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Reduction in flights have begun today at major airports across the country. A federal judge orders the White House to fully fund SNAP after two chaotic weeks for the program. And, Nancy Pelosi's retirement leaves a coveted seat open for a party that is already embracing new leaders. Here's what to know today. Travelers brace for mass disruptions at airports More than 800 flights have been canceled today after the Federal Aviation Administration’s move to reduce air traffic at 40 major airports took effect, with travelers bracing for mass disruption. Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles, as well as all three New York-area airports, will all face a reduction. They took effect today, Day 38 of the record-long federal government shutdown. Hundreds of flights for today had already been canceled by yesterday afternoon, according to airlines. American canceled 220 flights, United 188, Southwest about 100 and Delta 170. The FAA is requiring 4% of flights to be cut and that will gradually increase to 10% by next week. What happens after next week is still to be determined. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the move to reduce the number of flights was sparked by “fatigue” plaguing air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay since the start of the shutdown. “The closest comparison would be shutting down the airspace during Sept. 11,” said Jeff Guzzetti, an aircraft accident investigator who has worked for both the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA, referring to the two-day shutdown of the U.S. airspace following the terror attacks in 2001. The cuts are taking effect just ahead of Thanksgiving, one of the busiest air travel periods of the year. Our explainer details everything you need to about the flight cuts, and you can follow the latest developments on our liveblog. Read the full story on travelers bracing for delays. More politics news: The Senate voted down a measure requiring congressional approval for any military action by President Donald Trump against Venezuela. Within hours, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the 17th known strike on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, Eastern Pacific or the coastline of Latin America. Since Tuesday's elections, Trump has repeatedly boasted that Walmart's Thanksgiving meal bundle is cheaper than it was under Joe Biden. But there's also less food in it. Republicans have spent a year cheering Trump's gains among Latino voters. Now, Democrats' big wins among Latino voters this week have some Republicans sounding the alarm. The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to enforce a policy aimed at limiting transgender rights that would restrict sex designations on passports to "male" and "female" based on sex assigned at birth. Jurors showed no appetite for the Justice Department's case against "sandwich guy," the D.C. resident who chucked a Subway sandwich at the chest of a federal officer, finding him not guilty. Judge orders White House to deliver full SNAP benefits A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to deliver SNAP payments in full to states by the end of today. The order followed two weeks of chaos and confusion about the fate of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, during the government shutdown. The Trump administration said it had complied with the judge's previous order to partially fund the program through contingency funds and argued that the reason people have not received their SNAP benefits is that states have not distributed them. Tyler Becker, counsel to the assistant attorney general, said the partial benefits were released to states on Monday, adding that "this is a state problem." But the judge said the Trump administration "did nothing to ensure" that SNAP benefits would be delivered this week. He ordered the administration to use the funding for child nutrition programs, known as Section 32 funding, in addition to the contingency funds to make sure payments are delivered in full. Read the full story. Who could replace Nancy Pelosi in Congress? Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who made history as the nation's first female speaker of the House and twice served in that top job, said she will not seek re-election in 2026. Her decision will spark a fierce contest for her liberal, deep-blue San Francisco seat at a moment when Democrats across the country are embracing a new generation of leaders. Even before her announcement, at least two Democrats had already launched bids to replace her: state Sen. Scott Weiner, 55, and wealthy former tech executive Saikat Chakrabarti, 39, a co-founder of the progressive outside group Justice Democrats that helped propel Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to political stardom. Pelosi's decision is sure to entice others to throw their hats in the ring, given that a competitive congressional race has not been held in San Francisco for nearly four decades. Read the full story looking back at Pelosi’s legacy in Congress and more on the Democrats who could replace her. Read All About It Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound after evading authorities, crashing a car and fleeing on foot. Tesla announced that shareholders voted to approve a $1 trillion pay package for Elon Musk. A Sudanese paramilitary group accused of killing thousands of civilians in a war agreed to a ceasefire proposal from U.S.-led mediators. Starbucks customers are clawing at the chance to score the brand's newest holiday drop: the Glass Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup. Former NFL star Antonio Brown was captured yesterday, ending a more than four-month search for the ex-wide receiver who is accused of opening fire at a crowded Miami event. Staff Pick: Revisiting a tragic shipwreck "How come I had never heard of this?" That was author and journalist Mirta Ojito’s first reaction when she happened upon a book about the tragedy of the large steamship Valbanera, which got caught in a fierce hurricane off the Florida Keys in 1919 just a few years after the Titanic. Almost 500 people, mostly immigrants from Spain and its Canary Islands on their way to Havana, Cuba, lost their lives, and it's still the deadliest shipwreck off the Florida Keys. Ojito decided to write a novel centered around the tragedy of the "poor man's Titanic" — as the Valbanera was known — and wove into the plot the story of a young woman from the Canary Islands and her incredible journey to Cuba. But Ojito got a real-life plot twist when she found out new information about her own heritage shortly after she wrote the book, which she shared with our contributor Raul Reyes. That spurred him to look into the forgotten history of a specific group of European immigrants to the Americas, where he found ties to everything from the American Revolution to The Alamo — and unearthed some fascinating reasons why some of us may not know about our own ancestors. – Sandra Lilley, editorial director, NBC Latino NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified Peloton is voluntarily recalling more than 800,000 of its bikes. Here's what you need to know. 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.
