NATIONAL

US hits $38 trillion in debt, after the fastest accumulation of $1 trillion outside of the pandemic: In the midst of a federal government shutdown, the U.S. government’s gross national debt surpassed $38 trillion Wednesday, a record number that highlights the accelerating accumulation of debt on America’s balance sheet. It’s also the fastest accumulation of a trillion dollars in debt outside of the COVID-19 pandemic. WCAX

Trump plows ahead with East Wing demolition despite calls for caution: All that's left of the East Wing of the White House is a pile of rubble. A Virginia couple is suing. The motion says that the defendants are violating the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 by not identifying and evaluating the historic property, assessing the project’s effects on that property, and consulting with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and the D.C. State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to mitigate any adverse effects before the project proceeds. NPR, FOX5DC

SHUTDOWN IMPACT

SNAP benefits may run out Nov. 1. Here are some ways people could still get food assistance in time.

Trump's shutdown pay plan prioritizes security personnel over civilian workers.

Over 4,000 flights delayed across US as FAA deals with staffing shortage amid shutdown.

Federal agency overseeing US nuclear stockpile will furlough most of its workforce starting Monday.

INTERNATIONAL

Israeli military says it conducted 'targeted strike' in central Gaza: A U.S.-backed ceasefire is in force between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas more than two years after the war in the Gaza Strip began, but each side has accused the other of violations. REUTERS

Trump raises tariffs on Canada by 10% over Reagan ad: President Donald Trump announced he's adding an extra 10% tariff on Canadian imports in response to a negative TV commercial featuring a speech by President Ronald Reagan. ABC 

GOOD NEWS FOR AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

Trump reverses decision to send troops to San Francisco after conversation with mayor: Trump said on social media that he spoke with the city's mayor, Daniel Lurie, Wednesday night who asked the president to "give him a chance" to turn things around. ABC

DESI NEWS

‘Deport every Indian immediately’: Florida politician censured after anti-India rant sparks outrage: Florida council member Chandler Langevin is under fire for social media remarks calling for the deportation of Indians.  The Palm Bay City Council has formally censored him. Over several weeks this fall, Langevin wrote on X that Indians come to the United States to “drain our pockets” and return to India, “or worse … to stay.” FINANCIAL EXPRESS

From ‘model minority’ to target of hate: Fearful silence among Indian-Americans: Community leaders say they urgently need to build solidarity with other minorities, engage at the grassroots and organise politically. Get your friends and family to read this and consider joining organizations like TSB ... there is strength and support in numbers. SCROLL

Who Pays The $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee & How? On October 20, 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released an update on the fee’s applicability: who must pay the fee, when and how it should be paid, and eligibility criteria for exemption. INDIA CURRENTS

CORRUPTION ALERT

Pentagon accepts $130 million donation to help pay the military during the government shutdown: The mystery donor whose $130 million contribution is meant to pay U.S. military troops during the government shutdown is Timothy Mellon, an heir to a renowned Gilded Age banking family. But Mellon’s donation works out to only about $100 per service member. It costs nearly $6.4 billion to pay U.S. troops every two weeks. And using his money might run afoul of federal law. CNBC

Trump Demands DOJ Pay $230 Million for Investigating him: President Donald Trump is seeking a $230 million payout from the Department of Justice as compensation for the multiple federal investigations into him, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing several people familiar with the matter. And Trump’s own appointees and allies are the ones who will have the power to green-light the potential nine-figure payout. MEDIAITE

Star Fox host Laura Ingraham is now in business with the president’s son: Ingraham and Donald Trump Jr. are among the directors of “Colombier Acquisition Corp. III,” a special-purpose acquisition company, which is seeking to raise $260 million in an initial public offering to acquire another company. MEDIA MATTERS

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND SAFETY

Vermont denied federal disaster declaration for July flood: Trump approved major disaster declarations for Alaska, Nebraska, North Dakota and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe late Wednesday. He rejected three requests from other states in addition to Vermont, including Maryland's appeal for reconsideration after the state was denied a disaster declaration for May flooding. The decisions fell along party lines, with Trump selecting the states that voted for him to receive aid. MYNBC5

Trump reverses Biden-era rules on copper smelters: U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday reversed a Biden-era air pollution rule that had imposed stricter limits on emissions from copper smelters. The copper rule, finalized in May 2024, had required smelters to curb pollutants including lead, arsenic, mercury, benzene and dioxins under updated federal air standards. REUTERS

JUST THE HEADLINES

The Trump administration agreed to resume processing student loan forgiveness for eligible borrowers enrolled in two income-driven repayment plans.

'I don't sleep well at night.' Washington’s rural hospitals brace for Medicaid cuts, possible closures due to Medicaid cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill

THE EPSTEIN FILES CANNOT BE RELEASED NOW BECAUSE OF THE SHUTDOWN

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