Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 The Federal Government Shutdown Is Over
The House passed a funding package late last night to end the 43-day government shutdown in a 222 to 209 vote. The bill includes three full-year spending bills for some parts of the government and extends funding for the rest until January 30th, which means another budget fight is expected early next year. Six Democrats broke with their party to vote for the government funding bill, while two Republicans voted against it. President Trump signed the bill into law around 10 pm Eastern Time last night, bringing an end to the shutdown. SNAP benefits will resume within 24 hours, according to a USDA spokesperson who talked with CBS News. The current level of flight cuts will stay in place while officials evaluate the situation with air traffic controllers.
2 The Philadelphia Mint Made The Last-Ever Penny Yesterday
The U.S. minted its final penny yesterday at the Philadelphia Mint after over 230 years in circulation. Treasury officials said producing pennies is no longer fiscally responsible, as each penny now costs 3.69 cents to make, more than double the cost from ten years ago. The U.S. Mint lost $85.3 million on penny production in fiscal year 2024, and President Trump announced the decision to stop making them in February, saying the waste needed to be cut from the budget. The last time the U.S. discontinued a coin was the half cent piece in 1857, but it’ll be a while before the penny disappears completely. Over 300 billion pennies remain in circulation and are still legal tender. The final pennies minted will be auctioned off rather than entering circulation. The first official one-cent piece was produced in 1793 and was originally the size of today's quarter; Abraham Lincoln's image was added to the penny in 1909.
3 New Emails Written By Jeffrey Epstein Released By House Democrats
House Democrats released emails from Jeffrey Epstein that reference President Trump and mention "the girls" at Mar-a-Lago yesterday. In a 2019 email to journalist Michael Wolff, Epstein wrote that Trump "knew about the girls" and said Trump asked Ghislaine Maxwell to stop. The emails came from Epstein's estate as part of a House investigation; the White House called the release selective leaks meant to create a fake narrative and smear Trump. In another 2011 email to Maxwell, Epstein mentioned Trump spending hours with someone identified as a victim. The emails also show Epstein discussing Trump's relationship with Virginia Giuffre, who worked at Mar-a-Lago before Epstein hired her away. Giuffre never accused Trump of wrongdoing and said he was friendly when they first met. Republicans on the committee released 20,000 additional pages from Epstein's estate.