Monday morning news: November 3, 2025

SNAP benefits » The Trump administration has been ordered to explain to a federal judge today how it plans to fund food stamp benefits that expired over the weekend.

Judges ruled the White House must use emergency USDA reserve funds to keep SNAP payments flowing to roughly 42 million Americans.

Agriculture Sec. Brooke Rollins said Sunday:

ROLLINS: The president has been very clear. He wants us to do everything we can to make sure that we can keep these benefits going. So that's what we're doing right now

President Trump says he’s waiting for legal clarification before releasing the money—saying he wants to fund the program but needs the court’s direction first.

The administration had argued it could not legally use those funds for this purpose while the government remains shut down.

Food banks nationwide have been bracing for greater demand.

Carla Stokes with New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia said the need right now is greater than ever.

STOKES: We typically serve 1000 families on a Saturday. Uh, we prepared for 2000 and before we ever started, we had well over 2000 families in line. The government is shut down, but God's heaven is open.

Many SNAP recipients are now seeing notices on state apps saying they will receive the benefits, but they’ll be late.

Government shutdown » Meantime, the shutdown is set to roll into its sixth week tomorrow night.

Republicans have a majority in the Senate, but not the 60-vote majority they need to break a Democratic filibuster and pass a funding bill.

President Trump is renewing calls for GOP leaders in the Senate to use the so-called nuclear option, and change the Senate rules. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt:

LEAVITT: Republicans need to get tough. They need to get smart, and they need to use this option to get rid of the filibuster, to reopen the government and do right by the American public.

Senate GOP leaders strongly oppose nuking the filibuster, which Republicans also use when in the minority to block the Democrats’ agenda.

China » President Trump says Chinese leader Xi Jinping has given assurances that Beijing would take no action to seize control of Taiwan while Trump is still in office.

Beijing has long maintained that the autonomous island is Chinese property, and that it will be reassimilated with mainland China by any means necessary.

But Trump told CBS’ “60 Minutes”:

TRUMP:They understand what's gonna happen and uh, he is openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, we would never do anything while President Trump is president because they know the consequences.

Trump said the subject never came up during his meeting last week with the Chinese leader in South Korea.

The president said he will not reveal publicly what his response would be if China were to invade Taiwan, saying only, “You’ll find out if it happens.”

Final hours before Election Day » Campaigns are making their final push ahead of Election Day tomorrow.

Among the high profile races to be decided, the next governor of the states of Virginia and New Jersey. Former President Barack Obama among the big guns out campaigning for Democrats:

OBAMA: I am here today for a very important reason. I am here to ask you to vote for the next governor of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger.

In an average of recent polls, Spanberger is leading Republican Winsome Earle-Sears by about 9 points in Virginia, but Earle-Sears says she remains confident.

SEARS: But of course we're gonna win. We have the common sense ideas. Abigail Pamper, uh, is for nonsense. Look, we're going to win this one. We're looking at the real polls. The polls that really matter.

And the polls are tighter in New Jersey where Democrat Mikie Sherrill leads Republican Jack Ciattarelli by about 3 points.

London stabbing attack » British police are still investigating a weekend knife attack aboard a train en route to London that left 11 people hospitalized.

Authorities initially arrested two men, but later released one of them without charge. They are still holding a 32-year-old British man on suspicion of attempted murder.

One witness described seeing one of the victims aboard the train.

AUDIO: They were extremely bloodied. That person ended up, when we pulled in, they were basically on the floor.

British Transport Police Superintendent John Loveless told reporters Sunday:

LOVELESS: While nine were initially believed to have life-threatening injuries, following assessment and treatment. Four, thankful to say, have been discharged. However, two patients remain in a life-threatening condition.

Passengers across the U.K.’s rail network saw a heightened police presence on Sunday both on trains and at stations.

Russia continues to target Ukrainian power grid » In Ukraine, authorities say at least two people have been killed in a drone attack in the Odesa region.

Three other people were wounded in the Sunday attack along the Black Sea coast.

And in the Zaporizhzhia region, tens of thousands of homes lost power after an attack by Russian drones and missiles. Rolling blackouts also hit the region due to continued attacks on Ukraine’s power grid.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: can you sue the post office if the mailman intentionally keeps your mail from being delivered? That’s ahead on Legal Docket.

Plus… The Monday money beat with economist David Bahnsen.

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