(Newsweek) Republican U.S. Representative Clay Higgins of Louisiana is facing backlash online after saying that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients who don't have one month of groceries stockpiled should never receive the benefit again and added, "because wow, stop smoking crack." Newsweek reached out to Higgins' office via phone Thursday night for comment after hours and left a message.

(Alternet) Vice President JD Vance was asked about the 42 million people who are expected to lose their SNAP benefits this weekend, and why the administration has found ways to pay troops and federal law enforcement but not low-income Americans who rely on the government to help them pay for food. ... “The unfortunate reality, and we’re starting to see this with our aviation industry, we’re gonna find out the hard way with SNAP benefits,” Vance said. “The American people are already suffering, and the suffering is gonna get a lot worse,” he declared.

(CNN) DANA BASH: "It's not just Democrats -- you also have one of the most conservative Republican Senators, Josh Hawley, who says at least, please, move money around to feed people. Why not consider that?" MIKE JOHNSON: "Because if you deviate from the goal of reopening the entire government, Chuck Schumer and the radicals over there will continue to play games with people's paychecks, their livelihoods, and if you do just part of this, it will reduce the pressure for them to do all of it."

(Politico) In Wisconsin, Democrats are launching nearly 400 canvassing events this weekend focused on health care. A major liberal advocacy group, Protect Our Care, will push a six-figure digital campaign. Top Democratic governors, including Kentucky’s Andy Beshear and Laura Kelly of Kansas, are holding press calls to “to slam D.C. Republicans for causing Americans’ health care premiums to skyrocket.” In the coming days, Democrats will launch ad buys, hold town halls and convene media appearances to highlight the Nov. 1 date when Americans must choose to purchase insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace with higher premiums or forgo it altogether, an attempt to ensure Republicans shoulder the blame for rising health care costs.

(Newsweek) Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna has called on Speaker Mike Johnson to reopen the House of Representatives to vote on a bill aimed at funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as millions of Americans face potential interruptions in benefits amid the ongoing government shutdown. The legislation, introduced by Republican Senator Josh Hawley, has gained traction in the chamber, with the number of cosponsors increasing from 11 to 29. The Keep SNAP Funded Act would allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue issuing SNAP payments even while Congress has not passed a new budget or temporary funding resolution.

(Salon) Trump has no plans to help anyone but himself. On Saturday, the first time in history, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin withholding payments under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), blaming the ongoing government shutdown. Some 42 million Americans — roughly 12% of the population — could go hungry. As a result, 25 states and the District of Columbia have filed suit, accusing the Trump administration of acting unlawfully in withholding food benefits. The White House has responded by saying that it can’t legally help hungry people. But it can certainly get private donations to build a $300 million ballroom.

(Bloomberg) Federal prosecutors expanded their probe into Jeffrey Epstein’s sex crimes in 2007 to include potential charges of money laundering, an effort that included an outreach to one of his most important clients, according to documents and emails from Epstein’s personal Yahoo account. The lead prosecutor requested that a grand jury issue subpoenas for “every financial transaction conducted by Epstein and his six businesses” dating to 2003, the emails show. Prosecutors also subpoenaed major banks for records about Epstein’s accounts and financial activity, according to two people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified to discuss a sensitive investigation.

(The Independent) Several companies involved in President Donald Trump’s controversial remodeling of the White House’s East Wing appear to have taken their websites offline amid heavy criticism of the project. Some pages claim their sites are “undergoing maintenance” or are – fittingly – under construction, while others have tampered down their social and online presence. Construction on the president’s $300 million ballroom started last week, with workers demolishing the East Wing of the historic building, which has previously housed the office of the first lady.

(Washington Post) After President Donald Trump took over the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in February, he and the executive he put in charge repeatedly accused the institution’s former leadership of not doing the very thing they are responsible for: selling tickets. Nearly nine months after Trump became chair of the center and more than a month into its main season, ticket sales for the Kennedy Center’s three largest performance venues are the worst they’ve been in years, according to a Washington Post analysis of ticketing data from dozens of recent shows as well as past seasons. Tens of thousands of seats have been left empty.

(CNN) The FBI has fired a special agent who previously helped oversee public corruption cases, including an investigation that became part of former special counsel Jack Smith’s probe into President Donald Trump, according to two sources familiar with the matter — another apparent casualty of the Trump administration’s retribution push. Aaron Tapp, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office, was previously the deputy assistant director of the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI headquarters.