Food Stamp Funding
By Sabenah Abudu-Abrams
The government shutdown has increasingly led to many government-funded payments to be suspended, including for SNAP. On Oct. 10, the USDA ordered state agencies to withhold the files that document SNAP recipients, hence preventing recipients from receiving their benefits. In a follow-up on Nov. 4, the USDA stated that the Food and Nutrition Service will be officially suspending all November benefits until it receives adequate funding. Trump wrote on Truth Social that SNAP benefits will be given when ‘Radical Left Democrats open up the government’. Federal Judge John McConnell suggested that the government use their emergency funds for food stamps, but the White House argued that it was an unacceptable risk. According to Trump, taking out the $4.65 billion in the emergency fund will put programs like free lunch at risk. They have since gone against their prior statement, and the White House says that they will comply with the court’s order. However, as of Friday, Nov. 7 at 1:55 p.m., the Trump administration has asked a federal appeals court to go against Judge John McConnell’s order to use all of November’s SNAP funds.
Green Sea Turtles Are No Longer Endangered
By Kaden Bruton
Green sea turtles, which have been on the endangered species list since 1978, are no longer endangered: population numbers have been increasing due to regulations, protecting sea turtles on nesting beaches, reducing vessel strikes, etc. Their current International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorization falls under “species of least concern.” Beginning in the 19th century, the threat these sea turtles faced was excessive hunting. Additional issues that have contributed to population decline are global warming, ocean pollution, rising sea levels and getting entangled in fishing gear.
JD Vance and Erika Kirk
By Trey Voegtlin
During the Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi, Erika Kirk and Vice President JD Vance exchanged a warm hug that, according to the public, seemed a little too friendly. Following the passing of Charlie Kirk, who was scheduled to appear in the array of college debates and appearances for Turning Point USA events, his widow, Erika Kirk, stood in his place. In one of the most recent events, JD Vance joined Mrs. Kirk on the stage to give a few words, bringing his wife and children with him. During Erika’s speech, she made remarks about the void in her life since her husband’s passing but commented that Vice President Vance reminds her a lot of him. Following that statement, the vice president made remarks regarding his interfaith household– his wife is Hindu– saying that he hopes one day she will convert to Christianity.
Kemp on SNAP
By Harper Scully
On Nov. 1st, SNAP funding ran out, and the government shutdown continues to stretch on to the now 38th day, making it the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Georgia residents are requesting that Governor Brian Kemp use a portion of Georgia’s $14.6 billion dollar budget to cover the SNAP gap, which affects over 1.4 million Georgians. He denied the request and offered this response instead:
“The only way to quickly and effectively resolve this issue is for the democrats to vote to reopen the federal government immediately.”
The White House has stated that it will provide half of the normal SNAP benefits this Nov., despite Trump threatening to withhold them. Food banks and food pantries across the U.S. are preparing for an increase in visitors in the coming months if the shutdown continues.
MacKenzie Scott Donates $38 million to Spelman College
By Riley Jones
Philanthropist and billionaire MacKenzie Scott, who received much of her fortune after divorcing Jeff Bezos, has donated $38 million to Spelman College. In 2019, Scott signed the giving pledge promising to donate half of her wealth. This will be her second time donating to Spelman, following her $20 million donation to the college in 2020.
Spelman plans to use this recent donation to expand financial aid opportunities for students and improve its technology infrastructure.
New JP Morgan & Chase Building in NYC Skyline
By Tatum Trammell
The newest building has just been added to the renowned New York City skyline. The bank, J.P Morgan & Chase, officially opened its headquarters on 270 Park Avenue in Manhattan. The grand opening occurred on Oct. 21 with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Construction began on the headquarters after the demolition of the Union Carbide building in 2019. The 60-story skyscraper took 5 years to build and is now the largest all-electric building in the world, with a cost at an estimated $3 billion.
New York Marathon
By Brett Schlossberg
This Sunday, Nov. 3, was the annual New York marathon, one of the 7 major world marathons. This year’s marathon, organized by New York Road Runners, had more than 59,000 participants running the 26.2 miles.
Kenyan Hellen Obiri won the female division of the race. She ran the race in 2 hours, 19 minutes and 51 seconds, breaking the course record for the division. Fellow Kenyan runner Benson Kipruto won the men’s race, finishing only 0.03 seconds ahead of second-placed Alexander Mutiso. Both men ran in 2:08:09.
The race has a variety of options for entry. Runners can partner with one of many charity partners to gain entry into the race. Another option is to run a qualifying time. Athletes who submit a qualifying time that meets the standards for said athletes’ age and gender will gain guaranteed entry into the race, with the exception that more people submit qualifying times than the number of available spots. In that case, the entries will be awarded to the fastest times in each age and gender category.
Other options include the 9+1 program, in which an athlete will gain entry by running 9 New York Road Runners races, as well as volunteering at one. There is also the lottery system, in which runners can sign up to be randomly selected to gain participation. It is a very competitive system, with more than 200,000 applicants and only 3% of them being accepted.
NYC Flooding
By Joy Ferguson
On Oct. 30, a deadly storm passed over New York City. The storm flooded the streets of NYC, which caused flash flooding and killed two people. Two bodies were found after the flooding; one man’s body was discovered in his basement in Brooklyn, and one was found submerged in a boiler room in Manhattan. The man stuck in the boiler room was later identified as Juan Carlos Montoya Hernandez. So much rain fell that some buildings and subway stations were flooded. The National Weather Service recorded the peak height of rain to be 2.46 inches, and the peak wind gusts registered at 52 miles per hour. Authorities got over 800 emergency calls about the flooding.
Proof of Citizenship Banned for Voter Registration
By Akiva Bryant
On Friday, Oct. 31, a judge ruled that the Trump Administration could no longer require proof of citizenship on federal voter registration forms. In Mar. 2025, President Donald Trump, in order to combat voter fraud, signed an executive order forcing voters to present a government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. Since the order, several lawsuits were filed against it, and the Courts temporarily blocked the order. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who works for the Federal District Court and presided over Friday’s ruling, claimed in an 81-page opinion that President Trump violated the separation of powers, as he assumed authority over voting, a power not delegated to him by the Constitution.
Trump Visits Japan
By Alex Piazza
On Oct. 28, the President visited Japan, where he struck a trade deal regarding rare earth minerals with Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae. His visit to Japan was one of three stops in his trip to Asia, along with China and South Korea, although he stated he would be willing to extend his travels to North Korea.
Woodward Football Team Destroys Lakeside
By Shaw Gordon
The Woodward Academy football team played Lakeside High School last Friday on Oct. 31, 2025. Woodward dominated the game, winning by a score of 49-7. This win for the War Eagles improved their record to 8-2 on the season and allows Woodward to move to the playoffs, where they will play Seckinger on Nov. 14, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at Graham J. Hixon Field. Go War Eagles!
