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Today's top stories
Tomorrow, many Americans will feel the impact of the government shutdown as SNAP food benefits will run out for about 42 million people. Saturday also marks the start of enrollment on federal insurance exchanges, and premiums are expected to more than double on average. Democrats say they'll vote to reopen the government if Congress extends health care subsidies to help manage the rising costs. Yesterday, major airlines asked Congress to pass the Republicans' stopgap funding plan as air traffic controllers continue to work without pay.
- 🎧 Democrats have traditionally been hesitant to shut down the government, but don't appear to be backing down, NPR's Barbara Sprunt tells Up First. Democrats seem to think Republicans will take the blame for the shutdown and not them. They are hoping public pressure will build on the GOP over the expected rise in costs of health insurance premiums. Republicans say they are holding votes to fund the government and if Democrats care about funding nutrition aid and paying air traffic controllers, they would vote with them.
SNAP benefits have never been cut off due to a shutdown, and now a federal judge is stepping in to decide whether to order the Trump administration to find ways to get people money to buy food. The Agriculture Department posted on its website that "the well has run dry" and stated in a memo that it doesn't have sufficient funds for SNAP benefits for next month and cannot legally use contingency funds. Democratic governors and attorneys general from about two dozen states sued, arguing that SNAP is an entitlement that cannot be simply cut off.
- 🎧 Even if the ruling comes soon, there will still be a delay in states receiving the funds they need, according to NPR's Jennifer Ludden. This is because the federal government sends funding to the states before the first of the month, and then it takes days to get it onto the debit-like cards that people use. An added complication is that the full SNAP funding for November is approximately $9 billion, but the administration reports that there is only about $5.5 billion in the contingency fund. Recalculating for partial payments could take weeks, resulting in people not only having to wait but also getting less money.
President Trump announced yesterday that the U.S. would resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time in decades. Some experts believe that this decision would be a major escalation and could disrupt the nuclear balance of power.
- 🎧 The world's major nuclear powers have observed a testing moratorium since the 1990s as a goodwill gesture for stability after the Cold War, says NPR's Geoff Brumfiel. The U.S. embarked on a program that utilizes science to ensure weapons function effectively without requiring testing. Much of that science happens in the same tunnels in the desert outside of Las Vegas where the government used to conduct nuclear testing. The U.S. has a significant technological advantage over Russia and China regarding nuclear weapons, but if those countries resume testing, they could narrow that gap, says Jon Wolfsthal at the Federation of American Scientists. There are also environmental concerns that even if radiation is contained underground, the shaking would be enough to damage buildings near the site.
Deep dive
A closer look at the effects of an experimental Alzheimer's drug called valiltramiprosate, or ALZ-801, is reviving hope that a twice-daily pill might slow down the disease in people who are at high risk of developing it. In April, researchers released results from a study involving over 300 individuals age 50 and older who were genetically predisposed to Alzheimer's disease. The overall findings indicated that those who received the drug did not perform better than those given a placebo. However, in September, a further analysis of a subgroup of 125 participants revealed mild benefits for those who had only mild memory issues at the start of their treatment with the drug.
- 💊 By one measure, the drug slowed cognitive decline by 52% in people with mild cognitive impairment. It is challenging, however, to assess the true impact of ALZ-801 due to the small sample size in the mild cognitive impairment group.
- 💊 ALZ-801 could get special consideration from the Food and Drug Administration due to its potential advantages over the two drugs already on the market. The drug can be taken at home and does not cause swelling or bleeding in the brain, which often comes with monoclonal antibody treatment.
- 💊 More evidence of the drug's effectiveness is expected to come from people who have continued to take the medicine after the initial 18-month study period ended, says David Watson, a co-author of the new study.
Read more about the new findings about the Alzheimer's pill.
Weekend picks
Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
🍿 Movies: No tricks, just treats when it comes to horror films released this year. In honor of the holiday, check out these films that range from supernatural to slightly-too-realistic, many of which you can watch from the comfort of your own home.
📺 TV: Talamasca: The Secret Order centers on the secret society that researches and monitors the supernatural elements of Anne Rice's fictional world.
📚 Books: Wreck follows up Catherine Newman's hit novel, Sandwich, by revisiting her beloved Rocky and her family. Life seems to be going as normally as possible until Rocky finds herself focused on a local train crash. Here are some other new releases from this week.
🎵 Music: Are you really prepared for Halloween festivities without a great playlist? These songs are essential for the spooky season, ranging from truly terrifying to autumnal and nostalgic.
🥦 Food: Make your veggies more exciting to eat by trying the recipes for these three flavorful sauces from The Choi of Cooking: Flavor-Packed, Rule-Breaking Recipes for a Delicious Life.
❓ Quiz: A "not too shabby" score of 7/11 again for me. Do you think you can do better than that? Give it a try.
3 things to know before you go
- This year marks the 75th anniversary of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, an initiative where children collect coins to donate to the agency that supports children in need worldwide. Since the initiative began, approximately $200 million has been collected.
- An ancient comet named 3I/ATLAS entered our solar system this summer, becoming only the third interstellar object to do so in recorded history. The opportunity for scientists to observe this rare occurrence is valuable.
- A new look at the "Dueling Dinosaurs" fossil, which scientists previously believed was a Tyrannosaurus rex, reveals that it is actually a different tyrannosaur species: Nanotyrannus lancensis.
This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel.
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