The United States Navy carried out a new attack on a ship suspected of drug trafficking within the past hour, as the nation grapples with an ongoing government shutdown. The Agriculture Department announced today that it cannot use contingency funds to pay for food stamps, and states will not be reimbursed for covering these expenses, according to a memo obtained by Axios. In parallel developments, former Fed Chairs Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen were among over three dozen signatories to a brief submitted to the Supreme Court in opposition to President Trump's IEEPA tariffs. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders faced criticism for what was described as a "bait-and-switch" tactic regarding Obamacare subsidies, with calls for Republicans to address issues Democrats did not resolve while in power. Senator James Lankford questioned the timing of negotiations on temporary COVID subsidies during the shutdown, stating the government must be opened first. Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that the province will pause its U.S. advertising campaign effective Monday to allow trade talks to resume, following President Trump's termination of trade negotiations with Canada over an advertisement. Ford stated the intention was to initiate a conversation about the economy and the impact of tariffs, and that the message had reached U.S. audiences. The premier also indicated that Ontario will resume its advertising during the first two World Series games. Separately, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, 88, was reportedly scammed at home by individuals claiming to be a cleaning crew, with a police report describing her as having "early stages of dementia." Her office has pushed back against this claim. In another development, former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema is lobbying for a data center developer in Chandler, Arizona, and stated she is working "hand in glove" with the Trump Administration, warning the city to embrace data centers or face federal intervention. Regarding immigration policy, Maryland Senator Van Hollen expressed concern over reports that the Trump Administration intends to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia, stating this would deny his due process rights. Abrego Garcia's prosecution is being challenged as potentially retaliatory after he successfully contested his unlawful deportation. In international relations, a report cited U.S. and European officials stating that Secretary of State Marco Rubio assessed that Moscow had not made substantive changes to its position, in the context of discussions concerning Russia. On a domestic political note, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries dismissed a question about a potential primary challenge to Chi Ossé as "not a serious question."
