, I'm Cynthia Abrams in Nashville.
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The nation's air traffic control towers continue to face staffing shortages as Washington remains stalled on funding for its programs, and that's led to delays and safety concerns. As Bruce Konweiser reports, two United Airlines jets made contact on the tarmac at New York's LaGuardia Airport last night.
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United Flight 580 had just arrived from Chicago's O' Hare Airport with more than 170 passengers and crew on board. As it approached its gate, it clipped the tail of another United jet on the tarmac that was bound for Houston. The airline says no one was injured, but the Texas bound flight was ultimately canceled. Even before the incident, it had already been a hectic day at all three New York area airports, including JFK and Newark. The Federal Aviation Administration posted a statement on X imploring Washington to resolve the government shutdown. It said 80% of air traffic controllers were absent Friday from New York area airports, and those who are working are doing so without pay and under immense stress. For NPR News, I'm Bruce Konviser.
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This is NPR. Earlier this week, President Trump said the U.S. would resume testing of its nuclear weapons. What shape that testing might take remained unclear after the president took questions yesterday about it aboard Air Force One. Asked if underground nuclear detonation tests would resume, the president would only say, you'll find out very soon. The world's most extravagant toilet is going under the hammer. NPR's Chloe Veltman reports. Sotheby's plans to auction Italian artist Maurizio Catalan's America, a fully functional lavatory made out of more than 100kg of solid gold on November 18.
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Catalan's 18 karat gold toilet is as eye popping as it is infamous. The Guggenheim in New York encouraged visitors to use the artwork as a regular toilet. When it was installed at the museum in 2016, 100,000 people lined up to do just that. Three years later, it was stolen while on show at Blenheim palace in England. The artwork has never been recovered. In an unusual move for an auction house. Sotheby says the starting bid for the only other existing version of America will be determined by the price of the artwork's weight in gold. It will rise and fall with the gold market until the hammer falls. At today's rate, that's a flush, $10 million. Chloe Veltman, NPR News.
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Overnight tonight in most of the US Clocks should be set back an hour for the end of daylight saving time. Good if you want to sleep in, not so much if you like the extra hour of light at the end of the day. I'm Luis Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.