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The SNAP must go on.

On Friday, federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to submit a plan by noon today showing how it will use contingency funds to keep Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits alive through November. 

Last week, the Trump administration said it could not legally use $5.25B in contingency funds for SNAP during the government shutdown, and that benefits would stop on November 1. The judge says the administration must use those funds to make at least partial payments to SNAP recipients by Wednesday.

SNAP, sometimes called food stamps, provides an average of $187/month in food aid to 1 in 8 U.S. residents (~42 million people). Meanwhile, food banks across the country have reported a surge in demand.

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CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
Fight against the drift toward becoming cynical, desensitized, or unmoved by stories of those in need. Followers of Christ should be the champions of the needy, understanding our own spiritual poverty and responding with eagerness to serve. Reach out to your local church and see how you can give generously to those in greater need near you.

“Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.” 
Galatians 6:9-10 (CSB) (read full passage)

After 13 failed attempts to end the government shutdown, President Trump pushed Senate Republicans to initiate the “nuclear option”: overturning the filibuster.

The filibuster stalls a bill in the Senate through unlimited debate. It takes 60 votes to break a filibuster… but only 51 votes are required to remove the 60-vote threshold. Trump says Republicans should remove the filibuster, then reopen the government. Senate Republicans quickly refused, saying the filibuster pushes lawmakers to find “common ground.”

Other efforts to reopen the government seem similarly fruitless.

Democrats are holding out for an extension to Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies. ACA insurance premiums are ~26% higher for 2026, and currently subsidized enrollees could see their payments increase by 114% if the subsidies are not extended. Republicans say they’ll negotiate healthcare subsidies only after the government is reopened.

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Verse to consider whether you’re working through an impasse at work, settling playground squabbles, or just trying to get your cat into his carrier… “Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry for help.”
Psalm 34:14–15 (CSB) (read full passage)

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are back-to-back World Series champs.

The Dodgers clinched their ninth-ever title in Game 7 Saturday after topping the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in eleven nail-biting innings. 

After two scoreless innings, a three-run home run from Toronto shortstop Bo Bichette gave the Blue Jays the lead. Then, in the fourth, a hit-by-pitch led to a dugout-clearing scrap on the field. The Dodgers clawed their way back to tie things up in the ninth before a solo home run from catcher Will Smith (not that one) gave them the game-winning lead in the eleventh. 

MVP went to Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who secured LA’s Game 6 and 7 wins (only the fourth MLB pitcher to do so). Meanwhile, Dodger fans are planning for next year’s World Series; LA’s already favored to three-peat.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Following a championship-winning team is thrilling, but it always ends. Eventually, your champion loses again. But God’s glory will never be challenged, and it never ends. Jesus is the center of a glory powerful enough to light the new heavens and new earth eternally. 

“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.”
Revelation 21:23 (CSB) (read full passage)

Disney-owned channels—including ESPN, ABC, and National Geographic—vanished from YouTube TV late last week over a contract dispute. Disney says YouTube is refusing to pay fair rates for its content, while YouTube says Disney’s demands would result in higher prices for its subscribers. The blackout disrupted college football, NBA, NFL, and NHL games over the weekend, angering sports fans.

The FBI says it thwarted a potential Halloween-night terror plot in Michigan. FBI Director Patel said multiple suspects were arrested in the Detroit suburbs after planning a “pumpkin day” attack in an online chatroom. Investigators have suggested the group of 16- to 20-year-olds was inspired by ISIS; one suspect’s attorney says he’s seen no evidence of an attack plot, accusing authorities of “fearmongering.”

The U.N.’s human rights chief has called on the Pentagon to stop strikes on suspected drug boats, saying the “extrajudicial killings” are “unacceptable.” Hegseth’s War Department has carried out at least 14 strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific since September, killing an estimated 61 people. The commissioner also called for an investigation into whether the strikes are legal.

President Trump has directed the Pentagon to prepare for ops in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians. He said Saturday the U.S. will “immediately stop all aid” and go into the country “guns-a-blazing,” targeting “the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities” if the Nigerian government doesn’t act soon. President Tinubu pushed back, saying, “Nigeria opposes religious persecution.”

Egypt’s putting its scarabs and sarcophagi on grand display. The Grand Egyptian Museum opened Saturday after two decades of construction (see inside). The $1B, 5-million-square-foot museum—the largest dedicated to a single civilization—houses more than 50,000 Egyptian artifacts (hopefully none of which come alive at night), including the complete contents of King Tutankhamun’s tomb.

A handblown glass octopus...

What We’re Celebrating
Bibles in more hands, thanks to EEM*

A guard threw a Bible out the window of a moving train in communist Eastern Europe… and no one could have guessed how God would transform this act of hostility into a miracle of multiplication. 

For over 60 years, EEM has been delivering free Bibles—in 30+ languages across 35+ nations in Europe and Asia—so stories like this can keep happening. Enter your email and get instant access to read the rest of the story and be encouraged by God’s work!

How We’re Feeling
Unbelievably luxurious, thanks to Sierra Dreams*

After years of wrestling my bedding like Jacob with the angel, I finally found peace, thanks to linen sheets from Sierra Dreams.

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Plus, they’re founded by believers who see their work as worship. Fitting, since linen is mentioned over 100 times in Scripture as a symbol of righteousness and craftsmanship.

Simplify your bedding (and your mornings). Shop Sierra Dreams today using code POUROVER for an exclusive offer.

Elly Hamby | Well-rested Partnerships Manager