Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) posted a performance piece on Sunday — wringing her hands as she blamed the recently-ended government shutdown on President Donald Trump and claimed that he had almost single-handedly ruined Thanksgiving because of it — and got an impromptu review from actress and filmmaker Justine Bateman.
Murray, who voted to keep the government closed — and thus deprive millions of Americans of their food stamp (SNAP) benefits — more than a dozen times, claimed that Trump and Republicans were taking major steps to deprive families of food assistance as the holidays approached. Her main point of contention appeared to be the fact that President Trump had refused to override her vote — and the votes of a majority of Democrats — and do what they would not do, and she insisted that he was the real reason families were being made to suffer.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It&#8217;s nearly Thanksgiving and everyone should remember that Trump fought all the way to the Supreme Court to deny families SNAP benefits this month.
All of this after Trump &amp; Republicans passed the largest cuts to SNAP in HISTORY this summer.
It&#8217;s fundamentally immoral. <a href="https://t.co/tiDol5wegG">pic.twitter.com/tiDol5wegG</a>
— Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) <a href="https://twitter.com/PattyMurray/status/1993010172328022208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;It&#8217;s nearly Thanksgiving and everyone should remember that Trump fought all the way to the Supreme Court to deny families SNAP benefits this month. All of this after Trump &amp; Republicans passed the largest cuts to SNAP in HISTORY this summer. It&#8217;s fundamentally immoral,&#8221; she said.
Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at <a href="http://dailywire.com/blackfriday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dailywire.com/blackfriday</a>.
Bateman chimed in with her review, addressing everything from the actress and her demeanor to the staging and the setting chosen for the video.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SocialMediaVideoCritique?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SocialMediaVideoCritique</a> 
Per: <a href="https://twitter.com/sunnylohmann?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sunnylohmann</a> 
&#8211; There are many unfortunate issues with this piece. 
&#8211; The actress appears to be at once under-rehearsed, and also weary of the task of performing. 
&#8211; Careful casting is a must when a project has an exacting director. The impression… <a href="https://t.co/DlAxrq3NyE">https://t.co/DlAxrq3NyE</a>
— Justine Bateman (@JustineBateman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustineBateman/status/1993109927670505549?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;There are many unfortunate issues with this piece,&#8221; Bateman began, starting in on Murray immediately. &#8220;The actress appears to be at once under-rehearsed, and also weary of the task of performing. Careful casting is a must when a project has an exacting director.&#8221;
&#8220;The impression given here is that the director&#8217;s efforts to elicit a proper performance caused the actress to check out during her takes,&#8221; Bateman continued. &#8220;The resulting dialogue delivery is halting. Awkward pauses within the compound word &#8216;Thanksgiving&#8217; and before some prepositions are perhaps an effort by the actress to sabotage the piece itself.&#8221;
When she&#8217;d finished with the actress and her awkward delivery, Bateman turned her attention to the staging of the shot — and some of the issues that a good camera operator would certainly have noticed before making the film public.
&#8220;The utilitarian lighting appears to have been applied hastily and implies a parking garage or other industrial settings,&#8221; she noted. &#8220;The camera frame is vertical with some hazy video filled in at the sides. Avoid this at all costs. This implies an amateur effort. Properly orient your camera horizontally.&#8221;
&#8220;Finally, the setting is extremely distracting. The first impression is that the actress is standing in a bathroom stall. The low wall on her left as the semi-private partition. The orange object on the floor appears to be a toilet with closed toilet seat cover,&#8221; Bateman concluded. &#8220;The silver pipe on the wall suggests an old-fashioned flush system, where the tank is installed above. And the red box serving as the &#8216;flush&#8217; button.&#8221;

Senators Hold Their Policy Luncheons At The Capitol

Dem Senator Posts Performance Piece Blaming Trump For Almost Killing Thanksgiving, Gets Lousy Review

Food Stamps

Government Shutdown

Hollywood

Media

Politics

SNAP

Thanksgiving

BOSTON — &#8220;We were not going to get to Thanksgiving.&#8221;
That&#8217;s the assessment of Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, the man who was in charge of keeping planes in the sky as Democrats kept the government shutdown for the longest period in American history.
&#8220;Had the shutdown not ended, we were not going to get to Thanksgiving,&#8221; Duffy told The Daily Wire from the Secretary&#8217;s Cup at Fenway Park in Boston. &#8220;Would have been not just mass chaos, I think we would have seen airlines actually ground their fleets.&#8221;
&#8220;It was getting bad fast,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So what we&#8217;ve seen now is our controllers have come back online. We have more normal staffing levels. We&#8217;re almost back to staffing levels that we had before the shutdown. So what we&#8217;re doing now is analyzing the data to make sure that we have the numbers going in the right direction towards safety.&#8221;
&#8220;And when that happens,&#8221; he added, &#8220;we&#8217;re going to allow the number of flights to go back up again.&#8221;
The government shutdown, which began on October 1, ended on November 12 when President Donald Trump signed the funding bill passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It was the longest shutdown in American history, and Duffy, as well as other administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance, had warned of significant Thanksgiving travel issues if it had continued.
As it is, the FAA predicted on Friday that this Thanksgiving travel season would be the busiest in 15 years, also predicting that Tuesday would be the peak travel day for those flying, with more than 52,000 flights.
<div style="width: 615px" class="wp-caption alignnone align-center"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/inline-images/2025-AJR-050_Holiday_Summer%20Forecast%20Thanksgiving_605x380_SM04.jpg" alt="Line graph showing flight volume during Thanksgiving week. Courtesy FAA. " width="605" height="380" align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="20637729-e9d1-425e-80f1-fee3ea08cf84" />Line graph showing flight volume during Thanksgiving week. Courtesy FAA.</div>
“Thanks to the dedication of our air traffic controllers and every FAA employee, we are ready for the holiday rush and take pride in helping travelers reach their friends and families during this important time of year,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said. “I am deeply grateful to our entire FAA team. Even through a period of record-high traffic, their unwavering commitment keeps the system running safely.”
Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at <a href="http://dailywire.com/blackfriday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dailywire.com/blackfriday</a>.
The FAA said air traffic controllers would use a range of strategies to keep flights operating safely, encouraging passengers to be &#8220;patient, be kind and follow crew member instructions.&#8221;
<a href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2025/11/aaa-thanksgiving-travel-forecast-2025/">According to AAA</a>, almost 82 million Americans are projected to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. That&#8217;s an increase of 1.6 million travelers compared to last year, &#8220;setting a new overall record.&#8221;
For his part, Duffy is encouraging those flying for the holidays to dress well to bring “civility” back to air travel.
“People dress up like they’re going to bed when they fly,” <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/1991334266974658936?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Duffy shared on Fox News earlier this month</a>. “We want to push people as we come into a really busy travel season, help people out, be in a good mood, dress up.”
A video released by the Transportation Department shows passengers flying in business suits and dresses, then pans to modern-day passengers in pajamas, sweatpants, and other casual garb.
“Things aren’t what they used to be,” Duffy said. “Let’s bring civility and manners back.”
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO WITH SEAN DUFFY:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I spent a day at Fenway Park with <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDuffy</a> attending the Secretaries&#8217;Cup!
We chatted about everything, including our big families, how close airlines were to grounding entire fleets, and how important it was for his mariners to beat Kristi Noem’s coasties in football. <a href="https://t.co/4iXh0pHMWr">pic.twitter.com/4iXh0pHMWr</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1993766989819728360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Screenshot 2025-11-26 at 12.45.10 PM

Sean Duffy: Airlines Were Days Away From Grounding Entire Fleets Ahead Of Thanksgiving

Air and Space

airplanes

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Sean Duffy

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that Republicans should end the filibuster if the Democrats attempt to once again shut down the government in January.
Speaking with Kristen Welker of NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Bessent was asked about the viability of ending the filibuster.
“You call for an end to the filibuster. In the past, leader Thune has said that it&#8217;s just not happening. There aren&#8217;t the votes. Mr. Secretary, do you believe that you have enough votes, that the president has enough votes to get rid of the filibuster?” Welker asked.
Bessent responded, saying that his editorial, which was published in The Washington Post on Sunday, was designed to “put the Senate on notice.”
“The Democrats kept the government shut down — and Ezra Klein in The New York Times took the mask off. He said this wasn&#8217;t about health care; this was about stopping totalitarianism. The Democrats haven&#8217;t been able to stop President Trump in the courts; they haven&#8217;t been able to stop him in the media, so they had to harm the American people — 1.5% hit to GDP, $11 billion permanent hit. They don&#8217;t care. So I believe that Senate Democrats, if Senate Democrats close the government again, Senate Republicans should immediately abrogate the filibuster,” the Treasury secretary stated.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a>: &#8220;If Senate Democrats close the government again [on January 30], then Senate Republicans should immediately abrogate the filibuster.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/IXTzdKMDwN">https://t.co/IXTzdKMDwN</a> <a href="https://t.co/XqJNXuJeNo">pic.twitter.com/XqJNXuJeNo</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1992611413903159675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In his Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/11/23/scott-bessent-treasury-senate-republicans-filibuster/">editorial</a>, Bessent laid out the history of the filibuster, arguing that it is a relic that no longer serves its intended purpose. “Today, the minority party can abuse the filibuster to the point of rendering the Senate almost useless as a deliberative body,” he wrote.
Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at <a href="http://dailywire.com/blackfriday">dailywire.com/blackfriday</a>.
“Some Republicans hesitate to end the filibuster out of fear that Democrats will one day use that same power against them,” Bessent noted. “But Democrats will use that power against them whether Republicans end the filibuster or not. GOP senators who defend the filibuster are ignoring basic game theory. As the classic prisoner’s dilemma shows us, in a repeated game, the player who always cooperates while the opponent who always betrays is doomed to lose.”

President Trump Signs Executive Order In The Oval Office

Bessent: Republicans Must Nuke Filibuster If Dems Attempt Shutdown Again

Congress

Democratic Party

Filibuster

Republican Party

Scott Bessent

U.S. Senate

The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it halved a requirement that U.S. airlines reduce domestic flights at 40 major airports from 6% to 3% starting Saturday to address air traffic control safety concerns after the end of the government shutdown.
Airlines have been pushing for the FAA to end the required cuts entirely and were largely not in compliance with the FAA order that required the 6% cut on Friday. It remains to be seen if they will be in compliance with the 3% order.
&#8220;The 3% reduction will remain in place while the FAA monitors system performance throughout the weekend and evaluates whether normal operations can resume,&#8221; the FAA said.
Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, said airlines canceled just 2% of overall flights Friday, down from 3.5% on Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, air traffic controllers and other FAA employees began receiving back pay equal to about 70% of what they are owed excluding overtime.
Airlines have been privately making the case to the FAA that it is time to end the cuts and some said earlier they plan to cut few or no flights on Saturday, officials told Reuters.
The FAA opted on Wednesday to ease those required cancellations after disruptions due to air traffic control absences declined dramatically as Congress voted to reopen the government after a 43-day shutdown. The FAA had initially planned to hike the cuts to 8% on Thursday and 10% on Friday.
Separately, a group of House Democrats led by Representative Rick Larsen, the ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, asked the administration on Friday to turn over the specific safety data and how it compares to the last six months.
United Airlines said it had canceled 134 flights for Friday, or almost 3% of its flights, after cancelling 222 flights on Thursday.
The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels. Many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown led to them working without pay.
Air traffic absences led to tens of thousands of flight cancellations and delays since October 1, when the 43-day shutdown began.
(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Nick Zieminski, William Maclean)

Duffy Warns Of Worsening US Flight Delays As Paychecks Run Out

FAA Halves Flight Cuts To 3% After Shutdown Chaos Comes To An End

Air Travel

U.S.

Well, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history is finally over, and many of you are asking questions like, “Why would Sydney Sweeney make a movie where she plays a fat boxer? What was she thinking?” Also, “Why do women play with their hair when they like a guy?” And here’s another one: “You know how the screen just went dark in the last episode of &#8216;The Sopranos&#8217;? What the hell was that about? I mean, they’re paying the screenwriter good money. Shouldn’t he be able to come up with some kind of ending? And don’t even get me started on &#8216;How I Met Your Mother.'&#8221;
And okay, some of you may have questions about the government shutdown and, holy moly, I can’t even imagine what your lives must be like. But hey, here at the Daily Wire, it’s not our place to mock you for being pathetic, so as part of our mission to give you an in-depth understanding of the news, we’re pleased to provide you with this handy Q&amp;A about the government shutdown.
Q: Why did the government shut down in the first place?
A: The government shut down because Chuck Schumer is the Senate leader of the Democrats, and he&#8217;s a demon.
Q: Wait, really?
A: Yeah! Look at him. With those dead eyes, and the widow’s peak you could cut your wrists with. The guy’s a hell dweller. Probably crawled out of a crevice in the earth somewhere.
Q: But weren’t there, like, political considerations?
A: I dunno. I’m still trying to figure out how Sydney Sweeney looked in the mirror and thought: “Oh good, I’m a super-hot white girl! For the next ten years, I can literally have anything I want. I know! I’ll make a movie where I’m a fat palooka. People will flock to the theaters to see that!” I mean, who knows why people do things?
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974735 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-1024x171.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-1024x171.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-768x128.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now-1536x256.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Klavan-watch-now.jpg 1800w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Q: Could we get back to the shutdown? 
A: Sure, you obviously have nothing better to do.
Q: What were the results of the shutdown?
A: During the shutdown, the government couldn’t perform its very important functions like — I don’t know — making speeches and putting up signs and whatnot.
Q: That’s it? They couldn’t make speeches and signs?
A: Signs are actually very important. Otherwise, they tow your car and you’re like, “What did I even do?”
Q: Well, what about healthcare?
A: Right. Democrats want to gradually lure the United States into a government healthcare system like they have in England and Canada, where more and more of your money goes into increasingly outdated medical treatments until finally they have to legalize medically assisted suicide so they can kill patients off in order to keep treatment expenses down. So then, you’re, like, twelve years old and you go to the doctor with a splinter, and he’s like, “Wouldn’t you rather just kill yourself?” The Republicans didn’t want to fund that, so Chuck Schumer closed the government.
Q: Wait, Chuck Schumer wants to suicide 12-year-olds, but that’s demonic… O-o-o-oh, I get what you’re saying.
A: This is why we provide these helpful Q and A’s.
Q: Well, what happens to stuff like taxes during a shutdown?
A: You still have to pay taxes during a shutdown so Congress can get paid.
Q: Get paid for doing what?
A: Well, the government’s shut down, so they’re not doing anything.
Q: So Congress doesn’t do anything, and we still have to give them our money?
A: Correct, and that continues even during the shutdown.
Q: So why exactly did the shutdown end?
A: The shutdown ended because the money for welfare payments ran out, so pretty soon, welfare recipients would’ve had to find jobs. Then to keep their jobs, they’d’ve had to improve their behavior, which would’ve helped them find spouses and start families and increase their sense of self-worth, until they wouldn’t even need Democrats. So basically, the Democrats needed to reopen or they’d become irrelevant.
Q: Well, frankly, I’m glad. I need to get home for Thanksgiving, and when I saw all the delays piling up at airports, I wanted to kill myself.
A: Unfortunately, if you want to kill yourself legally, you’ll just have to wait till the Democrats are back in power.
* * *
This excerpt is taken from the opening satirical monologue of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Andrew Klavan Show</a>.”
Andrew Klavan is the host of “The Andrew Klavan Show” at The Daily Wire. Klavan is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the Cameron Winter Mystery series. The fifth installment, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/After-That-Cameron-Winter-Mysteries/dp/1613166869/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EGZUC370LG46&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y_NI0mDOKeowShheDQTVx5NH-fAeimJoCD56_T0Acpl8C0mup7uJf-nGGSRLEItaaekoDnvS2vWLMa4Zd2UBXQ8Y-g-P502jOWz-Y8IX3ZQsdlO7WMLrg1xIhNoKmjCorSWUR4C2l_RbiZ7apJ1MfPzGOrrEf7AdAXX6xwnJRVP_XqUfWuMuVthTWscaU3P4vgmS86-96n-721enHfX12CFQWTajqFbVnrsDkexfUf4.6_gTH6h1Bb9Pn375QdF_VAVZSayDvjQBBKGXE-MTiFo&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=klavan&amp;qid=1754049918&amp;sprefix=%2Caps%2C80&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">After That, The Dark,</a> is NOW AVAILABLE. Follow him on X: <a href="https://x.com/andrewklavan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@andrewklavan</a>
The views expressed in this satirical piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Longest Shutdown Tests Air Travel, Federal Workers And Patience

Here’s A Handy Q&A To Explain The Shutdown — Spoiler: It’s As Dumb As You Think

Andrew Klavan

Canada

Chuck Schumer

Federal Government

Humor

Satire

In the end, it was air travel, of all things, that ended the longest government shutdown in United States history. That was the point of failure. We just shut down the federal government for 43 days, which runs a budget of around $6 trillion a year, and nothing of value broke during that period — nothing at all — until the flight cancellations and delays started ramping up within the last few days. It wasn&#8217;t until the air traffic controllers walked off the job that a single American had any good reason to complain about the shutdown.
As much as I&#8217;m loath to talk about federal government shutdowns — they are, in every case, a waste of time that benefits no one — this one actually turned out to be a pretty interesting experiment. It was a stress test that exposed some key weaknesses in the conservative movement, as well as the way the federal government works. And before the next funding bill is voted on — which will take place at the end of January, apparently — it&#8217;s worth shoring up some of these weaknesses as quickly as we possibly can.
At a minimum, we need to answer some pretty basic questions that no one ever seems to talk about. Starting with: Why exactly is air travel a core function of the federal government? Why does air travel shut down when the government does? More specifically, why are air traffic controllers paid by the federal government at all?
Since the 1940s or so, the federal government has employed air traffic controllers in this country. Taxpayers have been responsible for their salaries and benefits, and everyone&#8217;s been okay with that arrangement. But there&#8217;s no clear reason we&#8217;re doing it this way. And indeed, several countries have a very different system. For example, Canada has a nonprofit called &#8220;Nav Canada&#8221; in charge of their air traffic control system. They generate their own revenue. They&#8217;re self-sufficient. Did you realize that? Did you know that, when it comes to aviation, we actually have more government bloat than Canada? In terms of efficiency, we&#8217;re being shown up by a country that&#8217;s put the government in charge of everything — from healthcare to Facebook to euthanizing people who miss rent payments. It&#8217;s embarrassing.
One of the many benefits of a private system, when it comes to air traffic control, is that government dysfunction doesn&#8217;t strand tens of thousands of travelers and shut down the entire aviation industry. The ability of the country to travel using airplanes isn&#8217;t contingent on appropriations bills in Congress. Additionally, in a private system, government bureaucracy (in our case, the FAA) isn&#8217;t in charge of operating the same system that it&#8217;s supposed to regulate. If a private entity is in charge of air traffic control, then the private entity can focus on directing traffic and upgrading its systems, and the federal government can focus on checking its work. They can supervise. That&#8217;s the ideal arrangement.
But we don&#8217;t have a privatized system for air traffic control — even though most major airlines in the United States want one — for a very simple reason: Air traffic control, like many other government-run industries, is designed to be as inefficient as possible. It&#8217;s essentially a jobs program that saps taxpayer money while sabotaging any potential for innovation. And indeed, there hasn&#8217;t been innovation in the industry for many years.
Air traffic controllers are still using paper strips, which they shuffle around by hand, to track flights in many control towers — even though it&#8217;s obviously a less efficient and more dangerous system. And this system has persisted despite the fact that the FAA has been <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/faa-nextgen-us-air-traffic-reform-effort-faces-lengthy-delays-over-budget-2025-10-01/">working</a> on a program called &#8220;NextGen&#8221; to update air traffic control systems (including the paper strips) for more than 20 years.
Yes, over more than two decades, the FAA has supposedly been working on a $15 billion project to modernize air traffic control. And they&#8217;re currently behind schedule and over-budget. Their plan to get rid of the paper flight strips has been delayed until 2030. They&#8217;re going to scale back the number of airports they update by 45%, and costs are over-budget by 20%.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1691-the-matt-walsh-show?elementPosition=1&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-976065 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-768x128.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1536x256.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1.jpg 1800w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
A private, self-funded corporation could fix all of these problems virtually overnight. And they could probably do it with fewer employees, too. They could update the software in the control towers, take some of the workload off the controllers, and make everyone safer. But the unions wouldn&#8217;t like that change, for obvious reasons. And apparently, no one in Washington wants to privatize air traffic control either, because as far as I can tell, no politician is even broaching the subject at the moment. Even though the government shutdown just exposed a gigantic vulnerability in the aviation industry, the possibility of reforming the air traffic control system is going totally unmentioned.
Instead, one after another, Republican politicians have been posting videos celebrating the end of the government shutdown because SNAP benefits are being restored. That&#8217;s what they&#8217;re focusing on. They&#8217;re not talking about the fact that, other than air traffic control, we don&#8217;t appear to need the federal government at all.
Instead, they&#8217;re thrilled that billions of dollars will continue to flow to the 40 million Americans on food stamps, even though 40 million Americans clearly don&#8217;t need handouts to afford food. It&#8217;s an absurdly, comically fraudulent program, and yet, to Republicans in Congress, SNAP recipients are worth mentioning in the same breath as military servicemembers and federal law enforcement officers. Watch:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tonight, we ended the Democrat shutdown so that we can fund programs like SNAP and WIC and pay our troops, federal workers, and air traffic controllers. <a href="https://t.co/RdjMihaKeF">pic.twitter.com/RdjMihaKeF</a>
— Congressman Rudy Yakym (@RepRudyYakym) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRudyYakym/status/1988792508374216936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @RepRudyYakym/X.com
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Just finished voting to end the 43-day Democratic-led shutdown. Tonight’s vote gets our troops and federal workers paid, restores SNAP, and lets us get back to legislating. And even while Washington was stuck, I kept working for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CO03?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CO03</a>, securing $450,000 for new,… <a href="https://t.co/ztHJRjkVwu">pic.twitter.com/ztHJRjkVwu</a>
— Rep. Jeff Hurd (@RepJeffHurd) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffHurd/status/1988793628576133397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @RepJeffHurd/X.com
One of those things is not like the others. We can all agree that law enforcement officers and military servicemembers, and air traffic controllers should be paid. That&#8217;s because they&#8217;re actually doing something. But SNAP recipients aren&#8217;t doing anything. They&#8217;re just taking handouts they don&#8217;t need. Seventy-five <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/do-food-stamps-make-people-fat-why-does-washington-subsidize-soda-and-candy-4d29659f?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqf9M-dHq1KxNxYg2R3rBtTfRzhDXrxuROSMQy3inDPuj_R5GWLSCZxazNO0wfA%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69016d5f&amp;gaa_sig=3m34s8qxfaT1rrz3S9qsK1YT5Q7s9NSWqVFlMhWSRcBIx5iqK27Kj4Grph_Nord1e6MdtldEOcVw7Sx3QmyCcg%3D%3D">percent</a> of SNAP recipients are overweight or obese. If you break it down, according to USDA data, 44% of SNAP recipients are obese, 28% are overweight, and only 2.5% are underweight. So at a minimum, we can cut this program by 75%, and no one would be affected. We&#8217;d be eliminating a massive amount of fraud, right off the bat, if we required SNAP recipients to step on a scale before we gave them their EBT card.
But really, the scale of the fraud is much greater than that, because pretty much every SNAP recipient is taking advantage of many other welfare programs too, including WIC, which, for many Americans, duplicates what the SNAP program does. (Actually, there&#8217;s one important difference. WIC only offers a list of pre-approved items like milk and bread. SNAP, on the other hand, will happily pay for your Oreo cookies and your two liters of Coke.)
And on top of that, grocery stores and so-called &#8220;bodegas&#8221; often defraud the SNAP program in plain sight. A few years ago, The Daily Wire&#8217;s Luke Rosiak spent a week standing around in various stores, writing down what people bought with food stamps. It turns out that the &#8220;bodegas&#8221; — whose trustworthiness the SNAP program is 100% reliant on — were openly selling ski masks in August, pipes for smoking crack, and cigarettes. They&#8217;re just criminal one-stop shops. In some cases, as Fox&#8217;s Will Cain reported, cashiers will run EBT cards for $100 in food, but return $50 cash to the customer instead of groceries. And then the SNAP recipient will sell the EBT card balance to someone else. Additionally, of course, many SNAP applications are simply fraudulent and include incorrect information about income, household members, and so on.
For her part, the Agriculture Secretary just disclosed that 5,000 dead people are getting SNAP, and half a million people are getting SNAP benefits twice under the same name. And that&#8217;s just the data they&#8217;ve been able to gather from conservative states. Left-wing states aren&#8217;t turning over the data at all, because obviously, the fraud is even worse there. Watch:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BREAKING: In a jaw-dropping revelation, Sec. Brooke Rollins found 5,000 DEAD PEOPLE getting SNAP, and 500,000 PEOPLE getting SNAP &#8220;2 times under the same name.&#8221;
And that&#8217;s just what they&#8217;ve confirmed&#8230;
&#8220;This light has now been shined one of the most CORRUPT, DISFUNCTIONAL… <a href="https://t.co/GfCN49yAwN">pic.twitter.com/GfCN49yAwN</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1988766862994289135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @EricLDaugh/FoxNews/X.com
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins: “We found one guy [collecting SNAP benefits] in 6 states… under the same number… These are the red states that turned their data over. It’s the blue states that we’re trying to get data on.”
“Can you imagine if this fraud is happening in… <a href="https://t.co/iFbKI8zHO2">pic.twitter.com/iFbKI8zHO2</a>
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedWave_Press/status/1988775229225628098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @RedWave_Press/FoxNews/X.com
The Agriculture Secretary is promising some future action, which is all she can really do in her position. But that&#8217;s simply not good enough. The action that should&#8217;ve been taken, by every single Republican in Congress, was to abolish the SNAP program entirely. Don&#8217;t throw billions more dollars into the fire. Get rid of it. Keep the government shut down if you have to.
The fact that Republicans caved on this issue, by itself, makes this shutdown an abject failure for the party. Yes, Democrats didn&#8217;t get the Obamacare subsidies they wanted — at least not yet. And yes, if that holds, it&#8217;s going to save taxpayers money that would&#8217;ve gone to healthcare for illegal aliens and other loyal Democrat voters.
But there&#8217;s really no reason to think that this stopgap is going to hold. After all, Republican lawmakers have just demonstrated that they&#8217;re willing to tolerate billions of dollars in fraudulent handouts every year. Roughly 60% of these fraudulent SNAP handouts go to illegal alien households. And yet, Republicans won&#8217;t even condemn that fraud or mention it. Instead, they&#8217;ll celebrate the payment of SNAP benefits as if it&#8217;s some great win for the country because, at long last, the flight delays will end. We&#8217;re supposed to accept the proposition that your ability to fly on an airplane in this country — the world&#8217;s greatest superpower — is contingent on the ability of tens of millions of people to receive fraudulent benefits. That&#8217;s the position of the Republican Party. Give them about three months, and they&#8217;ll be rolling out healthcare subsidies for illegal aliens as well. Everyone knows it.
At this point, it&#8217;d be shocking if you could find anyone in this country who&#8217;s excited to vote for any of these Republican lawmakers in the midterms a year from now. They have refused again and again to take a principled stand on anything — from codifying the DOGE cuts in the federal government, to restricting H1-B visas, to impeaching federal judges who are flagrantly violating their oaths of office. And now, predictably, these same Republicans have decided to waste yet another opportunity with this government shutdown. Once again, nothing will change. Air travel will continue to be dependent on the federal government. Illegal aliens will get more of your tax money. And in January, when the next funding showdown is supposed to take place, we&#8217;ll probably get rolled all over again. That&#8217;s what millions of Republican voters have to look forward to. They can look forward to being taken advantage of, time and time again. The GOP majority can either address these voters directly and give them what they voted for, or they won&#8217;t be the majority for much longer.

US Capitol building at sunset

As The Longest Government Shutdown Ends, The SNAP Scam Returns

air traffic controllers

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Welfare

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Thursday that thousands of TSA agents would receive a $10,000 bonus check for showing “exemplary service” and “stepping up” during the government shutdown.
Noem made the announcement at a press conference, standing alongside a group of TSA agents who were among the more than one million government workers who went weeks without pay during the longest government shutdown in American history. Government workers who went without paychecks during the 44-day government shutdown are also getting back pay.
“We are not only going to continue their paychecks like they should’ve received all along, but also they’re going to receive a bonus check for stepping up, taking on extra shifts, for showing up each and every day, for serving the American people,” Noem said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a> announces $10,000 bonus checks for <a href="https://twitter.com/TSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TSA</a> agents who showed up for work and took on extra shifts — despite not receiving paychecks — during the Democrat Shutdown. <a href="https://t.co/TqncMEPPnl">pic.twitter.com/TqncMEPPnl</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1989037520420762096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Noem added that the administration “will be looking at every single TSA official that helped serve during this government shutdown and do what we can to recognize that and help them financially with a bonus check to get them and their family back on their feet.” The Homeland Security Secretary then passed out checks to the agents standing behind her.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a> hands out $10,000 bonus checks to Houston TSA workers who stepped up and showed up to work during the Democrat government shutdown <a href="https://t.co/N5yLMiPeEb">pic.twitter.com/N5yLMiPeEb</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1989037944787566668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Airports and the airline industry were hit hard by the record-breaking government shutdown, as the federal government had to address a shortage of air traffic controllers. The Federal Aviation Administration said last week it would slash air traffic by up to 10% at 40 of the busiest airports across the country as the shutdown continued. While the shutdown officially ended on Wednesday night when President Donald Trump signed the short-term government spending bill, officials warned that air travel disruptions could continue for days.
Trump also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-floats-plan-to-reward-air-traffic-controllers-who-didnt-take-time-off-due-to-shutdown">promised</a> to hand out $10,000 bonus checks to air traffic controllers who stayed on the job during the shutdown.
“For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country,” Trump said on Monday.
Many controllers called in sick during the shutdown, with some picking up temporary jobs to cover lost income, and the president sharply criticized those absences.
“For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU,” Trump said. “You didn’t step up to help the U.S.A. against the FAKE DEMOCRAT ATTACK that was only meant to hurt our Country. You will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record.”

Kristi Noem

Noem Hands Out $10,000 Checks To TSA Agents Who Worked Through Shutdown

Donald Trump

Trump Administration

NewsNation host Chris Cuomo warned on Wednesday that some of the intra-party dynamics he&#8217;d seen among Democrats — both during and immediately following the government shutdown — had led him to believe he was witnessing the end of the Democratic Party.
Cuomo delivered the assessment — along with some of the evidence he&#8217;d weighed to get there — in a short monologue, saying that he believed the far Left was quickly taking over the reins of power and the moderates would soon be forced out entirely.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨NEW: Chris Cuomo: &#8220;I think the Democratic Party, as we know it, is about to end.&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DailyCaller</a> <a href="https://t.co/GmnuVnrAwk">pic.twitter.com/GmnuVnrAwk</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1988780347870572913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I&#8217;m not impressed by the history of this being the longest government shutdown, it&#8217;s a regrettable history,&#8221; he began. &#8220;I think this is a historic moment for another reason: I think the Democratic Party, as we know it, is about to end. I think that this is the birth of the new Left.&#8221;
Cuomo went on to point out the comments that came from House members on the far Left as it became clear that enough Senate Democrats would vote with Republicans to end the shutdown, and suggested that when they were willing to call out members of their own party as &#8220;traitors,&#8221; the eventual split was inevitable.
&#8220;I think the reason that you see so many high-profile Democrats, especially in the House, accusing the Democratic senators for ending the shutdown of basically being traitors,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Did you hear AOC? She was literally accusing them of a conspiracy, and she said, &#8216;in exchange for nothing.&#8217; It&#8217;s really interesting to me. It makes so little sense on the merits that I have to believe it&#8217;s a ploy.&#8221;
Cuomo pointed out that it would essentially be a losing argument to claim they should have kept the shutdown going despite the increasing number of Americans suffering from its impact.
&#8220;That&#8217;s not an easy thing to want more of,&#8221; he added. &#8220;So was there some deal on the table that we don&#8217;t know about?&#8221;
If not, he argued, &#8220;What this really is, is a line in the sand for them. That we&#8217;re not with them anymore.&#8221;
Cuomo went on to argue that &#8220;capitulation&#8221; from the party in the majority — in this case, the Republicans — &#8220;has never happened&#8221; when it was the minority party keeping the government shut down and making demands.
&#8220;I get why you would want to believe that something could happen,&#8221; he added, tying in the Democratic socialists as he explained that the only logical conclusion was a fairly simple one: &#8220;They want to divide the party. They want maybe to blow up the party, get new leaders, and a new direction.&#8221;

2017 Turner Upfront

Chris Cuomo: Shutdown Dynamics Herald The Democratic Party’s Demise

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Chris Cuomo

Democratic Socialism

The government shutdown is over, the Justice Department investigates riots surrounding a Turning Point USA event, and a standoff brews in the Caribbean between Venezuela and the United States.
It’s Thursday, November 13, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251113">the video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trump-ends-shutdown-venezuela-mobilizes-troops-11-13-25/id1576594336?i=1000736567005" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Shutdown Comes To A Close</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1000149" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Marathon-Shutdown-Ends-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Marathon-Shutdown-Ends-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Marathon-Shutdown-Ends-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Marathon-Shutdown-Ends-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Marathon-Shutdown-Ends-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Marathon-Shutdown-Ends.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The government shutdown finally came to a close on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump signing legislation to reopen the government.
The House voted on legislation to fund the government through the end of January. The vote came after eight Senate Democrats sided with Republicans earlier this week to break the filibuster and push through a continuing resolution to fund the federal government.
After more than 40 days, the shutdown’s impacts hit all across the country. From air travel to food stamps, Americans felt it.
What comes next:  The debate will quickly shift to healthcare and Obamacare subsidies, which the Democrats used as a rhetorical tool to prevent funding the government for the past 40 days. When they voted to reopen the government over the weekend, part of the deal was to bring that debate back to the Senate in December.
On the House side, Democrats such as Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have proposed extending those subsidies for three years. But with Republicans in the majority, the calculus is different, and there is a lot unknown about the continuation of those subsidies.
The argument from many Republicans and opponents of the renewed subsidies for the Affordable Care Act is that the program was never sustainable to begin with.
Shutdown drama continued:  Republicans are very pleased with the outcome, but many Democrats, aside from those few who voted to reopen the government, are not. 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Berkeley Riot</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1000153" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/DOJ-Probes-TPUSA-Riot-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/DOJ-Probes-TPUSA-Riot-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/DOJ-Probes-TPUSA-Riot-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/DOJ-Probes-TPUSA-Riot-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/DOJ-Probes-TPUSA-Riot-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/DOJ-Probes-TPUSA-Riot.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The DOJ is investigating a protest outside of a Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley this week.
TPUSA has gotten more attention than ever over the last two months since Charlie Kirk, the group’s founder, was assassinated. In the wake of that tragedy, rather than pull back, the conservative activist group has gone all in.
While a number of its events have faced significant protest, thanks to increased security, most have been peaceful. But during the final stop of the Turning Point tour this week at Cal Berkeley, a protest turned violent. In the hours leading up to the event, hundreds of black-clad protesters <a href="https://x.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1988056273716474048?s=20">descended</a> on the venue, hurling insults and threats at conservative students attending the event, and mocking Kirk’s murder.
Other chants included, “When fascists come and cause a wreck, they get a bullet in the neck.” At one point, a group of protesters attempted to rob a man of his necklace and proceeded to beat him when he attempted to stop them. As the victim, who was briefly detained by police himself, stands up, dripping blood from his face, some in the crowd begin to taunt him, <a href="https://x.com/FrontlinesTPUSA/status/1988051012050186316?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying,</a> “white boy, you’re bleeding.”
Turning Point staffers say rioters set off smoke bombs and tear gas outside the venue, and hurled fireworks and glass bottles at those trying to get in, including parents carrying small children. And then, as the event ended, large groups of rioters blocked exits and hurled threats at those leaving. 
DOJ steps in: Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force will &#8220;spare no expense unmasking all who commit and orchestrate acts of political violence” and seeking out the identities of specific agitators. Bondi <a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1988339354754769099">added</a>, &#8220;Antifa is an existential threat to our nation.&#8221; The Justice Department also sent a letter to the University of California Board of Regents, notifying them that an investigation had been opened into their handling of the riot, ordering them to preserve all internal records regarding security preparations. 
“ There was a sold out crowd of over 2,000 tickets for this event with Rob Schneider, the comedian, and in fact, only a thousand people were allowed to enter,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/AAGDhillon/status/1988582068776026127?s=20">said</a> the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights, Harmeet Dhillon. &#8220;There were shenanigans with the ticketing, but a lot of people didn&#8217;t come because of what we call the ‘heckler&#8217;s veto,’ the violent mob allowed to fester outside.” 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Fracas In Caracas</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1000145" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Venezuela-Blink-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Venezuela-Blink-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Venezuela-Blink-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Venezuela-Blink-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Venezuela-Blink-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Venezuela-Blink.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Venezuela says it’s launched a “massive mobilization” of its armed forces – as the United States’ largest aircraft carrier arrives in the region.
Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s defense minister, Vladimir Padrino López, on Tuesday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maduro-orders-massive-military-mobilization-as-u-s-carrier-group-nears-venezuela">announced</a> a military buildup to counter what he called the “imperialist threat” from the United States. That buildup included military exercises on Wednesday that reportedly <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/venezuela-military-mobilization-us-navy-flotilla-nears-caribbean-uss-ford/">involved</a> around 200,000 troops. Reports say that the military has prepped anti-aircraft systems across Venezuela in case Trump decides to order land strikes, as he has hinted at a few times.
State of play: The United States’ largest and most advanced warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has finally arrived in the region, military officials said on Tuesday.
But diplomatic relations between Caracas and Washington have broken down, and it is unclear whether they have since rebounded.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/world/americas/maduro-venezuela-us-oil.html">reported</a> last month that diplomacy between the two sides is basically broken. It broke over Maduro’s refusal to vacate leadership.
Caracas had offered the United States a majority stake in its oil and other mineral wealth. Part of the agreement would have been that Caracas would distance itself from powers hostile to the United States – namely, China, Iran, and Russia. But the United States walked away.
Invasion?: Many have made comparisons between the military buildup in the Caribbean Sea and the lead-up to the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989. There remain some stark differences, however. Venezuela is much larger than Panama, has a larger military, and Maduro is protected by special forces from Cuba, and Moscow has promised to help Venezuela in the event of an invasion.
Also, in 1989, the United States went into Panama to oust dictator Gen. Manuel Noriega with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/11/us/politics/panama-noriega-maduro.html">roughly</a> 27,000 troops. With the addition of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the United States still has only <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/11/americas/venezuela-military-mobilization-us-buildup-intl-latam#:~:text=Maduro%20has%20also%20claimed%20that,CNN's%20Haley%20Britzky%20contributed.">around</a> 15,000 troops in the Caribbean Sea.

MRN_251113_V1

Morning Brief: The Swamp Reopens, Berkeley Riot On FBI’s Terror Radar, & The Fracas In Caracas

Morning Brief: Govt Shutdown Ends, DOJ Probes Berkeley, And Venezuela Calls Up Troops

Department of Justice

Hakeem Jeffries

Harmeet Dhillon

Mike Johnson

Morning Wire

Nicolas Maduro

Pam Bondi

U.S. House of Representatives

United States

University of California Berkeley

Venezuela

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt laid out the harm caused by the ‘Democrat Shutdown,’ now the longest shutdown in U.S. history, during her Press Briefing on Wednesday. 
“The Democrats dragged on the government shutdown for 43 days… damage caused by the Democrats by this reckless government shutdown cannot be forgotten,” said Leavitt during her press conference on Wednesday. 
Recently, both the Small Business Optimism Index and the Federal Reserve reported that the shutdown has already negatively impacted the economy. Millions of Americans are employed by the federal government, while millions more work as federal contractors, subcontractors, or for businesses that depend on federal contracts or funding.  
At the most recent Federal Reserve meeting, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the negative economic effects should begin to reverse once the government reopens. 
During Wednesday’s press conference, Leavitt listed some of the economic consequences of the shutdown.
“Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have missed their paychecks, tens of billions in wages and benefits were withheld impacting vulnerable families, millions of low-income American families missed their SNAP benefits, nearly 20,000 flights at airports across the country were delayed due to staffing shortages causing Americans to miss family events, vacations, and work obligations.” 
She noted Airlines for America estimates flight disruptions already have or will impact 5.2 million travelers. 
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that cuts to fourth-quarter GDP growth could be as large as 2%, potentially delivering a negative blow to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s plan to keep the federal deficit at 3% of GDP in his “3-3-3” plan. 
CBO says, “Most of the decline in real GDP will be recovered eventually, but estimates between $7 billion and $14 billion will not be.” 
Leavitt said that she believes the deal will hold and that the government shutdown will come to an end tonight.  
She blamed Democrats for the entire government shutdown. “Just look at the vote count,” Leavitt urged. “The clean CR that will lead to the reopening of the federal government is what President Trump and Republicans have supported from day one.”
Before wrapping up her remarks and opening the room to questions, Leavitt touted President Trump’s efforts to address affordability in America. 
The Press Secretary discussed “the largest middle class tax cuts,” which include no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security. She explained that the tax cuts will guarantee that “next year Americans will put more money into their pockets.” Leavitt then compared inflation rates during Trump’s administration with those of the Biden Administration. Notably, inflation rates under Biden were higher, with the administration averaging rates at <a href="https://www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic/data/consumerpriceindexhistorical_us_table.htm">5%</a>. So far, the Trump administration is seeing averages of about <a href="https://www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic/data/consumerpriceindexhistorical_us_table.htm">2.5%</a>. 
Leavitt says a big part of Trump’s ability to reduce inflation has been to unleash American energy dominance. She says, “Gasoline prices are at their lowest levels in five years, and we expect them to continue to decrease.” 
Along with lower gas prices, she noted the President is working around the clock to lower drug prices by negotiating deals with large pharmaceutical companies at home and abroad. Leavitt said she expects small businesses will save thousands of dollars in regulatory burdens as the Trump Administration “cuts thirty unnecessary regulations for every new one on the books.” 
Leavitt concluded by emphasizing that affordability remains at the top of President Trump’s agenda and criticized Democrats for what she called hypocrisy on the issue: “The notion that the same Democrats who shut down the federal government, sabotaged our economy, robbed people of their paychecks and helped Joe Biden ratchet up inflation to 9% are now suddenly affordability champions is completely absurd.”

Media Briefing Held By White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

White House Press Secretary Lays Out Harm Caused by ‘Democrat Shutdown’

Karoline Leavitt

White House

The House races to vote on a resolution that could end the government shutdown, the FDA removes black box warnings for hormone replacement therapy drugs, and we look at the role media bias played in shaping Americans’ views on the shutdown.
It’s Wednesday, November 12, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251112-member-exclusive">the video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shutdown-nears-end-black-box-warning-reversed-11-12-25/id1576594336?i=1000736400803" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">House Shutdown Vote?</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-999521" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/House-Shutdown-Vote-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/House-Shutdown-Vote-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/House-Shutdown-Vote-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/House-Shutdown-Vote-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/House-Shutdown-Vote-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/House-Shutdown-Vote.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The government shutdown appears to be on the verge of finally ending, as both parties debate the future of healthcare, and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) fends off calls for his resignation.
The federal government may finally reopen on Wednesday. The bill broke through the Senate with the help of eight Democrats. That bill will now go to the House, and it is expected to begin voting today at around 4:00 p.m. ET.
This is a major development following the longest government shutdown in American history, and it comes at a time when D.C. is deeply politically divided. There has been a lot of pushback, not only against the Democrats who voted to reopen the government, but also against Minority Leader Schumer, who is now facing calls to step down or even be primaried in 2028.
What does D.C. do next? Once the government is back in operation, the focus will shift back to healthcare, but the debate will look different. During the shutdown, Democrats said they wanted the continuing resolution to be contingent upon continuing subsidies for Obamacare. Now, as part of the Senate deal, Democrats want to bring that discussion back next month, since the government will only be funded through the end of January if the bill passes. The shutdown debate could flare up again if lawmakers don&#8217;t figure this out before funding runs out.
If the subsidies don&#8217;t continue, opponents have said that a coming premium spike is proof that the Affordable Care Act was not sustainable in the first place.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has said that this deal was the Senate’s, and that the House didn&#8217;t make any promises on its end, so there hasn&#8217;t been a commitment yet to finding a solution to Obamacare subsidies.
Trumpcare: There has been discussion on tax-advantaged Health Savings Accounts. President Donald Trump has also floated giving some of the subsidy money back to the American people. Trump has argued that many of these subsidies only benefited large insurance companies.
“Instead of going to the insurance companies, I want the money to go into an account for people where the people buy their own health insurance. If we did that, that would be so exciting. Call it Trumpcare,” the president <a href="https://x.com/_johnnymaga/status/1988038828846670192?s=20">said</a>.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">HRT Black Box Warning Axed</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-999519" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/22Black-Box22-Warning-Axed-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/22Black-Box22-Warning-Axed-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/22Black-Box22-Warning-Axed-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/22Black-Box22-Warning-Axed-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/22Black-Box22-Warning-Axed-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/22Black-Box22-Warning-Axed.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The FDA is removing “black box” warnings from hormone replacement therapy for menopause symptoms. The reversal is earning high praise from both the medical establishment and medical outsiders. 
The warnings were slapped on HRT for menopausal and perimenopausal women more than two decades ago by the FDA. But FDA Commissioner Marty Makary says those warnings were unnecessary, harmful, and based on a significantly flawed 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study that connected this treatment to an increase in breast cancer risk.
Why it matters: While currently fewer than 5% of menopausal women take HRT, Dr. Makary says between 50 and 70 million women have been denied or discouraged from taking the treatment since that study was mainstreamed. Makary also says the vast majority of those women were denied life-changing or even life-saving treatment. 
“Women who go through menopause and start hormone replacement therapy have profound short-term and long-term health benefits, including reducing the risk of bone fractures by 50-60% later in life, reducing the risk of fatal heart attacks by 30-50%,” Makary told Morning Wire. “That&#8217;s the number one cause of death in women – and reducing cognitive decline. There may be no medication in the modern era, aside from perhaps antibiotics or vaccines, that can improve the health outcomes of women on a population level more than hormone replacement therapy started within 10 years of the onset of menopause.”
Makary noted that this treatment is for the vast majority of women in this phase of life, though he said there are rare exceptions to that, for example, if a woman currently has breast cancer. Women should talk to their doctors before receiving treatment.
View from the experts: Major medical groups are supporting this. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which represents more than 60,000 physicians and medical professionals, praised the FDA for empowering women.
The Menopause Society, the American Association of Clinical Urologists, and the National Consumers League, a consumer advocacy organization, also applauded this change from the FDA. Also of note, <a href="https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/how-gender-bias-medicine-has-shaped-womens-health?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Harvard Medicine Magazine</a> last year acknowledged that this Women’s Health Initiative study “has widely been considered flawed.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Democrat-Media Complex</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-999517" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Media-Shutdown-Slant-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Media-Shutdown-Slant-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Media-Shutdown-Slant-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Media-Shutdown-Slant-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Media-Shutdown-Slant-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Media-Shutdown-Slant.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: With the government shutdown poised to end on a sour note for most Democrats, it has become painfully obvious just how eager some in the media were to put their thumbs on the scales. 
The legacy media coverage was biased against Republicans over the shutdown, and the numbers prove it. The Media Research Center conducted a study of the first full month of the shutdown, from October 1 to October 31. It looked at the evening news broadcasts on the three major networks – ABC, CBS, and NBC – and discovered that 87% of the network news coverage during that time had been skewed in favor of the Democrats.
The center evaluates only the statements made by anchors and experts who are supposed to be nonpartisan, which would exclude comments from elected Democrats or Republicans, or from pundits who are decidedly partisan. Using that framework, it found 83 statements about the shutdown that were critical of Republicans and only 12 that were critical of Democrats.
Those same people, despite discussing the shutdown on multiple broadcasts, showed very little interest in discussing why the government was shut down or who repeatedly voted against the clean continuing resolution that would have reopened the government. According to the center, “On both ABC and CBS, only 12.5 percent of reports on either network mentioned this basic detail. On NBC, that fact was included in just 31 percent of newscasts.”
View from the media: On CNN, the network is laying it on thick against Schumer and highlighting the blowback against him within his own party. CNN pollster Harry Enten sounded off: “ What about Democrats nationwide feeling about Chuck Schumer? I think the word of the day is terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible.”
The hosts of ABC’s “The View” have been gunning for Schumer since March because, as they said, he “caved” to avoid a shutdown early in Trump’s term. They re-upped calls for him to step aside on Monday, and on Tuesday, they spent some time yelling at Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman for voting in favor of his constituents not starving.
There’s a bit of a pile-on effect happening right now. The argument appears to be that the compromise has given President Trump yet another win, which is something Democrats and many in the legacy media hate to do.

MRN_251112_V1

Morning Brief: House Vote On Shutdown, Women’s Health Gets A Reboot, & Media Blames Usual Suspects

Morning Brief: Shutdown Showdown, Women's Health Gets A Reboot, & Media Blames The Usual Suspects

House of Representatives

Media Research Center

Senate

Democrats are lashing out at the eight senators from their own party who voted to reopen the government without securing more federal subsidies for the Affordable Care Act &#8212; but a new survey of small business owners reveals that Democrats&#8217; favorite health care policy may not be playing well with the American electorate.
“The cost of health insurance has gone up every year since the ACA,” a Pennsylvania manufacturer told the National Federation of Independent Business. “No small business can keep up with the costs.&#8221;
Health insurance premiums rose <a href="https://www.cms.gov/cciio/resources/forms-reports-and-other-resources/downloads/uninsured-affordability-in-marketplace.pdf">143%</a> in the first six years after the ACA, colloquially known as Obamacare, took effect. Next year, premiums are set to rise <a href="https://www.kff.org/quick-take/aca-insurers-are-raising-premiums-by-an-estimated-26-but-most-enrollees-could-see-sharper-increases-in-what-they-pay/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">26%</a> on average. Democrats say these rising premiums justify Congress approving <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61734">$24.6 billion</a> worth of taxpayer-funded subsidies, while Republicans say the need to spend billions offsetting premium costs proves that the ACA is unaffordable and unsustainable.
&#8220;The increase will surely kill many small businesses in the next couple of years,&#8221; the Pennsylvania manufacturer said. &#8220;Soon I will no longer be able to offer health insurance to my employees. In turn, this will cost me good employees.&#8221;
He&#8217;s not the only one feeling the crunch.
&#8220;It is becoming increasingly difficult to provide medical insurance that the company and employees can afford,&#8221; a manufacturer from Ohio added.
Obamacare prices were at the heart of the longest government shutdown in American history, which the Senate voted to break Monday night after 41 days. Republicans pushed for a continuing resolution to reopen the government, while Democrats refused to agree unless the measure included a one-year extension of ACA subsidies.
From the Senate Floor, Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) argued preserving the ACA was essential.
&#8220;I must vote no [to reopen the government] because health care prices are so severe, so urgent, and so devastating for families back home,&#8221; Schumer said. &#8220;I cannot support this CR that fails to address the health care crisis.&#8221;
The National Federation of Independent Business&#8217; optimism index fell 0.6 points in October, according to the report. The sharpest contributor to October’s dip was a deterioration in earning trends, with 25% of owners reporting lower profits. NFIB’s Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg reported the government shutdown likely played a role, as the Uncertainty Index fell 12 points to its lowest reading this year.
Despite the pullback, optimism among small businesses remains three points above the low from earlier this year and above its 52-year average of 98. Confidence hit its lowest point in April amid market volatility and tariff-related uncertainty, before rebounding midyear as conditions stabilized.
The labor market continues to frustrate small employers. Like last month, small businesses reported a tight labor market with labor quality remaining the most significant problem in October. Small businesses report struggling to compete with large corporations offering higher wages, signing bonuses, and more comprehensive benefits.
The gap is most apparent in skilled trades, where 28% of small businesses reported job openings they can’t fill. Jobs for electricians, plumbers, welders, HVAC technicians, and construction workers are among the hardest to supply. <a href="https://www.nfib.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/NFIB-SBET-Report-Oct.-2025.pdf">Nearly half (49%)</a> of small businesses in the construction industry reported not being able to find construction workers.
This trend was years in the making. Fewer young people have pursued vocational programs and many older, experienced tradespeople have retired. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average age in the manufacturing industry is 44 and the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat18b.htm">average age</a> of a construction worker is 42, signaling an aging workforce.
However, there may be reason for cautious optimism. Recent studies suggest that Gen Z is increasingly turning toward <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-rowe-reacts-to-rise-in-skilled-trade-enrollment-calls-gen-z-the-next-toolbelt-generation">trade careers</a>, motivated by higher education costs and concerns that artificial intelligence could disrupt traditional white-collar jobs.
While overall small business optimism has cooled in recent months, the survey reports that business &#8220;won’t be pleasant until the shutdown is ended.” With the reopening of the government, many business owners expect the negative impacts of the shutdown to reverse.

Menu