Travel industry sounds alarm over how shutdown will impact Americans ahead of Thanksgiving
Hundreds of tourism and travel industry groups are warning those planning to fly this Thanksgiving holiday that if the government shutdown doesn’t end before the holiday arrives, passengers could face higher costs and increased wait times, delays and cancellations that could derail family travel plans across the country. The groups, collectively under the banner of the U.S. Travel Association, a trade group representing the U.S. travel industry, also warned in a letter to leaders in Congress of long-term economic harm to American workers, businesses and the economy amid the Thanksgiving holiday if the current government shutdown does not come to an end soon. The trade group estimates America’s travel economy has already lost $4 billion due to the shutdown. Earlier this week, the U.S. Travel Association sent a letter to Senate leaders John Thune and Chuck Schumer and their counterparts in the House, Mike Johnson and Hakeem Jeffries, urging the leaders to come to an agreement and pass “a clean continuing resolution” that will reopen the government after weeks of a shutdown that has been the longest in history. Democrats and Republicans have been gridlocked over whether to approve enhanced tax credits for Obamacare passed during the COVID-19 pandemic. FLIGHT CHAOS GRIPS US AIRPORTS AS SOME AIRLINES ADVISE BOOKING ‘BACKUP TICKET’: SEE THE LIST The letter warned that the longer the government is shut down, the more money the travel economy will lose, leading to negative downstream economic effects. Additionally, the letter, signed by nearly 500 travel and tourism industry organizations, warned that the longer the shutdown remains, the more strain airports will face from staffing shortages, which, if exacerbated further, could lead to major “chaos” as families try to fly for the Thanksgiving holiday. “Last year, during Thanksgiving week, over 20 million passengers took flights in the United States,” the letter to congressional leaders states. “Thanksgiving is not only a time of national tradition and family connection, but also one of the most economically important travel weeks of the year. “Travel spending during the holiday generates billions of dollars in economic activity, supporting jobs, local tax bases, and small businesses nationwide. A continued shutdown is likely to significantly suppress travel demand and spending, creating a real threat to American workers, businesses, and the overall economy. FAA’S REDUCTION PLAN EXPECTED TO IMPACT THOUSANDS OF FLIGHTS ACROSS 40 AIRPORTS “The American people expect and deserve a fully functioning federal government during the peak holiday travel season,” the letter continued. “Congress must act without delay to pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government immediately and ensure full federal operations are restored in advance of the Thanksgiving travel period. The cost of continued inaction will be felt by families, workers, businesses, and communities in every part of the country.” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced this week that his agency would order a 10% cut in flights across 40 major U.S. airports, citing air traffic controller shortages and safety concerns, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. In response to the directive, U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman said while the decision showed that safety is the No. 1 priority for the travel industry, it will nonetheless “inevitably affect the travel experience, leading to fewer flights, longer delays and more disruptions for travelers.” “All government shutdowns are irresponsible, and this decision underscores the urgent need to reopen the government,” Freeman added. “The shutdown is putting unnecessary strain on the system, forcing difficult operational decisions that disrupt travel and damage confidence in the U.S. air travel experience. The fault for this situation rests squarely at the feet of Congress.”
Supreme Court hands Trump victory on transgender passport policy change
The Supreme Court cleared the way for the State Department to require people to state their biological sex on new or renewed passports, a victory for the Trump administration as it aims to tighten policies involving transgender people. The high court found in a 6-3 order temporarily greenlighting the policy that a lower court in Massachusetts had erred in blocking it. “Displaying passport holders’ sex at birth no more offends equal protection principles than displaying their country of birth—in both cases, the Government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment,” the majority wrote in the unsigned order. TRUMP ADMIN ASKS SUPREME COURT TO ALLOW IT TO ENFORCE PASSPORT SEX DESIGNATION POLICY The three liberal justices dissented. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a Biden appointee, blasted her Republican-appointed colleagues in a lengthy dissent for what she said had become a “routine” of siding with the Trump administration on the emergency docket. The majority “fails to spill any ink considering the plaintiffs, opting instead to intervene in the Government’s favor without equitable justification, and in a manner that permits harm to be inflicted on the most vulnerable party,” Jackson wrote, adding that transgender people have been permitted to state their preferred gender on passports for more than three decades. The class action lawsuit, brought by a dozen self-described transgender, nonbinary or intersex people on behalf of themselves and others in their situation, will continue to proceed through the lower courts. The plaintiffs had argued in court papers that passports should “reflect the sex [people] live as and express, rather than the sex they were assigned at birth.” SUPREME COURT REJECTS SOUTH CAROLINA’S BID TO ENFORCE TRANSGENDER BATHROOM BAN Solicitor General John Sauer wrote on behalf of President Donald Trump that passports effectively communicate information to foreign governments and private citizens cannot force the president to communicate in a way that defies his foreign policy preferences and “scientific reality.” The policy, which reversed the Biden administration’s allowance of an “X” gender option on passports, was implemented as part of a string of executive orders Trump issued when he took office aimed at requiring transgender people to identify as their biological sex in certain situations, including in gender-exclusive sports and in the military. Attorney General Pam Bondi celebrated that the high court had handed the Department of Justice roughly two-dozen wins this year on the emergency docket, sometimes referred to as a shadow or interim docket, where cases are fast-tracked so that the Supreme Court can potentially offer temporary resolutions until the merits of the cases are examined. “Today’s stay allows the government to require citizens to list their biological sex on their passport,” Bondi said on social media. “In other words: there are two sexes, and our attorneys will continue fighting for that simple truth.”
Senate Republicans block bipartisan effort to halt military action, drug boat strikes in the Caribbean
Senate Republicans blocked an attempt to end President Donald Trump’s ability to continue attacks against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., forced a vote on a war powers resolution that would have halted the Trump administration’s strikes against alleged Venezuelan drug boats. Kaine, along with senators Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced the resolution earlier this month after Trump signaled he would authorize strikes on Venezuelan soil. They argued that the strikes, and possible intervention on the ground, shouldn’t be able to continue without congressional authorization. TRUMP UNLEASHES US MILITARY POWER ON CARTELS. IS A WIDER WAR LOOMING? Despite the strikes on alleged drug boats giving members on both sides of the aisle heartburn, the push failed largely along party lines except for Paul and a defection by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who voted for a previous resolution to block Trump’s strikes in the Caribbean earlier this month. Trump earlier this month acknowledged that he authorized the CIA operations in the region for two reasons; that Venezuela had “emptied their prisons into the United States of America” and that drugs were flowing in from the country. “We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea,” Trump said. “So, you get to see that, but we’re going to stop them by land also.” SENATORS LOOK TO BLOCK TRUMP FROM ENGAGING IN ‘HOSTILITIES’ IN VENEZUELA In their resolution, the trio contended that whether United States forces should be engaged in hostilities within or against Venezuela should be answered following a full briefing to Congress and the American public of the issues at stake, a public debate in Congress, and a congressional vote as contemplated by the Constitution.” So far, the administration has carried out 16 strikes against vessels in the region that led to a death toll of 66 people. Trump earlier this week ordered that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford head to the Caribbean as part of his administration’s ongoing fight against drugs. WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO REPORTS OF TRUMP PREPARING TO HIT MILITARY TARGETS INSIDE VENEZUELA The failed vote also came after congressional leaders and chairs of the House and Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees were briefed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday as part of a bid by the administration to clue lawmakers in on the rationale behind the strikes. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said after the briefing, “What we heard isn’t enough. We need a lot more answers.” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair James Risch, R-Idaho, said he was “fully satisfied” by the briefing, adding the administration has a “good legal justification for what they’re doing.” “The president really ought to be congratulated for saving the lives of young American people,” Risch said.
Optimism fades as Senate Democrats dig in, hold out over Obamacare demands
Any optimism either side of the aisle had that the government shutdown could end this week appeared to fade on Capitol Hill, as Senate Democrats appear ready to hold out longer for a deal on expiring Obamacare subsidies. Senate Democrats left another long closed-door caucus lunch on Thursday, signaling a unified front as the shutdown entered its 37th day amid Republican demands to make a deal to reopen the government. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus are still riding high after a successful Election Day Tuesday that saw Democratic candidates pummel their Republican opponents. While there are bipartisan talks among centrist Senate Democrats and Republicans on a way out, the majority of the caucus appeared ready to hold the line. MIKE JOHNSON SHOOTS DOWN OBAMACARE VOTE GUARANTEE AFTER THUNE FLOATS COMPROMISE IN SENATE “We had a very good, productive meeting,” Schumer said as he exited the lunch. Others espoused messages of unity among the ranks and bristled that they were holding out from reopening the government. “It’s not about holding out,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said. “We fight for access to healthcare for millions of people across this country. Affordability is a giant issue for American families. They told us that at the polls on Tuesday, but they tell us that every day of their lives.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., plans to put the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) on the floor again Friday to test Democrats’ resolve. It’s expected they’ll block the bill once again. Thune and Republicans have remained firm in their position that the Obamacare issue would be considered after the government reopens, and he has offered Senate Democrats a vote on the matter, which is also expected to fail. SENATE DEMS EMBOLDENED IN SHUTDOWN STRATEGY AFTER ELECTION SWEEP But Senate Democrats demand that President Donald Trump get involved and negotiate a deal on the expiring subsidies. Democrats also brushed aside comments from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who earlier in the day said he would not promise a vote in the House on the expiring subsidies. “I can tell you that Mike Johnson is only going to do what one person tells him, and that one person is Donald Trump, who has declared himself basically the Speaker of the House,” Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said. Still, Senate Republicans hope that Senate Democrats will accept the offer, along with the plan to pair the CR with a trio of spending bills to jump-start the government funding process. SCHUMER PUSHES SHUTDOWN INTO RECORD BOOKS AFTER REJECTING GOP BILL A 14TH TIME “I think the clear path forward here with regard to the [Obamacare] issue, open up the government, and we head down to the White House and sit down with the president and talk about it,” Thune said. “But I just, right now there is hostage taking, as you all know. The consequences are getting more pronounced.” There is also the question of whether the Senate stays in over the weekend ahead of a scheduled recess for Veterans Day next week. Senate Democrats want to remain, but Republicans aren’t keen to stick around unless there are signs of real progress toward reopening the government. “I do expect to be here this weekend,” Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Charts show shutdown airport disruption
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Mamdani slammed for jetting to ‘luxury resort’ for Puerto Rico conference during shutdown -Nancy Pelosi will not seek re-election, ending decades-long House career –Neighboring states invite disaffected NY, NJ, VA voters to move after Dems’ election sweep The nation’s air travel system is buckling under the weight of the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, raising fears of major disruptions ahead of the busy Thanksgiving holiday. Since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, flight delays and cancellations have surged, snarling operations at airports across the country. Major hubs along the East Coast — including Newark, Washington, D.C., and Boston — reported some of the highest numbers of delayed flights, while large airports in Chicago, Dallas–Fort Worth, Los Angeles and Atlanta also experienced significant disruptions…READ MORE. NO FREE RIDES: Trump State Department orders global visa crackdown under revived ‘public charge’ rule KEY RULING: Appeals court orders judge to reconsider whether to move Trump case to the federal system ESCALATING INQUIRY: DOJ actively preparing to issue grand jury subpoenas relating to John Brennan investigation: sources PACIFIC SHOWDOWN: High stakes on the high seas as US, China test limits of military power ATOMIC ARMS RACE: Russia drawing up plans to conduct nuclear tests after Trump announcement MISSED OPPORTUNITY: Top Democrat backs U.S. intel on narco-trafficking strikes, faults Biden for ‘not going far enough’ on Maduro FISCAL FIASCO: GOP lawmaker warns of possible food, medicine shortages as flights grounded GAME ON: House GOP probe targets Soros-linked groups over alleged Antifa funding ties ‘REALLY CRITICAL’: House Dem deflects on whether election is a warning to Democrats, demands party ‘stand strong’ PUNISHING POLITICS: New MAMDANI Act would block federal funds to NYC after socialist’s inauguration ‘A LITTLE CREEPY’: Senate hearing gets heated over shutdown after ‘stalking’ accusation flies ‘SUCH IS LIFE’: Elizabeth Warren called out for trying to blame Trump for ‘Monday Night Football’ blackout CAPITOL RETURN: Former House Democrat targets Trump in bid for political comeback CAMPUS DEBATE: ‘Free speech isn’t optional’: Next generation of legal thinkers push back on campus conformity GOLDEN GATE OPENS: Battle for the House: GOP gets boost in bid to flip swing district after Democrat bows out COURT STEPS IN: Federal judge says ICE detainees ‘shouldn’t be sleeping next to overflowing toilets’ at Chicago-area facility ‘NO COMMENT’: Top Mamdani transition leader was heavily influenced by Soros network during Biden admin DEMOCRACY CHECK: More than 500,000 Californians demand voting overhaul, back ‘straightforward’ ID law Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Federal judge rules Trump must fully fund SNAP program by Friday
A federal judge in Rhode Island on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to fully fund the nation’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food aid program by Friday, rejecting the administration’s effort to only partially fund the benefits program for some 42 million low-income Americans. “People have gone without for too long,” U.S. District Judge Jack McConnell said in court Thursday. He scolded the Trump administration for failing to comply with the order he issued last week, which required the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund the SNAP benefits programs before its funds were slated to lapse on Nov. 1, marking the first time in the program’s 60-year history that its payments were halted. TWO JUDGES RULE TRUMP ADMIN MUST KEEP SNAP BENEFITS IN PLACE AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON The judge also said Trump officials failed to address a known funding distribution problem that could cause SNAP payments to be delayed for weeks or months in some states. He ordered the USDA to tap other contingency funds as needed. “It’s likely that SNAP recipients are hungry as we sit here,” McConnell said Thursday. Trump administration officials said in a court filing this week that they would pay just 65% of the roughly $9 billion owed to fund the SNAP program for November, prompting the judge to update his order and give the administration just 24 hours to comply. TWO JUDGES RULE TRUMP ADMIN MUST KEEP SNAP BENEFITS IN PLACE AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON “The evidence shows that people will go hungry, food pantries will be overburdened, and needless suffering will occur,” McConnell said. “That’s what irreparable harm here means.” This is a breaking news story. Check back shortly for updates.
Philippines reeling from deadly floods triggered by Typhoon Kalmaegi
NewsFeed Heavy flooding in Talisay City, Cebu has destroyed homes after Typhoon Kalmaegi dumped a month’s worth of rain. One person died in a low-income area that evacuated early, while dozens may be trapped in a nearby subdivision where residents did not leave. Al Jazeera’s Barnaby Lo is there. Published On 6 Nov 20256 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
MAMDANI’S WIN: WHAT ARE HIS CRITICS SAYING?
Zohran Mamdani’s landmark win in the NYC mayoral race marks a shift – and ignites false claims on communism, election fraud & city funding. Zohran Mamdani’s historic win as New York City’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor is being hailed as a turning point for progressives. But it’s also sparked false claims about communism, ballot rigging, and federal funding cuts. Jillian Wolf checks the facts. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribeFollow us on X : https://twitter.com/AJEnglishFind us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeeraCheck our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #aljazeera#aljazeeraenglish#aljazeeranewslive Published On 6 Nov 20256 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
UN says 2025 to be among three hottest years on record
This year is set to be among the hottest on record, sinking the world even deeper into the climate crisis and threatening “irreversible damage,” the United Nations says in a new report. Years 2023, 2024 and 2025 are set to be the hottest years ever recorded, with this year on track to be the second or third hottest ever in 176 years of record keeping, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in the report released on Thursday in advance of next week’s COP30 UN climate summit in Brazil. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The UN report offered some stark observations, including warnings that concentrations of greenhouse gases have grown to new record highs, locking in more heat for the future, while the past 11 years, 2015 to 2025, will individually have been the 11 warmest years. Together, these developments make “it clear that it will be virtually impossible to limit global warming to 1.5C [2.7F] in the next few years,” WMO chief Celeste Saulo said in a statement, referring to the 2015 Paris climate accords. The legally binding pact limiting greenhouse gas emissions aimed to provide the world a roadmap for breaking away from fossil fuels that have powered the global economy since the Industrial Revolution and looked to limit global warming to well below 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial levels, and to 1.5C if possible. But the world has fallen short of its Paris obligations, with the WMO now saying limiting global heating to the goals of the 2015 agreement is virtually impossible. “This unprecedented streak of high temperatures, combined with last year’s record increase in greenhouse gas levels, makes it clear that it will be virtually impossible to limit global warming to 1.5C in the next few years without temporarily overshooting this target,” Saulo said. “But the science is equally clear that it’s still entirely possible and essential to bring temperatures back down to 1.5C by the end of the century.” Advertisement In the report, the WMO said the mean near-surface temperature — about 2 metres (6 feet) above the ground — during the first eight months of this year stood at 1.42C (2.5F) above the pre-industrial average. At the same time, concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and ocean heat content continued to rise this year, up from 2024’s already record levels. In its annual report on Tuesday, the UN Environment Programme also confirmed that emissions of greenhouse gases increased by a further 2.3 percent last year, an increase driven by India, followed by China, Russia and Indonesia. UN chief Antonio Guterres called the inability to limit the rise in global temperatures a “moral failure” on Thursday at the opening of a leaders’ summit in Brazil before COP30. “Each year above 1.5 degrees will hammer economies, deepen inequalities and inflict irreversible damage. We must act now, at great speed and scale, to make the overshoot as small, as short, and as safe as possible – and bring temperatures back below 1.5C before the end of the century,” Guterres said. ‘Significant advances’ The WMO said the impact of temperature rises can be seen in the Arctic sea ice extent, which, after the winter freeze this year, was the lowest ever recorded. The Antarctic sea ice extent, meanwhile, tracked well below average throughout the year, it said. The UN agency also highlighted numerous weather and climate-related extreme events during the first eight months of 2025, from devastating flooding to brutal heat and wildfires, with “cascading impacts on lives, livelihoods and food systems”. In this context, the WMO hailed “significant advances” in multi-hazard early warning systems, which it stressed were “more crucial than ever”. Since 2015, it said, the number of countries reporting such systems had more than doubled, from 56 to 119. It hailed in particular progress among the world’s least developed countries and small island developing states, which showed a 5 percent rise in access in the past year alone. However, it lamented that 40 percent of the world’s countries still have no such early warning systems. “Urgent action is needed to close these remaining gaps,” it said. [embedded content] Adblock test (Why?)
Bihar Election Phase 1: Dy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha boils after convoy attack by RJD supporters, claim, ‘Inki chaati pe…’, alleges threat to booth agents
As the Bihar election 2025 phase 1 voting is underway, Deputy CM and BJP candidate from Lakhisarai constituency, Vijay Kumar Sinha’s vehicle came under attack from the Bihar opposition. He alleged that RJD supporters threatened polling agent in Lakhisarai.