MORNING NEWS UPDATE: OCTOBER 28, 2025
- Federal Government Shutdown Impacts Deepen: The ongoing U.S. government shutdown, now in its third week, is disrupting daily life and federal services. Discussions highlight how it reveals power imbalances in Washington, with effects rippling through communities.
- SNAP Benefits Expiration Looms: Over 40 million Americans face the loss of federal food assistance as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are set to expire on Saturday due to the shutdown, exacerbating food insecurity nationwide.
- AI Scams Target Musicians on Streaming Platforms: Scammers are using AI music generators to upload fake songs to the profiles of inactive or deceased artists on Spotify, prompting the platform to intensify crackdowns amid rising digital fraud concerns.
Government Shutdown & SNAP Benefits: The ongoing U.S. federal government shutdown has entered its 28th day. The largest federal workers' union is calling on Congress to pass a "clean" spending bill.
Amid the shutdown, the Trump administration has posted a notice that no federal food aid (SNAP benefits) will be distributed on November 1st, leading to warnings of a growing hunger crisis. Trump's Foreign Engagements: President Trump is in Asia for a six-day trip.
He met with Japan's newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and praised the U.S. alliance with Japan. The trip includes a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in South Korea. Immigration Crackdown Impact: Reports highlight the impact of the administration's immigration crackdowns, including stories of children in Chicago caught in immigration raids.
An analysis also suggests the anti-immigration actions are disrupting the global remittance market, which could have severe macroeconomic effects on developing nations, particularly in Central America.
- Federal Layoffs Challenged in Court: A San Francisco federal judge is weighing an indefinite halt to thousands of Trump administration-announced layoffs of federal employees, stemming from the shutdown and broader workforce reductions.
- Trump's Push to Label Antifa as Terrorist Group: In a public roundtable, President Trump urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to designate Antifa a terrorist organization, reigniting debates over domestic extremism classifications.
- Medicare Skin Substitute Spending Surge: Medicare expenditures on costly skin substitutes for wound care are projected to rise by 50% by year's end, raising concerns about healthcare costs and policy reforms.
- Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Peace Talks Advance: Diplomats from both nations concluded a third day of negotiations aimed at curbing violence along their shared border, with hopes for a breakthrough in longstanding tensions.
- Russia Tests Burevestnik Nuclear Missile: Amid nuclear deterrence exercises, Russia successfully tested its Burevestnik missile, a nuclear-powered cruise weapon with unlimited range, drawing sharp criticism from President Trump who highlighted U.S. naval superiority nearby.
- France Prepares Troop Deployment to Ukraine: Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service reports France is readying up to 2,000 troops near the Ukrainian border for potential deployment, intensifying NATO-Russia frictions.
Hurricane Melissa: Hurricane Melissa has intensified to a Category 5 storm and is bearing down on Jamaica, threatening to be the strongest recorded storm to strike the island, with warnings of catastrophic winds and flooding .
Gaza Ceasefire and Aid: Humanitarian groups warn that the amount of aid Israel is allowing into the Gaza Strip continues to fall short of the promised amount under the ceasefire agreement.
Israeli forces have also killed three Palestinian fighters in the occupied West Bank near Jenin. Russia-Ukraine War: Russian attacks continue in Ukraine, with a strike on an energy facility near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant causing a three-hour power outage at the New Safe Confinement structure. Additionally, the former Russia-installed mayor of Nova Kakhovka was reportedly killed in a Ukrainian drone strike.
Sudan Conflict: The UN Human Rights Office has expressed alarm over reports of widespread atrocities by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following their advances in the city of El-Fasher in North Darfur.
- NCERT-IIT Madras MoU for Innovation: India's NCERT and IIT Madras signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost educational research, training, and technology integration, marking a key step toward curriculum modernization.
- NEET PG Counselling Schedule Released: The Medical Counselling Committee announced the 2025 schedule for NEET PG rounds 1-3, providing relief to medical aspirants amid exam delays.
- Shutdown Threatens School Mental Health Funding: The U.S. federal shutdown endangers grants for school counselors and psychologists, particularly in rural areas, following the Trump administration's opposition to diversity-focused allocations.
Columbia University Settlement: Columbia University has submitted an initial set of information to the U.S. federal government, meeting the October deadlines in its $221 million agreement with the Department of Education related to Title VI violations.
The submission involves providing detailed admissions data and creating training programs. AI and Higher Education: A new survey of young Americans by the Sine Institute at American University reveals that while young people still have faith in higher education for career success, they feel unprepared for the age of Artificial Intelligence. A majority believe colleges should invest in training instructors to teach AI.
- Global Growth Slowdown Forecast: The IMF's World Economic Outlook predicts a dip to 3.2% global growth in 2025 from 3.3% in 2024, with risks skewed downward due to policy shifts and fading temporary boosts like import stockpiling.
- India's Economy Accelerates to 6.7%: A Reuters poll forecasts India's GDP growth exceeding expectations at 6.7% this fiscal year, driven by resilient domestic demand despite global headwinds.
- U.S. Tariffs Delay Trade Impact: The WTO notes that anticipated U.S. tariffs' effects on global trade are postponed due to 2025 stockpiling, but a sharp goods trade slowdown is expected soon after.
US-China Trade: U.S. and China are working to finalize a potential trade deal ahead of the Trump-Xi summit in South Korea, involving agreements on rare earths, tariffs, and soybeans.
This prospect has boosted U.S. and global stock markets. Amazon Layoffs: Amazon announced it will cut about 14,000 corporate jobs, the latest in a string of cuts across major tech companies as spending on artificial intelligence accelerates.
Farm Data: The U.S. corn and soybean harvest is rolling into its final stages, though behind the year-earlier pace due to recent weather conditions.
The government shutdown has delayed the publication of weekly crop progress reports.
- Google Revives U.S. Nuclear Plant for AI: Google announced plans to restart an American nuclear power plant to fuel its expanding AI infrastructure, addressing surging energy demands from data centers.
- U.S. DOE Partners with AMD on $1B AI Initiative: The Department of Energy launched a $1 billion collaboration with AMD for supercomputing and AI advancements, aiming to bolster national tech competitiveness.
- UK's Channel 4 Debuts AI News Presenter: Britain's Channel 4 introduced "Arti," an AI-generated avatar for social media news readings, pioneering synthetic broadcasting in television.
AI Accelerates Corporate Cuts: The 14,000 corporate job cuts at Amazon are tied to the acceleration of spending on Artificial Intelligence, a trend also seen at Meta, Google, and Microsoft as major tech firms race to compete in the AI space.
AI in MSMEs: The APEC Leader's Representative for Taiwan, Lin Hsin-i, mentioned that the government is investing tens of billions of dollars each year to help Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) introduce AI into their operations.
- AI Chatbots and Suicidal Intent Surge: OpenAI reports over a million weekly interactions with ChatGPT showing suicidal intent, underscoring AI's role in amplifying mental health crises and the need for better safeguards.
- Dietary Guidelines Delayed by Shutdown: The Trump administration postponed new national dietary recommendations due to the government shutdown, stalling updates on nutrition advice amid ongoing disruptions.
- Planned Parenthood Resumes Abortions in Wisconsin: After a month-long pause due to federal Medicaid cuts, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin restarted abortion services following legal clarifications on funding eligibility.
CTE Research: A new study suggests distinct brain features in American football players that may indicate a higher risk of developing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated head hits.
Researchers found subtle differences in the brain's outer grooves (sulci). Total Hip Replacement Breakthrough: Zimmer Biomet announced that the FDA has granted Breakthrough Device Designation for the world's first iodine-treated total hip replacement system, designed to address challenges associated with joint replacement procedures for patients at a higher risk of infection.
- MLB World Series: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays Game 4: The Los Angeles Dodgers host the Toronto Blue Jays in a pivotal Game 4 at Dodger Stadium, with the series tied and playoffs intensifying.
- Paris Masters Tennis Day 2: The ATP Masters 1000 tournament at Paris La Défense Arena continues with top players competing, highlighting the European indoor hard-court swing.
- NBA: Thunder Undefeated After Mavs Win: The Oklahoma City Thunder improved to a perfect record by defeating the Dallas Mavericks, while the league addresses gambling probes involving players and coaches.
MLB World Series: The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in an 18-inning epic, with Freddie Freeman hitting a walk-off home run, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 series lead.
Cricketer Injury: Indian cricketer Shreyas Iyer has been admitted to the ICU in Sydney after sustaining a severe rib injury and internal bleeding, casting doubt on his participation in the upcoming Test series against Australia.
CTE Research (see Health): The study on football players' brain features and the risk of CTE is a major story impacting contact sports.
