Chapter 1: What recent decisions has the Supreme Court made regarding SNAP funding?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. The Supreme Court is postponing its decision on whether the federal government must fully fund SNAP food assistance until next week. That'll allow time for a deal currently making its way through Congress to end the government shutdown. As NPR's Tovia Smith reports, reopening the government would render the issue moot.
The Trump administration had asked the court to block a lower court order forcing the government to fully fund SNAP benefits, saying that was not the judiciary's call. The administration pressed the case, even as it acknowledged that the deal now advancing to end the shutdown would restore full funding.
One lawyer for the administration told a lower court that would happen as soon as 24 hours later. The Supreme Court did not speak to the merits of the case, but in a three-sentence order, it did note that Justice Katonji Brown Jackson, who allowed a previous pause while the case was on appeal, would not have allowed the Trump administration to continue avoiding false SNAP payments.
Tovia Smith, NPR News.
Airlines have canceled more than 1,200 domestic and international flights today as air traffic restrictions continue to ramp up during the government shutdown.
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Chapter 2: How is the government shutdown affecting airline operations?
NPR's Joel Rose reports airline disruptions are likely to continue even if the shutdown comes to an end.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to reduce air traffic at the nation's busiest airports, with cuts rising to 10 percent of flights by Friday. The agency has been dealing with persistent staffing shortages of air traffic controllers, who are required to work without pay during the shutdown.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says controllers could receive some of their back pay within 48 hours of the government reopening. They'll get a big lump sum of what they're due, which is helpful. They don't have to wait another two weeks to be paid. Still, Duffy warns that disruptions and delays could continue after the shutdown ends.
A trade group for the airline says it could take days for operations to return to normal. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.
Jackson State University students took time this Veterans Day to commemorate the legacy of black soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
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Chapter 3: What events are being held to honor black soldiers on Veterans Day?
Mississippi Public Broadcasting's Shamira Muhammad speaks to a student about honoring veterans of color.
Georgia native Kyan Parker read out the names of the black men who served in the 53rd Regiment of the United States Colored Infantry for the Union Army during the Civil War. Many of these soldiers were formerly enslaved. Parker is a junior ROTC student and a member of the Mississippi National Guard.
It's very important to pay your tribute to all the colored troops as well. It's kind of important to give everybody their flowers.
Parker says he decided to follow the example of his own father, a senior military officer.
I want to be like him because he's all about integrity, he's all about respect, and I feel like that's what it means to be a black citizen in the military.
For NPR News, I'm Shamira Mohamed in Jackson, Mississippi.
The S&P 500 added two-tenths of a percent today.
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Chapter 4: How are museums responding to funding cuts and attendance declines?
This is NPR News from Washington. Apple says it has pulled two popular gay dating apps in China following an order from the Chinese government. Popular gay dating app Grindr was also pulled from Apple's App Store in China in 2022. China's LGBTQ plus community and advocacy groups are facing pressure from authorities, even though the country decriminalized homosexuality in 1997.
Museums across the country had to cut programming and delay projects in 2025. That's according to a new report from the American Alliance of Museums. NPR's Andrew Limbaugh reports the industry's recovery from the pandemic is stalling.
When the federal government cut grants to museums earlier this year, that left a lot of museums with holes in their budgets. And then President Trump issued an executive order criticizing the Smithsonian's, quote, divisive race-centered ideology, which had an impact on all museums, said Marilyn Jackson, the president and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums.
We're seeing corporations and foundations thinking twice about funding certain projects or programs that they would have naturally funded in the past.
Chapter 5: What recent thefts have occurred at Syria's National Museum?
The top line result from this study is that museum attendance is down compared to last year. The outlook for 2026 doesn't look much brighter as museum leaders worry about further shifts in philanthropy and inflation. Andrew Limbang, NPR News.
Thieves stole six ancient Roman-era statues from Syria's National Museum. The museum had reopened in January after the fall of the Assad family's rule. It houses priceless antiquities from Syria's long history, and many had been moved to the museum during Syria's long civil war. This is NPR News from Washington.