YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP | |
Friday's haunting headlines: |
| • | Food banks and civic organizations are concerned they'll quickly run out of food. | | • | An AI chatbot asked a 12-year-old for nudes. | | • | It's a do-or-die Halloween game for the Los Angeles Dodgers. | |
Americans are stressed out about feeding their families |
Families who rely on federal food assistance aren't sure how they'll manage when the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) shutters on Saturday. |
The impact: When SNAP benefits don't arrive for 42 million Americans, it will be the first time that food safety net money has been delayed in the program's 60-year history. |
| • | Why is this happening? The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it can't use $6 billion in contingency funds to pay for SNAP amid the government shutdown, although the agency has used it in at least two previous shutdowns. | | • | States are struggling to make up the difference. Two states told USA TODAY they cannot afford to provide the funds to fill the gap. Several governors have declared states of emergency. | | • | "I'm already facing eviction. I have other bills piled up." One Florida mother who spoke to USA TODAY echoes millions of Americans scrambling to figure out how to put food on the table with just a few days' notice. Here are five grocery tips to save money. | |
More shutdown pain: Meanwhile, Americans will have sticker shock at their insurance options when signups begin Nov. 1. |
Jump scare at the White House |
Fresh off a trip to Asia, President Donald Trump welcomed trick-or-treaters to the White House for Halloween festivities on Thursday. Behind those waiting to greet the president along the driveway, a tan fence concealed the demolition of the East Wing, though a yellow bulldozer peeked out over the top. "It's a long line. It's almost as big as the ballroom," quipped Trump, wearing a red USA hat and his quintessential red tie, referring to the 90,000-square-foot addition he plans to make to the residence. The celebration came amid uncertainty. | President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump host a Halloween event at the White House in Washington, DC on October 30, 2025. Jim WATSON / AFP |
| • | Airlines want an end to the government shutdown. | | • | A father of two fell to his death climbing a popular California peak. | | • | Sweeping changes just came to a key student debt relief program. | | • | "Prince Andrew" is now just "Andrew." | |
Although it's unclear what President Trump meant when he ordered that the Pentagon resume nuclear weapons tests "immediately," nuclear weapons experts and foreign governments alike reacted with shock. The move could end a nearly three-decade period during which none of the world's major nuclear powers have detonated a nuclear weapon. Experts say Trump's vague statement could increase the risk of nuclear conflict. |
Her 12-year-old son was talking to Grok |
Farrah Nasser had three kids in her car. Nasser drives a Tesla, which began rolling out its Grok AI conversational assistant feature in July 2025. Her son talked to "Gork" about soccer players Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and asked it to let him know the next time Ronaldo scored. Nasser says the chatbot told her son Ronaldo had already scored twice and that they "should celebrate." Then Grok asked her son: "Why don't you send me some nudes?" |
The pressure is on the Dodgers |
The Los Angeles Dodgers know the significance and consequences of Friday's World Series game. If they win Friday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, they extend their season, forcing a Game 7 at the Rogers Centre in the hope of defending their title. They lose, and their season is abruptly over. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts knows the stakes are high. |
Photo of the day: Baby's first costume |
NICU nurses spend hours each year at Norton Women's and Children's Hospital in St. Matthews, Kentucky, to dress newborns in Halloween costume. You can't help but awe at these babies. | Photos from the NICU at Norton Women's and Children's Hospital. October 23, 2025 Norton Women's and Children's Hospital |
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here . Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com. | | The pain of the shutdown is getting worse every day. A turning point could be approaching. | | A bankruptcy judge reportedly ruled Dr. Phil's Merit Street Media company assets will be converted to a Chapter 7 liquidation instead of Chapter 11. | | | | Gavin Newsom's redistricting plans could offset changes made to Texas maps as part of Trump's push to shift election landscape. | | | | Hurricane Melissa made landfall as one of the most powerful hurricanes on record to strike the island nation of Jamaica. | | | | Luna, a 7-year-old Maltipoo, will go compete against two esteemed baseball writers for USA TODAY Sports in making predictions for the World Series. | | | | For Halloween, Demi Lovato resurrected Poot, an infamous 2015 meme of the pop singer based on an edited red-carpet photo. | | | | Rachel Sennott is clearly a talented young up-and-comer in Hollywood, but her HBO comedy "I Love LA" doesn't hit the right tone. | | | | Is Emma Stone an alien or just an inhuman CEO? That's a key mystery of Yorgos Lanthimos' delightfully weird, darkly comic movie "Bugonia." | | | | USA TODAY's daily news podcast, The Excerpt, brings you a curated mix of the most important headlines seven mornings a week. | | | | Our app gives you award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, eNewspaper and more. | | | | | Try our free Quick Cross! | Test your best time on our miniature crossword or check out one of our other games. | | | | |
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