SNAP benefits deadline; Testing nuclear weapons : NPR

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Today's top news

Tomorrow, many Americans will feel the effects of the government shutdown as SNAP food benefits end for an estimated 42 million people. Saturday also marks the start of enrollment on the federal insurance exchanges, with premiums expected to more than double on average. Democrats say they will vote to reopen the government if Congress extends health care subsidies to help cope with rising costs. Major airlines yesterday asked Congress to pass a temporary Republican funding plan as air traffic controllers continue to work without pay.

• 🎧 Democrats have traditionally been hesitant to shut down the governmentbut doesn't seem to be backing down, says NPR's Barbara Sprunt Up first. Democrats seem to believe that Republicans will take the blame for the lockdown, not them. They hope public pressure will rely on the Republican Party above expected increases in health insurance costs. Republicans say they vote to fund the government, and if Democrats care about funding food assistance and paying air traffic controllers, they will vote with them.

SNAP benefits were never stopped due to the shutdown, and now a federal judge is stepping in to make a decision. whether to order the Trump administration to find ways to get people to buy food. The Agriculture Department posted on its website that “the well has dried up” and said in a memo that it does not have enough funds to receive SNAP benefits for the next month and cannot legally use reserve funds. Democratic governors and attorneys general from about two dozen states have sued, arguing that SNAP is a right that cannot simply be taken away.

• 🎧 Even if a decision is made soon, there will still be a delay in states getting the funds they need.According to NPR's Jennifer Ludden. That's because the federal government sends funding to states before the first of the month, and then it takes days to get it to the debit cards people use. An additional complication is that total SNAP funding for November is about $9 billion, but the administration says there is only about $5.5 billion in the reserve fund. Partial payments can take several weeks to be recalculated, leaving people not only waiting, but also receiving less money.

President Trump announced yesterday that the United States will resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time in decades. Some experts believe that this decision will mean a serious escalation and could upset the nuclear balance of power.

• 🎧 The world's major nuclear powers have observed a testing moratorium since the 1990s as a gesture of goodwill to ensure post-Cold War stability.says NPR's Jeff Brumfiel. The US has embarked on a program that uses scientific knowledge to ensure weapons function effectively without the need for testing. Much of this science takes place in the same desert tunnels outside of Las Vegas where the government conducted nuclear testing. The United States has a significant technological advantage over Russia and China when it comes to nuclear weapons, but if those countries resume testing, they could close that gap, says John Wolfsthal of the Federation of American Scientists. There are also environmental problems that even if radiation if it were underground, the shaking would be enough to damage buildings near the site.

Deep Dive

A closer look at the effects of an experimental Alzheimer's disease drug called valiltramiprosate, or ALZ-801, is reviving hope that taking the twice-daily pill could slow the progression of the disease in people who are at high risk of developing it. In April, researchers published the results of a study of more than 300 people age 50 and older who were genetically susceptible to Alzheimer's disease. Overall results showed that those who received the drug performed no better than those who received a placebo. However, in September, further analysis of a subgroup of 125 participants found moderate benefits for those who at the beginning of treatment with the drug they had only mild memory problems.

• 💊 According to one estimate, the drug slowed down the decline in cognitive function by 52% in people with mild cognitive impairment. However, assessing the true impact of ALZ-801 is difficult due to the small sample size in the mild cognitive impairment group.
• 💊 ALZ-801 may receive special attention from the Food and Drug Administration due to its potential advantages over two drugs already on the market. The drug can be taken at home and does not cause swelling or bleeding in the brain that often occurs with monoclonal antibody treatments.
• 💊More evidence of the drug's effectiveness is expected to come from people who continued taking the drug after the end of the initial 18-month study period, says David Watson, co-author of the new study.

Read more about New discoveries about Alzheimer's pill.

Weekend selection

Check that NPR Watching, reading and listening this weekend:

🍿Movies: No gimmicks, just treats when it comes to the horror films coming out this year. In honor of the holiday, watch these movies from the supernatural to the all-too-real, many of which you can watch from the comfort of your own home.

📺TV: Talamasca: Secret Order The film centers on a secret society that researches and controls the supernatural elements of Anne Rice's fictional world.

📚Books: Crash continuation of the popular novel by Kathryn Newman. Sandwichvisiting her beloved Rocky and her family again. Life seems to be going as normal as possible until Rocky finds himself focused on a local train wreck. Here are some others new releases this week.

🎵Music: Are you really ready to celebrate Halloween without a great playlist? These songs are necessary for the spooky season, from truly terrifying to fall and nostalgic.

🥦 Food: Make your vegetables more delicious by trying recipes for these three flavorful sauces from Cooking Choices: Delicious, Rule-Breaking Recipes for a Tasty Life.

❓ Quiz: For me again the “not that bad” rating is 7/11. Do you think you can do better? Try it.

3 things you need to know before your trip

1. This year it is celebrated 75th anniversary of the Trick or Treat project for UNICEFan initiative where children collect coins to donate to an agency that supports children in need around the world. Since the start of the initiative, approximately $200 million has been raised.
2. This summer, an ancient comet called 3I/ATLAS entered our solar system, becoming only third interstellar object capable of doing this in recorded history. The opportunity for scientists to observe this rare phenomenon is very valuable.
3. A new look at the “Dueling Dinosaurs” fossil, which scientists previously thought was a Tyrannosaurus rex, reveals that it is in fact different types of tyrannosaurs: Nanotyranus lanceolata.

This newsletter has been edited Lunch Manuel.