The Illinois Department of Human Services, which previously issued partial November benefits, said that it is “working to restore full SNAP benefits.” But it won’t happen instantly.

The shutdown magnified partisan divisions in Washington as Trump took unprecedented unilateral actions — including canceling projects and trying to fire federal workers — to pressure Democrats into relenting on their demands.

The emails made public by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee also include one that Epstein wrote in 2011 in which he said Trump had “spent hours” at Epstein’s house with a victim of sex trafficking.

The 41-day shutdown could last a few more days as members of the House, which has been on recess since mid-September, return to Washington to vote on the legislation.

The agreement does not guarantee the health care subsidies will be extended, as Democrats have demanded for almost six weeks.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi will not seek reelection to the U.S. House, bringing to a close her storied career as not only the first woman in the speaker’s office but arguably the most powerful in American politics.

Republicans and Democrats are in an escalating national fight over congressional seats. Some members of Congress are pushing for Illinois to redraw its districts to get another Democratic seat.

The government shutdown is poised to become the longest ever this week as the impasse between Democrats and Republicans has dragged into a new month.

The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. It costs about $8 billion per month nationally.

The filibuster is a longstanding parliamentary tool that halts action on most bills unless 60 senators in the 100-member chamber vote to move forward. Over the years, it has stymied policy priorities for Democrats and Republicans alike.

Monthly premiums for 2026 plans are expected to be higher for those enrolling in ACA exchange plans because COVID-era subsidies are expiring.

Thousands of federal workers have been furloughed, with thousands more still on the job without pay. Programs like SNAP are set to run dry of funding come Saturday.

President Donald Trump has ramped up pressure on Republican governors to draw new maps that give the party an easier path to maintain control of the House in the midterms.

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ push for Illinois Democrats to redraw the state’s congressional map as a counter to President Donald Trump’s mid-decade redistricting project in GOP-led states has met a cool reception with state lawmakers.

The USDA said each Farm Service Agency office will have two workers who will be paid even though the government remains shutdown. Thousands of other federal employees like air traffic controllers are working without pay during the shutdown.

The federal government has been without a budget since Oct.1, making virtually no progress in negotiations over health care issues causing the stalemate.