US government shutdown nearing record for longest in history as Trump delays food benefits to millions – US politics live

<p>Republicans claim US president ‘desperate’ to end shutdown, which has now entered 33rd day</p><p>The US energy secretary, <strong>Chris Wright</strong>, has said the weapons testing that Donald Trump ordered last week will not include nuclear explosions.</p><p>“I think the tests we’re talking about right now are system tests. These are not nuclear explosions. These are what we call noncritical explosions,” Wright told Fox News yesterday.</p><p><em>The</em> <em>United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has said insufficient funds exist to pay full benefits, as issuing food stamps costs the public purse between $8.5bn and $9bn every month.</em></p><p><em>The Trump administration contends the agency lacks authority to pay them until Congress passes a spending bill that will ending the enduring government shutdown, which began on 1 October.</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/nov/03/us-government-shutdown-donald-trump-latest-politics-news">Continue reading...</a>