Copyright NBC News
A shutdown deadline that could affect millions of Americans is almost here. Jamaica reels after Hurricane Melissa slams into the island, severely damaging roads and hospitals. And, some White House aides worry what Trump might say about Taiwan ahead of the president’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Here’s what to know today. Multiple deadlines loom over shutdown talks The consequences of a U.S. government shutdown will intensify this week as the funding lapse nears a full month, with no resolution in sight. A series of deadlines in the coming days could have negative effects for ordinary Americans, cutting off food assistance for low-income workers, raising health insurance premiums for millions on Obamacare and depriving air-traffic controllers, TSA agents and other federal workers of paychecks. SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, are slated to run out on Nov. 1 without congressional action, impacting an estimated 40 million low-income Americans across red and blue states. Apart from SNAP, it's unknown if the Trump administration will be able to find alternate funding for a critical nutrition program for women, infants and children known as WIC, after President Donald Trump tapped into $300 million in tariff revenue to keep it running. This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. Also on Nov. 1, Head Start — and the thousands of preschool children who depend on it — may be in limbo as money runs out for the program that provides free learning, health screenings and meals to young children from low-income families. Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, begins on Nov. 1, a month before subsidies that have helped keep premium costs low are set to expire. Insurers have set higher rates for 2026 in case those subsidies aren't renewed, with some Americans seeing their premiums double or triple for next year. This week marked the first time during this shutdown that certain workers expected to maintain their pay, such as TSA agents and air traffic controllers, missed a full paycheck. The longest government shutdown in U.S. history, spanning 34 days in late 2018 and early 2019, ended after air traffic controllers and TSA agents started calling in sick, severely threatening air travel. One of the biggest travel holidays of the year, Thanksgiving, is coming up in just a few weeks. Read the full story. More politics news: The U.S. military carried out three strikes on four vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean that were allegedly trafficking narcotics, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. The Republican-led House Oversight Committee asserted in a report that some executive actions that then-President Joe Biden signed by autopen were "illegitimate." Republicans in Virginia have spent more on TV ads in recent weeks on the race for attorney general than the higher-profile contest for governor, where the GOP candidate is the underdog. Trump's lawyers have formally appealed his criminal conviction on charges of falsifying business records, saying the case was improperly based on "manufactured felony charges." Two senators said they are announcing bipartisan legislation to crack down on tech companies that make artificial intelligence chatbot companions available to minors. Melissa claims seven lives in the Caribbean At least seven hurricane-related deaths have been reported across the Caribbean: three each in Jamaica and Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic. The three deaths in Jamaica happened in accidents during preparations for Hurricane Melissa. Maximum sustained winds reached 185 mph as the Category 5 hurricane made landfall near New Hope, Jamaica, yesterday. The storm, which caused damage to Jamaican roads and hospitals, was downgraded to a Category 3 by the time it hit Cuba and is expected to bring severe weather to other parts of the Caribbean, including the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Follow live updates. Fed expected to cut interest rate for second time this year Investors are nearly certain that the Federal Reserve will announce a quarter-point cut to its benchmark interest rate this afternoon. What happens next is uncertain. Typically, in times of a labor market slowdown the Fed lowers rates to spur economic activity. During times of rising inflation, the Fed often hikes rates to put a lid on rising prices. With data simultaneously showing a weakening employment picture and a stubborn price growth, the Fed faces a dilemma as it determines where to set the rate that helps determine how much consumers and businesses pay to borrow money. The Fed's view of the economy remains impaired by a lack of other data, which is paused due to the government shutdown. The shutdown, now on the verge of its fourth week, has complicated matters by preventing the Bureau of Labor Statistics from releasing more current economic data. Without fresh numbers, "the Fed's task is further complicated," BNP Paribas economists wrote in a note. Read the full story. Worry over what Trump will say to Xi about Taiwan Some of Trump's aides have advised him against shifting the U.S. position on independence for Taiwan to favor China, according to four people with knowledge of the discussions, ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week. These aides have privately expressed concern that Trump, who is pushing to reach a sweeping trade deal with China, may choose to ignore their advice, the people with knowledge of the discussions said. They said they worry that the president could walk away from longstanding U.S. policy on Taiwan, or more subtly shift the U.S. position by framing it with new language. Administration officials have told Trump to expect Xi to seek a public declaration from him that the U.S. "opposes" Taiwan's independence, the people with knowledge of the discussions said. The Chinese leader has for months pushed for a shift in the U.S. position on Taiwan from the current one, that the U.S. does "not support" its independence, to saying the U.S. "opposes" it. Read the full story. More World news: The Israeli military carried out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, throwing the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas into question. A recent U.S. intelligence assessment warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is more determined than ever to carry on the war in Ukraine and prevail on the battlefield. The athletes to watch in the Winter Olympics The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan will be highlighted by some obvious names like American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn and Canadian hockey phenom Connor McDavid, who will be making his Olympics debut after securing three NHL MVP trophies. But like any other Olympic games, it's the new names that can make the biggest splash. Back-to-back World Champion figure skater Ilia Malinin will represent the U.S. in search of the first Olympic medal of his young career. Laila Edwards, the first Black woman to play for the U.S. national hockey team, is expected to be a key player as the U.S. looks to take back the Olympic crown from rival Canada. These are just some of the athletes to keep an eye on when the games kick off in 100 days, with plenty of other world-class athletes looking to make history, including Stellato-Dudek, a 42-year-old Canadian, who is set to become the oldest Olympic figure skater since World War II and possibly the oldest figure skating medalist since the sport was held at the Summer Games in 1920. Read more on the athletes to watch. More Olympics news: Athletes are excited that the Olympics are returning — with fans — in the first truly open Winter Games since 2018. The Milan-Cortina Olympics will be spread out across northern Italy, covering an area of more than 10,000 square miles. NBC News mapped out the venues and regions. Here are the events in which Americans are most likely to take home some hardware. Read All About It Canada is on track to lose its measles elimination status as an outbreak continues to spread. The United States could follow. Apple became only the third company to break through the $4 trillion market value milestone. An original manuscript and cover sketch by Theodor Geisel, better known by his pen name Dr. Seuss, will be published by Random House Children’s Books next year. A number of monkeys associated with the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center were "destroyed" after they got loose and law enforcement officers were mistakenly told they were dangerous. Staff Pick: The AI data center near you Across the country, tech giants are quietly buying up land to build billion-dollar AI data centers — and some are using non-disclosure agreements to do it in secret. Five county officials from different states told me they signed NDAs to lure jobs and investment. But residents left out of the conversation said the silence feels like a betrayal. In one northeastern Kentucky county, families were offered millions for their land without being able to ask who was buying it or why — only to learn months later that a data center might move in next door. After tracking dozens of stories about communities pushing back against data center deals, I set out to understand how common NDAs are in these developments, what they hide, and why residents and officials alike are being left in the dark about the secret deals that could reshape their towns. – Natalie Kainz, production assistant NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified The NBC Select team rounded up the best stocking stuffers for adults, including handy gadgets and everyday luxuries, just ahead of the holiday season. Plus, safety keychains worth carrying and the real rules of oral care. Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.
