Overview
- President Donald Trump attended a themed Halloween event at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, with images showing guests in Roaring ’20s attire and Trump seated beside Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- The gathering came on day 31 of a partial federal shutdown that began Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass funding.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture said SNAP funding was set to lapse Saturday, Nov. 1, putting benefits for millions at risk.
- Two federal judges on Friday ordered the administration to tap contingency funds to keep SNAP operating, but the government has not clarified how it will implement the directives.
- Trump posted a conditional statement on Truth Social about using contingency funds if judges instruct the process, and he is pursuing a donor-funded White House East Wing ballroom overhaul estimated at more than $300 million.