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1 Here's What Airlines Are Telling Passengers As Flight Cuts Go Into Effect Today
Airlines are working to help passengers affected by the Federal Aviation Administration's order to cut 10-percent of flights at 40 U.S. airports starting today due to the federal government shutdown. American Airlines said it will cancel about 220 of its roughly 6,000 daily departures. Delta Air Lines said it expects to operate most of its flights as scheduled. Southwest Airlines said it will contact affected customers directly using their booking information and will automatically rebook passengers where possible. JetBlue issued a travel alert saying it will reach out to affected customers and automatically rebook them on the next available flight in most cases.
2 Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration To Deliver Full SNAP Benefits By Today
A federal judge in Rhode Island has ordered the Trump administration to deliver full SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, to states by today. U.S. District Judge John McConnell issued the order yesterday afternoon after two weeks of confusion about the program during the government shutdown. The judge had ruled last week that the administration had to distribute benefits as soon as possible after the progressive legal advocacy group Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit. The Trump administration had agreed to partially fund the program using $4.65 billion in contingency funds to cover about 65-percent of normal benefits, but declined to use additional funding set aside for child nutrition programs. At the hearing yesterday, the Trump administration said it had complied with the judge's earlier order and argued that states were responsible for not distributing benefits.
3 Congressional Budget Office Confirms It Was Hacked
The Congressional Budget Office confirmed yesterday that it had been hacked, possibly exposing important government data. The small agency, which has about 275 employees, provides analysis to help lawmakers during the budget process. Spokeswoman Caitlin Emma said the agency identified the security incident, took immediate action to contain it, and put in place new security controls. The "Washington Post" reported that the hack was done by a suspected foreign actor, though the CBO did not confirm this. The CBO manages large data sources related to many policy issues, including deportation plans, tariffs, and tax and spending cuts.