A federal food aid program that helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries stands to be paused Nov. 1 because of the government shutdown. Even some states that want to step in to fill the gap have found they can’t. Recipients of the food aid, food banks, states and advocates are bracing for a pause to payments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program at the end of next week. Some states have looked into funding food assistance themselves but they're finding that federal control of some key details of the program is a major obstacle. On average, the benefit is $187 per person per month. Most beneficiaries have poverty-level incomes or below.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda says Russian military planes violated Lithuania’s airspace on Thursday evening. Lithuania’s foreign ministry will summon Russian Embassy representatives to protest the violation, Nausėda said in a post on the social media platform X. The incident occurred amid rising tensions in the region. The Baltics are increasingly worried by neighboring Russia’s aggression on Ukraine as a series of mysterious drone incidents and airspace violations by Russian war planes in recent weeks has fueled concerns that President Vladimir Putin might be testing NATO’s defensive reflexes. Some leaders have accused him of waging a hybrid war in Europe. Moscow denies probing NATO’s defenses.

Researchers have unearthed a spooky pair of dinosaur mummies that seem to have been preserved in an unexpected way. Mummified dinosaurs are so old that their skin and soft tissues fossilize. Scientists found new remains at a Wyoming site, including a rare young duck-billed dinosaur mummy that was only several years old. The dinosaur mummies left impressions of their skin and scales on a thin layer of clay that formed with help from microbes. This style of mummification has preserved other organisms before, but scientists didn’t think it could happen on land. The study was published Thursday in the journal Science.

The Senate on Thursday rejected dueling partisan bills to pay federal workers during the government shutdown, with both Republicans and Democrats deflecting blame as many employees are set to miss their first full paycheck at the end of this week. Republicans objected as Democrats proposed a voice vote on their legislation to pay all federal workers and prevent President Donald Trump’s administration from mass firings. Democrats then voted down a Republican bill to pay employees who are working and not furloughed. The back and forth on day 23 of the government shutdown comes as the two parties are at a protracted impasse.

Maine Democrat Graham Platner remains committed to his U.S. Senate campaign despite a growing list of controversies. Platner, an oyster farmer and first-time candidate, aims to unseat Republican Susan Collins. He must first win a competitive primary against Democratic Gov. Janet Mills. Platner has faced backlash over old Reddit posts and a tattoo linked to a Nazi symbol. He has since apologized and covered the tattoo. Supporters like Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna stand by him. Maine's primary election is in June 2026.

As sports betting expands, polling suggests Americans have become increasingly critical of its role in U.S. society and sports — although they’re more tolerant of legal betting for professional sports. A recent Pew Research Center poll found about 43% of U.S. adults say the fact sports betting is now legal in much of the country is a “bad thing” for society and sports, up from about 34% in July 2022. Betting scandals have multiplied since the Supreme Court in 2018 struck down a federal law that barred sports betting in most states. Most recently, dozens of people including current and former NBA players were arrested in a federal investigation into sports betting and illegal gambling.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla have visited the Vatican to pray with Pope Leo XIV. This historic meeting aims to strengthen ties between the Church of England and the Catholic Church. The event on Thursday marked the first time since the Reformation that the heads of these two churches have prayed together. The visit comes amid renewed scrutiny of the British royal family over Prince Andrew’s ties with Jeffrey Epstein. Charles' and Camilla’s visit had been planned for earlier in the year but was rescheduled after Pope Francis's illness and death. The meeting included discussions on ecological sustainability, a priority for both Charles and the Vatican.

President Donald Trump has pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who created the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. Zhao served prison time after failing to stop criminals from using the platform to move money connected to child sex abuse, drug trafficking and terrorism. Zhao had asked Trump for a pardon previously. Zhao has deep ties to World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture that the Republican president and his sons Eric and Donald Jr. launched in September.

President Donald Trump is suggesting he could call on Israel to release imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, the most popular and potentially unifying Palestinian leader. Trump's comment in a Time magazine interview comes as the United States aims to fill a leadership vacuum in postwar Gaza. The president's acknowledgment of internal discussions on the issue underscores the difficult task ahead of finding credible political figures to oversee governance in Gaza. The U.S. and Israel say they're committed to preventing Hamas from continuing to rule the territory. Barghouti was convicted in 2004 in connection with attacks in Israel that killed five people.

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes accelerated in September as declining mortgage rates and a pickup in available properties on the market encouraged home shoppers. The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that existing home sales rose 1.5% last month from August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million units. That’s the fastest sales pace since February. Sales jumped 4.1% compared with September last year. The national median sales price climbed 2.1% in September from a year earlier to $415,200. The housing market has been in a slump since 2022, when mortgage rates climbed from historic lows. Affordability remains a daunting challenge for most aspiring homeowners following years of skyrocketing home prices.

Taylor Swift, Kenny Loggins, LL Cool J, Pink, Sarah McLachlan and Talking Heads’ David Byrne are among the impressive list of nominees for the 2026 Songwriters Hall of Fame class. It is an eclectic mix of pop, hip-hop, folk and rock innovators. Charlotte Caffey, Kathy Valentine and Jane M. Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings of The Guess Who, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America are also nominated. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the glam rock band Kiss are also on the list of nominees. Eligible voting members have until midnight Eastern on Dec. 4 to turn in ballots.

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups have been arrested in connection with a federal investigation into illegal sports betting, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday. The exact charge or charges they face were not immediately known. The two people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they couldn’t discuss details of the investigation publicly. A message was left Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, on Thursday. Trusty previously told ESPN that Rozier was told than an initial investigation determining he did nothing wrong. FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to provide more details at a news conference Thursday.

Agricultural workers are already among the most vulnerable to extreme heat. For pregnant workers, those risks are higher because the body must work harder to cool down and requires more liquids, making it more easily dehydrated. While protections exist, experts say they need better enforcement and more are needed. Compounding these risks is the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Here are takeaways from The Associated Press’ report on the dangers of heat on pregnant farmworkers. As global temperatures rise, advocates say more protections are needed to ensure the health and well-being of pregnant agricultural workers and their babies.

Agricultural workers are among the people most vulnerable to extreme heat. They toil under the hot sun and in humid greenhouses or nurseries, often with few breaks and places to adequately cool. For pregnant agricultural workers, those risks are higher because the body must work harder to cool down and requires more liquids, making it more easily dehydrated. Coupled with exertion, extreme heat exposes workers to more health risks, including miscarriages, stillbirths, preterm births and low birth weight in infants. The Associated Press talked to agricultural workers who recounted working in extreme heat while pregnant. As global temperatures rise, advocates say more protections are needed to ensure the health and well-being of pregnant agricultural workers and their babies.