After more than a month of deadlock, signs of movement finally emerged in Washington on Sunday as Senate Democrats appeared poised to back a bipartisan spending proposal that could bring the historic government shutdown to an end.
According to congressional aides, at least ten Democrats are prepared to join Republicans in advancing a procedural vote on a package of appropriations bills paired with a short-term funding measure to keep the government running through January. The development follows weeks of stalled negotiations between congressional leaders and the Trump administration.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, who has kept the Senate in session throughout the weekend, suggested optimism was in the air as lawmakers continued to negotiate. “A deal is coming together,” Thune remarked while entering the chamber to open Sunday’s session.
Still, Thune cautioned that success wasn’t guaranteed. Senators wanted additional time to read and review the final text before moving forward. “We’ll see where the votes are,” he said, signaling that discussions remained fluid and could continue late into the night.
The emerging framework would mark the first tangible progress toward ending the shutdown, now in its 40th day. The tentative arrangement reportedly includes a December vote on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits—a top Democratic priority—while also offering relief to federal employees who have gone without pay.
Insiders indicated that the text of the appropriations legislation would likely be made public later in the day. The pending measure could provide much-needed funding to reopen shuttered agencies, restore federal food assistance, and address disruptions to air travel caused by the prolonged stoppage.
“The negotiations are finally moving in the right direction,” said a senior Republican staffer familiar with the talks. “Everyone understands the pressure to get this done.”
The government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, began when Democrats refused to approve a GOP-backed funding plan that excluded a one-year extension of enhanced Obamacare subsidies. President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans rejected that proposal, instead advocating that federal dollars be redirected straight to consumers through health savings accounts.
To bridge the divide, the Senate’s new plan reportedly separates the immediate funding measures from the larger health care fight, allowing both sides to declare a partial victory while reopening government operations.
“We’re at the point where something has to give,” one Democratic senator said. “We’re not there yet, but this could be the start of a real breakthrough.”
If the momentum continues, lawmakers could hold a final vote as early as Monday, potentially reopening the government just ahead of the busy Thanksgiving travel period.
{Matzav.com}
During his weekly Motzaei Shabbos shiur at the Yazdim shul in Yerushalayim, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchak Yosef sharply criticized the Chabad practice encouraging every girl and woman in the home to light Shabbos candles with a brachah.
Rav Yosef stated, “There’s a new bride who’s very emotional when she lights candles for the first time. We’re not Chabadniks. That’s not our way. There was once an ad campaign printed on matchboxes that said, ‘Every woman and girl lights Shabbos candles with a brachah.’ And Maran, my father, Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, with the courage he had—people need to learn from Maran, though not everyone has that courage—said it’s assur according to halachah.”
He continued, “Every woman and girl lights candles with a brachah? The mother lights and fulfills the obligation for everyone in the home—sons and daughters alike. Only a married woman, who has her own separate room, lights with a brachah.”
Rav Yosef went on to recall that shortly after his father delivered a similar ruling, “He gave a shiur at Mossad Harav Kook, and a group of Chassidim upstairs began shouting and disturbing the shiur. They asked, ‘How could you dare argue with the Rebbe?’”
“What’s the connection?” Rav Yosef asked. “You can respect the Rebbe, you can admire the incredible outreach work they do around the world—there’s no question about that. But what does that have to do with halachah? Halachah is halachah. How can unmarried girls make a brachah over Shabbos candles? Let them light a candle for Lag BaOmer or whatever they want, but not for Shabbos—with a brachah, that’s not done.”
{Matzav.com}
Air travelers across the United States are facing a grim outlook as the ongoing federal shutdown continues to cripple the aviation system, leaving airports overwhelmed and airlines slashing flights. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on Sunday that air travel could soon grind nearly to a halt as the crisis deepens.
“It’s only going to get worse… the two weeks before Thanksgiving, you’re going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle,” Duffy said on CNN’s State of the Union.
With Thanksgiving — one of America’s busiest travel seasons — approaching on November 27, millions of travelers could be stranded. “Many of them are not going to be able to get on an airplane, because there are not going to be that many flights that fly if this thing doesn’t open back up,” Duffy cautioned.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered airlines to trim daily schedules by 4% at 40 major airports starting Friday, citing mounting safety risks due to staff shortages. The agency plans to escalate those cuts to 6% on Tuesday and 10% by November 14.
By Sunday morning, the situation had worsened dramatically. As of 10:30 a.m. ET, over 1,400 flights were canceled and 2,700 delayed. The FAA confirmed staffing shortages at a dozen air traffic control towers, further compounding the chaos.
Duffy explained that retirements among controllers have surged since the shutdown began on October 1. “I paid experienced controllers to stay on the job and not retire,” he said. “I used to have about four controllers retire a day before the shutdown, … now up to 15 to 20 a day are retiring.”
The FAA now faces a shortage of between 1,000 and 2,000 air traffic controllers, a crisis that has left the agency scrambling. Airlines are reeling from the cascading effects: on Saturday alone, 1,550 flights were canceled and 6,700 delayed, up from Friday’s 1,025 cancellations and 7,000 delays.
Behind the scenes, airline executives are panicking. Several officials privately admitted that the proliferation of delay programs has made it “nearly impossible” to schedule and manage flights. Many expressed fears that the system could collapse entirely if the staffing situation deteriorates further.
Economists are warning that the damage could extend beyond airports. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said the travel disruptions could dent national growth. “Thanksgiving time is one of the hottest times of the year for the economy… and if people aren’t traveling at that moment, then we really could be looking at a negative quarter for the fourth quarter,” he said on CBS’s Face the Nation.
According to Airlines for America, which represents major U.S. carriers, the crisis has already upended travel plans for more than 4 million passengers since the shutdown began. The group estimates that by next Friday, the economic toll could range from $285 million to $580 million each day.
The flight reductions have hit the nation’s largest airlines especially hard — about 700 canceled flights came from American, Delta, Southwest, and United combined. Meanwhile, 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 airport screeners continue to work without pay.
Duffy previously warned that if more controllers walk off the job, he may be forced to order an even steeper reduction — up to 20% of total air traffic.
Adding to safety concerns, Senator Ted Cruz revealed that pilots have reported a troubling rise in errors by fatigued air traffic controllers. “Since the shutdown started, pilots have filed more than 500 safety reports about mistakes made by air traffic controllers because of fatigue,” Cruz said, citing FAA data.
As the shutdown drags into its 40th day — the longest in U.S. history — the aviation industry faces a nightmare scenario: fewer flights, exhausted workers, frustrated travelers, and a looming economic hit that could ripple far beyond the skies.
{Matzav.com}
As the government shutdown drags on and funding for Obamacare subsidies nears its end, President Donald Trump is reigniting his campaign against the Affordable Care Act, calling it one of Washington’s biggest failures.
“OBAMACARE ‘SUCKS,’” Trump declared on Truth Social Sunday morning. “THE WORST HEALTHCARE FOR THE HIGHEST PRICE.”
Amid the ongoing budget stalemate, Trump floated a new idea over the weekend, encouraging Republicans to take the billions of dollars now flowing to health insurance companies through Obamacare and send the funds directly to citizens instead. “PAY THE PEOPLE, NOT THE INSURANCE COMPANIES!” he urged, a proposal that could find unexpected appeal across the political aisle.
Trump doubled down last night, accusing major insurers of enriching themselves off “a corrupt system of healthcare” established under President Barack Obama’s landmark legislation. “NO MORE MONEY, HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, TO THE DEMOCRAT SUPPORTED INSURANCE COMPANIES FOR REALLY BAD OBAMACARE,” Trump posted. “THE MONEY MUST NOW GO DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE, TAKING THE ‘FAT CAT’ INSURANCE COMPANIES OUT OF THE CORRUPT SYSTEM OF HEALTHCARE. THE PEOPLE CAN BUY THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER POLICY, FOR MUCH LESS MONEY, SAVING, FOR THEMSELVES, AN ABSOLUTE FORTUNE!!! PRESIDENT DJT.”
Earlier that same day, Trump had already urged Senate Republicans to get behind his plan to redirect the funds. “I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE, and have money left over,” he wrote. “In other words, take from the BIG, BAD Insurance Companies, give it to the people, and terminate, per Dollar spent, the worst Healthcare anywhere in the World, ObamaCare. Unrelated, we must still terminate the Filibuster!”
Trump’s push to end the Senate filibuster, however, faces firm opposition from Republican lawmakers, who fear Democrats would use the same move to advance sweeping left-wing measures such as free healthcare for illegal immigrants or statehood for Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico—adding four Democratic senators.
But Trump argued that such a scenario is inevitable once Democrats regain full control of Congress, especially now that moderate obstacles like former Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin are out of the way. “Republicans Should Terminate the Filibuster (THE DEMS WILL DO IT THE FIRST CHANCE THEY GET!), End the Shutdown, Pass lots of Great ‘Things,’ and Win the Midterms,” Trump wrote. “SO EASY TO DO — Be the Smart Party, Not the Stupid Party!”
{Matzav.com}
Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, has arrived in Israel to hold discussions with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu about advancing Washington’s strategy to bring the Gaza conflict to an end, according to a person with direct knowledge of the visit.
The source, who requested anonymity because the meeting has not been publicly announced, said Kushner’s session with Netanyahu is scheduled for tomorrow. Both the White House and the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment when approached by Reuters.
In a sign of the meeting’s urgency, Netanyahu’s court appearance in his ongoing corruption trial was called off, with officials citing a series of diplomatic engagements taking precedence.
{Matzav.com}
In remarks to Sky News Arabia, Senator Lindsey Graham said that peace in the Middle East remains unattainable while Hamas continues to wield weapons, tying any rebuilding of Gaza to the group’s disarmament.
“I hope Hamas will disarm, but I see no effort in that direction. On the contrary, they seem focused on regaining strength and rearming,” he said, underscoring his view that the militant organization shows no readiness to relinquish its military might.
Graham further declared that eventually Hamas must be disarmed, and if it does not do so voluntarily, then Israel may have to take the lead. He noted the lack of Arab forces willing to enter Gaza for such a mission and emphasized that only Israel is capable of executing it: “We can support Israel in disarming Hamas, but Israel will be the one on the ground.”
He added that reconstruction of Gaza and areas in Judea and Samaria can only begin once Hamas abandons its power. “As long as Hamas holds power, there will be no peace in the Middle East,” he declared, making clear his belief that disarmament is the gateway to normalization.
Turning to nearby Lebanon, Graham described a split sentiment among the Shiite population: many support the notion that heavy weaponry should fall exclusively under the Lebanese Armed Forces, but an armed faction within Hezbollah refuses to lay down its arms—a stance he argues blocks Lebanon from fulfilling its regional role. “Israel will not accept a fully armed Hezbollah. My advice to my Lebanese friends is to disarm Hezbollah, which could open the door to discussing border security with Israel and integrating Lebanon into the region,” he said.
Discussing regional normalization, Graham predicted additional Arab states will join the Abraham Accords and flagged an anticipated move by Saudi Arabia in the coming year, encouraging Lebanon to prepare for inclusion in the regional shift.
On Syria, he signalled willingness to ease sanctions but stressed the need to maintain the capacity to re-impose them swiftly if necessary. “They must do the right things, like protecting religious minorities and controlling the Lebanon-Syria border,” he stated, and emphasised that his focus remains on isolating and disarming Hezbollah while cautiously supporting the new government in Damascus.
{Matzav.com}After more than eleven years in captivity, Lieutenant Hadar Goldin was brought back to Israel today and laid to rest. His family, gathered at their Kfar Saba home, issued their first public message following the burial, speaking of the long struggle to retrieve his remains and the values that guided them through the ordeal.
“Eleven years ago, we stood here in August after Hadar was taken from us, and we cried out that we must not leave Gaza without bringing Hadar back. We took it for granted that the State of Israel would not leave soldiers behind. It took us 11 years to bring him home through the IDF and security forces,” Hadar’s mother, Leah, stated.
Leah emphasized the principles that sustained the family and the campaign to recover him, and she appealed to the nation to treat the fate of hostages as a moral imperative.
“The first value is friendship and comradeship, the second is burial in Israel, and the third is human dignity. These are the values we fought for. Sadly, we faced many disappointments. We cannot give up on who we are, and we will prevail through our values. I hope Hadar will continue to be the symbol he has been until now. I’m not just fighting for Hadar-I’m fighting for the next hostage. And if October 7th didn’t become a wake-up call for everyone in the State of Israel, it’s time for you to look at us and let us explain why it’s important and imperative to fight for our children. Thank you for walking with us all the way.”
Reflecting on the role of the military in bringing their son home, the family credited the IDF and reiterated a commitment to the principle of not abandoning soldiers.
Simcha Goldin, Hadar’s father, added: “We brought Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, our son, a fighter, to be buried in Israel. We achieved this because our soldiers fought to bring warriors back from the battlefield. The IDF brought Hadar back to his homeland-no one else. So we hold fast to these values: that we don’t abandon soldiers on the battlefield, because this is a value, and we don’t compromise on values. And what this war has proven is that when we fight for our soldiers, we succeed. Victory means bringing home the hostages and bringing home our soldiers to Israel.”
{Matzav.com}
The head of the BBC has stepped down today following a scandal involving the broadcaster’s use of manipulated footage of Donald Trump from January 6.
After five years at the helm of Britain’s publicly funded media institution, Tim Davie issued a statement acknowledging that he was assuming “ultimate responsibility” for the broadcaster’s recent errors.
“Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as Director-General I have to take ultimate responsibility,” Davie said in the statement, which conspicuously did not mention the former President by name.
His departure follows the disclosure that the BBC’s flagship investigative program, Panorama, edited two separate segments of Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021, and combined them to suggest that he had explicitly instructed supporters to attack the Capitol.
{Matzav.com}