This week’s guide to government and politics in under 10 minutes

I UP TO 1 IN 5 FLIGHTS COULD BE CUT AHEAD OF HOLIDAYS

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered airlines to cut flights at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports. Initially, airlines were required to cut 4% of flights, with reductions rising to 6% on Tuesday, 8% on Thursday, and 10% by Friday. The FAA says the cancellations are necessary due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay since the government shut down on October 1. So far, airlines have prioritized canceling short-distance flights. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that flight reductions could reach 20% at some airports if the shutdown continues into the holiday season.

I SENATE REACHES BREAKTHROUGH TO END THE SHUTDOWN

Eight Democrats voted with Republicans late last night on a deal that could end the government shutdown. The deal, negotiated in part by Sens. Angus King (I-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), funds the government through January 30 and sets up a vote to provide full-year funding for some agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, the FDA, and Veterans Affairs. The deal also promises a December vote to extend Affordable Care Act tax subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year. Federal employees will receive back pay, and those laid off during the shutdown will be rehired. The House will vote on the agreement next, before it goes to President Trump for his signature. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has vowed to fight the bill, arguing it fails to “decisively address the Republican healthcare crisis,” while Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said that the deal is “a great development. It’s long overdue. It vindicates our position in this all along.” Johnson noted that the House would be returning to session “immediately.”

>> Learn more about plans to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies here.

I SUPREME COURT WEIGHS CHALLENGE TO SAME-SEX MARRIAGE RULING

The Supreme Court is considering whether to take up a case that could challenge its 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis, who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, is asking the Court to revisit the precedent after being ordered to pay $260,000 in legal fees to one of the couples she denied. At least four justices must agree to hear the case for it to proceed to the next steps. If that happens, the Supreme Court will hear the case. It would require at least five justices to rule in favor of Davis for the Court to overrule Obergefell.

>> Dig deeper into the federal law protecting same-sex marriage here.

I SNAP BENEFITS AGAIN IN LIMBO AFTER SUPREME COURT ORDER

The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily paused a lower court ruling that required the Trump administration to pay full SNAP benefits for November. In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture told states that the previous disbursements were “unauthorized.” States that had already sent full benefits to SNAP recipients now face possible reimbursement losses or demands to reclaim funds, with more than two dozen warning of “catastrophic operational disruptions” if the government does not cover payments made before the Supreme Court’s stay. The Senate’s agreement to end the shutdown would fund SNAP through October 2026 if it passes. The disruption comes amid the government shutdown and marks the first time in SNAP’s 61-year history that benefits have lapsed. More than 42 million Americans receive SNAP each month.

>> Learn about how this dispute affects the food aid program and its beneficiaries here.

I GLOBAL CLIMATE SUMMIT BEGINS, U.S. ABSENT FROM TALKS

The 30th UN Climate Change Conference, COP30, kicked off today in Belém, Brazil, and will run through Friday, November 21. For the first time since the gathering began 30 years ago, the U.S. is not sending official representatives, though California Governor Gavin Newsom will attend in an unofficial capacity. Leaders are discussing how developed countries will deliver the $300 billion in climate finance they pledged at the previous COP, as part of broader efforts to reach a global target of $1.3 trillion per year by 2035. The conference is also launching initiatives like the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, which aims to raise $125 billion for tropical forest conservation, starting with $10 billion mobilized in the first year. Other key topics include halting new fossil fuel investments and integrating carbon markets across borders, decisions that could influence energy policy, climate resilience funding, and emissions reductions worldwide.

>> Find out how the U.S. is approaching climate change policy here.

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