NATIONAL

As SNAP payments cease for millions of Americans due to the shutdown, US judges rule that Trump administration cannot suspend food aid benefits: President Donald Trump's administration cannot suspend food aid for millions of Americans during the ongoing government shutdown, two federal judges ruled on Friday, saying the government must use contingency funds to pay for the benefits. The SNAP funding jeopardy has sparked a wave of uncertainty for the 42 million Americans who depend on the benefits to buy food each month, and food banks are preparing for high demand just weeks before Thanksgiving. President Trump has said that the administration will not tap into emergency funds to pay for the food assistance. REUTERS USA TODAY POLITICO

House Republicans grow anxious about Speaker Johnson’s extended shutdown recess: House Republicans are growing anxious about how they will make up for lost time after Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) move to keep the House out of session for more than a month during the government shutdown, with leaders starting to brace members for long days when the funding impasse eventually ends. THE HILL

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND SAFETY

Trump Administration Providing Weapons-Grade Plutonium to Sam Altman: On Tuesday, the US Department of Energy (DOE) launched an application for interested parties to apply for access to a maximum of 19 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium, which has long been a key resource undergirding the US nuclear arsenal. One of the companies anticipated to receive shipments of the fissile isotope from the DOE is Oklo, a “nuclear startup” backed and formerly chaired by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Earlier in October, Oklo was one of four US companies chosen by the DOE to join a new pilot program meant to rush the testing and approval of experimental reactor designs. FUTURISM

Trump administration finalizes plan to open pristine Alaska wildlife refuge to oil and gas drilling: The Trump administration on Thursday finalized plans to open the coastal plain of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to potential oil and gas drilling, renewing a long-simmering debate over whether to drill in one of the nation's environmental jewels. NPR

DESI NEWS

Trailblazer Sonia Raman Becomes First Indian American To Lead A WNBA Team: Sonia Raman, assistant coach for the New York Liberty, has agreed to a multiyear deal to lead the Seattle Storm, — marking a historic moment as she becomes the first person of Indian descent to serve as a head coach in the WNBA. INDIA WEST

An average Indian immigrant can save the US government $1.7 million over 30 years: Indian immigrants are the most economically beneficial immigrant group in the US, a new study published by the Manhattan Institute shows. CNBCTV

CORRUPTION ALERT

White House fires members of commission that is to weigh in on Trump’s construction projects: The White House fired all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, which is slated to review President Donald Trump's controversial construction projects, and will replace them with its own appointees. In replacing the members of the CFA, Trump has removed a potential obstacle to the massive $300 million ballroom he is building on the White House grounds after demolishing much of the East Wing, and the ceremonial arch he wants to build. ABC NEWS

The scale of Trump’s crypto self-enrichment: A new Reuters report breaks down the Trump family cryptocurrency empire, which Donald Trump and his children have promoted since his return to office, and finds that it has generated 17 times the income the Trump family generated just last year. The report says some of this wealth was generated via the investment of a bunch of characters that have “histories of legal and regulatory entanglements related to their business endeavors,” including a Chinese crypto enthusiast who’s under investigation for alleged money laundering in Britain. MSNBC

THE EPSTEIN FILES STILL HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED: The newest member of the House Representative Adelita Grijalva (D) from Arizona, still hasn’t been sworn in despite winning her election on September 23. Speculation is that Speaker Johnson’s refusal to convene a session of Congress is tied to the fact that Grijalva would make up the majority vote needed to release the Epstein files.

TAKE ACTION - VOTING WEEK EDITION

Have you turned in your ballot? Do you have plans to vote on Tuesday, November 4? Although this is an off-year election, several key elections are taking place this week in various states, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and California. This week’s action is VOTE, VOTE, VOTE.