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Politics / October 31, 2025 For MAGA, 2026 will be payback for 2020. Ad Policy Donald Trump greets a child during a Halloween event on the South Lawn of the White House, on October 30, 2025.(Aaron Schwartz / CNP / Bloomberg via Getty Images) Donald Trump, a man who loves nursing grievances and plotting revenge, has never gotten over losing the 2020 presidential election. To this day, he refuses to admit that he was defeated fair and square, preferring the comforting fantasy that the election was stolen. The 2020 myth has become central to Trump’s political identity. It fueled his…

NPR’s A Martinez speaks to Democratic Gov. Matt Meyer of Delaware, who declared a state of emergency to temporarily fund SNAP benefits for his state’s recipients of the federal food aid. A MARTÍNEZ, HOST: Some governors are using state funds to try and close the federal gap in food assistance. In Delaware, Democratic Governor Matt Meyer declared a state of emergency to temporarily replace SNAP benefits with money from the state. Governor, about 11% of Delaware’s residents receive SNAP benefits. Will they all be covered, at least for the time being?MATT MEYER: Yes, they will. One in 9 Delawarians rely…

It should not have come as a shock. The Trump administration’s agenda to roll back civil rights was outlined in Project 2025, the 900-page roadmap written by conservative think tanks and former administration officials. Upon his inauguration, the president began issuing executive orders, ending programs, halting investigations, and appointing anti-civil rights loyalists to key positions in his government. Some democratic leaders spoke out and condemned budget cuts and layoffs. But in the months since, the administration has largely gotten away with casting its actions as reining in cumbersome DEI regulations or cutting corporate red tape. It has taken organizing by…

Volunteers organize donated beans, powered milk and other nonperishable items during a food drive in front of the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday in Washington, D.C. The event brought together faith leaders, food bank workers and furloughed federal employees who demanded that the Trump administration release billions in emergency funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images A federal judge says the Trump administration has until “no later than Monday” to consider whether to pay at least partial SNAP food benefits to 42 million low-income people. Judge Indira Talwani acknowledged…

Politics / October 31, 2025 The scandals engulfing the Democratic Senate hopeful expose a rift between the state’s provincial and national identities Ad Policy A sign advertising a Graham Platner town hall in Ogunquit, Maine(Sophie Park / Getty Images) Since I moved to Maine half a decade ago, I’ve found that my friends in other places don’t really keep up with the comings and goings of Maine life. For me, that’s kind of the point of living here: It’s nice being out of the way, and to hear my friends muse wistfully, “I’ve always wanted to visit Maine.” These are…

Good morning. You’re reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Today’s top stories Tomorrow, many Americans will feel the impact of the government shutdown as SNAP food benefits will run out for about 42 million people. Saturday also marks the start of enrollment on federal insurance exchanges, and premiums are expected to more than double on average. Democrats say they’ll vote to reopen the government if Congress extends health care subsidies to help manage the rising costs. Yesterday, major airlines…

Politics / StudentNation / October 31, 2025 If passed, the constitutional amendment would lock out a potential source of future state funding and disproportionately benefit wealthy households. Ad Policy Greg Abbott, governor of Texas, during a news conference in September 2025.(Mark Felix / Getty) This story was produced for StudentNation, a program of the Nation Fund for Independent Journalism, which is dedicated to highlighting the best of student journalism. For more StudentNation, check out our archive or learn more about the program here. StudentNation is made possible through generous funding from The Puffin Foundation. If you’re a student and you have an article idea,…

Supporters of President Trump clash with police and security forces as they push barricades to storm the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C on January 6, 2021. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images A federal judge has sentenced a man to time served for making a hoax threat near the D.C. residence of former President Barack Obama two years ago, prompting a massive law enforcement response that included a bomb squad and sniffer dogs. Taylor Taranto, of Pasco, Wash., spent 22 months in the troubled D.C. jail facility while he waited for trial…

October 30, 2025 A congressional war powers resolution could bring pressure and is the best hope for averting another disastrous war. Ad Policy Donald Trump arrives to greet Javier Milei, Argentina’s president, not pictured, outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025.(Stefani Reynolds / Getty Images) “I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country, OK?” President Trump told reporters at a press conference last week. “We’re going to kill them, you know? They’re going to be, like, dead.”  Trump had gotten his message across,…

Society / October 30, 2025 I warned that Trump and congressional Republicans could use a shutdown to deny SNAP benefits, but was told there was no way our political system would allow that to occur. Ad Policy A sign alerting customers about SNAP benefits is displayed at a Brooklyn grocery store on December 5, 2019, in New York City. Earlier in the week the Trump administration announced stricter requirements for food stamp benefits that would cut support for nearly 700,000 poor Americans.(Scott Heins / Getty Images) US elites tend to have a “normalcy bias” that allows them to believe our…