Friday, October 17, 2025

Government shutdown could break record

Plus: Exonerated man captured by ICE ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 
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This is America

Stories of justice and action across America

Fri Oct 17 2025

 

On and on and on, the federal government shutdown  has gone more than two weeks without a budget deal in sight, and it could break records as Americans begin to feel the outcome.

Hi there, This is America readers, Phillip M. Bailey, chief political correspondent for USA TODAY.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has warned the country is "barreling toward  one of the longest shutdowns" and if this goes until Nov. 5, it will be the longest-ever.

Democrats and Republicans remain deadlocked as the Senate failed to muster enough votes for a House-passed GOP bill this week and neither side, nor President Donald Trump, seems willing to budge. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, is looking for an off ramp, assuring Democrats of a vote to extend healthcare subsidies if they agree to open the government.

In the meantime, the Trump administration is threatening more than 10,000 federal workers with potential layoffs on top of the more than  750,000 employees who have been furloughed.

Critical services are in jeopardy and uncertainty is spreading after the education department laid off practically every staffer  in its special education division, for instance.

Those deemed essential, such as military personnel, law enforcement officers, border patrol and air traffic controllers , are required to report for duty without pay but Trump is looking to have active-duty military service members get paid, regardless of the shutdown.

Usa Shutdown

A visitor takes a photo through the fence after finding the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden closed due to the continuing U.S. government shutdown in Washington, D.C., Oct. 13, 2025.

Kevin Lamarque, REUTERS

For more on what's happening with the shutdown, check out USA TODAY Network's coverage:

Pause on the firings: A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration's mass layoffs on Oct. 15 as the government shutdown drags on, pausing the job cuts for thousands of American workers.

What happens to food aid such as SNAP and WIC? These programs that feed the poor will continue operations as funds allow, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but the federal agency and some states have warned that  there will not be enough funding to pay the entirety of those benefits if the shutdown persists through November.

Who is getting the blame? Americans in both red and blue states are beginning to take notice, particularly those in battleground areas.

Exonerated after serving 40-plus years, he's now detained by ICE

America's immigration crackdown is playing out in the streets and on people's phones but one of the more compelling stories centers around Subramanyam "Subu" Vedam, who was taken into ICE custody after being locked up for 43 years for a murder he apparently did not commit.

The Indian-born Vedam's exoneration for murder did not clear a 1988 deportation order based on a drug crime. Now his family, and other supporters, are hoping the deportation order will be waived in light of the exoneration and wrongful imprisonment.

It is a case that opponents of the Trump administration are pointing to as the president ramps up immigration enforcement across the country. Several Democratic-controlled cities, such as Los Angeles and Chicago, have seen a massive crackdown with protesters clashing with masked ICE agents.

Those behind Vedam argue that he has lived in the U.S. since he was a nine-month-old infant, that his family arrived as a lawful permanent residents and that he has little connection to his native land.

"All we want is for him to be home with us and to be able to move forward in life," Zoë Miller-Vedam told USA TODAY.

MacKenzie Scott attends the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 4, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California.

One of the recipients, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, has raised nearly $200 million and supported over 378 preservation projects.

American National Security Advisor John Bolton attends the Danish Business Annual Day in Copenhagen, on September 4, 2025.
 

John Bolton appears in court following indictment

John Bolton, former national security adviser of President Trump, surrendered to authorities and appeared in federal court following his indictment.

President Donald Trump speaks U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi look on during a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House on October 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.
 

Trump keeps prosecuting political opponents. Here's who might be next.

Here's a partial rundown of who else Trump has mentioned as being on his political hit list, and why.

One in three Gen Z singles are dating for the free meal, according to a new study from Intuit.
 

Gen Z is broke, single and dating for free dinner

One in three Gen Z singles are dating for the free meal. Welcome to love in the age of inflation.

Thousands rally in Louisville, Kentucky, as part of the "No Kings" protest on June 15, 2025.
 

'No Kings' protest organizers concerned but hopeful ahead of rallies

More than 2,500 protests against the administration are expected on Oct. 18. Organizers expect it to be the largest day of protest in U.S. history.

 

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