Good morning, it’s Thursday, October 30, 2025. In today’s edition, shutdown already sure to delay SNAP benefits; Ohio close to bipartisan redistricting deal; new polls in New Jersey, Virginia, California, New York City:
Top Stories
SHUTDOWN: Families who rely on federal SNAP benefits will almost certainly have to wait for next month’s disbursements, even if Congress reaches a budget deal or the Trump administration frees up funds, experts say. That’s because it takes most states several days to move SNAP benefits onto EBT cards once they receive the federal dollars.
“At this point, what we’ve heard is, if there were a magical resolution [to the shutdown] today, the majority of states would see some disruption,” said Justin King, director of policy at Propel, an app that households use to track EBT balances. The U.S. Department of Agriculture spends roughly $8 billion a month on SNAP benefits. (Pluribus News)
REDISTRICTING: Indiana lawmakers will delay the beginning of their special session to redistrict the state, initially planned for Nov. 3. Legislative leaders have 40 calendar days from the beginning of the special session, or up to 30 session days after they convene, to finish their business and adjourn. (State Affairs)
MORE: Ohio Senate President Rob McColley (R) says the seven-member Ohio Redistricting Committee is close to a bipartisan agreement on U.S. House district maps. Republicans would have the authority to approve a map without Democratic votes once the calendar turns to November. Democrats have threatened a statewide ballot initiative if the GOP adopts a partisan map. (Columbus Dispatch)
MARIJUANA: A bipartisan group of 39 attorneys general have signed a letter asking Congress to close the “hemp loophole” created in the 2018 Farm Bill that allows the cultivation and sale of THC Delta 9 products. The loophole allows the sale of other THC products that can be shipped across state lines. (Maine Wire)
MORE: The Ohio legislature has sent competing recreational marijuana plans to a conference committee. The Senate voted Wednesday to block House amendments to a bill it passed earlier this year. Lawmakers are working toward new regulations after Gov. Mike DeWine (R) issued an executive order placing a blanket ban on the sale of intoxicating hemp products. (State Affairs)
HEALTH CARE: The Pennsylvania House has adopted legislation requiring insurance companies to cover the cost of providing vaccines. The bill would fine insurance companies $5,000 for each violation and $10,000 for each “willful” violation. Lawmakers also approved a bill requiring insurers to cover colorectal cancer screenings for those over 45. (State Affairs)
GAMBLING: New York lawmakers plan to introduce bills to add new regulations on mobile sports betting. Few specifics have been released, but Assemb. Carrie Woerner (D), chair of the Racing and Wagering Committee, says she expects bills will be ready to go by the start of the 2026 session. (State of Politics)
SPACE FORCE: Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) has sued the Trump administration over the decision to relocate U.S. Space Command to Alabama. Weiser asked a federal judge to block the relocation, which President Trump justified by blaming Colorado’s mail-in voting system. (Associated Press)
In Politics & Business
NEW JERSEY: The final Emerson College survey of the year finds U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) and former Assemb. Jack Ciattarelli (R) statistically tied, 49% to 48%, in the race for governor. Men favor Ciattarelli by 16 points, while women back Sherrill by 18 points. (Emerson College)
President Trump’s approval rating in New Jersey, 45%, is significantly higher than Gov. Phil Murphy’s (D) rating, 34%.
VIRGINIA: A new Roanoke College poll finds former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) leading Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) 51% to 41% in the race for governor. State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D) leads radio host John Reid by a statistically insignificant 42% to 40% margin, while Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) leads former Del. Jay Jones (D) 46% to 38% in his race. (Roanoke)
President Trump’s approval rating in Virginia stands at 40%, while 50% approve of the job Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is doing. And 80% said they had heard or read about texts sent by Jones in which he fantasized abut shooting then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R).
CALIFORNIA: A Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies survey finds 60% of California voters backing Proposition 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) plan to redistrict state congressional lines, while 38% are opposed. The measure leads 57% to 39% among voters who aren’t registered with a party. About 21% of California voters have already cast a ballot ahead of next week’s elections. (Los Angeles Times)
WASHINGTON: Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is appealing a $35 million campaign finance penalty to Washington State’s Supreme Court. The company argues the fine for failing to provide records for digital campaign advertisements violates First Amendment rights and is excessive. (Washington State Standard)
NEW YORK CITY: Choose your own adventure in the race for mayor, where three new polls out today have Assemb. Zohran Mamdani (D) posting marginal or big leads. Marist has Mamdani leading former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (I) 48% to 32%, with Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa at 16%. Quinnipiac has Mamdani up 43% to 33% to 14%. Emerson has Mamdani leading 50% to 25% to 21%. (Marist, Quinnipiac, Emerson)
CRIME BLOTTER: The deputy director of Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey’s (D) western Massachusetts office has been arrested and charged with trafficking cocaine after police seized eight kilograms of the drug delivered to a Springfield office building where he worked. Healey’s office said they fired the staffer after he was arrested Tuesday. (State Affairs)
By The Numbers
$5 trillion: The market cap of AI chipmaker Nvidia, the first company to be valued at such a level. As much as 23% of all stock-focused mutual funds and ETFs have exposure to Nvidia. The company is worth more than the gross domestic product of every country in the world except the United States and China. (Associated Press)
$54 million: The amount LSU has to pay fired football coach Brian Kelly, ousted after the team fell to 5-3 on the season. Gov. Jeff Landry (R) criticized athletic director Scott Woodward for signing the deal with Kelly; as athletic director at Texas A&M, Woodward also signed a deal with coach Jimbo Fisher that awarded Fisher more than $76 million when the school fired him in 2023. (ESPN)
Off The Wall
The Times of London has apologized after running a story featuring an interview in which Bill DeBlasio criticized Mamdani (D), the leading candidate for New York City mayor. DeBlasio is a 59-year-old wine importer from Long Island — not Bill de Blasio, the former mayor. DeBlasio the importer says he never claimed to be the mayor after the reporter reached out seeking comment on Mamdani’s agenda. (Semafor)
Yesterday, we told you about a bunch of monkeys that escaped from an overturned semi-truck in Mississippi. Today, we bring you the tale of a pet monkey that got loose at a Spirit Halloween store in Plano, Texas. The monkey’s owner eventually coaxed the animal to safety by offering it a cookie. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“Well, you know, it’s a low bar.”
— Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick (R), on his new show, “The World’s Greatest Audit Podcast.” One recent episode is called “The audit of Ray County and the mystery of the 76 hams.” (Missouri Independent)