| | | |  | | By Bethany Irvine | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Rachel Umansky-Castro
|  | THE CATCH-UP | | | 
Federal workers stand in line to pickup meals from the World Central Kitchen, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) | AP | RETURN TO OFFICE: The federal government is flickering back to life today after President Donald Trump signed funding legislation to end the longest shutdown in U.S. history late last night, but the fallout is still unfolding. Business as usual: Federal employees across multiple agencies were expected back in the office today, and National Economic Council Chair Kevin Hassett told reporters that he expects essential federal workers to receive back pay soon: “I think that the payments will come probably come in the next week,” Hassett said. “Maybe even before.” Semafor’s Shelby Talcott detailed the White House plan to get federal workers paid. But many federal employees are left wondering whether the crux of the shutdown standoff was worth their sacrifice, AP’s Fatima Hussein reports. “The federal workers who spoke to The Associated Press had one common message: that they were reeling but ready to get back to work.” What they’re saying:
- “Stress and hunger are great tactics for traumatizing people,” said Jessica Sweet, a union steward of AFGE Local 3343 in New York. “There are other federal workers who understood what we were holding the line for and are extremely unhappy that line was crossed and that trust was breached.”
- Adam Pelletier, a National Labor Relations Board field examiner said “the agreement that was reached almost feels like the Charlie Brown cartoon where Lucy holds the football and pulls it out from them.”
- “This has been the worst time in my 20 years to be a federal employee,” said Elizabeth McPeak, a furloughed IRS employee in Pittsburgh. “A month without pay,” she said, “is a long time to go.”
And the Democratic infighting over the deal is far from over. The party is continuing to place blame at the feet of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for failing to secure their demands on health care subsidies. In an interview with Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called for “more effective leadership” in the chamber, adding that the party as whole must come to terms with their losses. “That's a conversation that, yes, the leader of the caucus has to head up, but it's a conversation all of us have to have. We all have to hold each other accountable,” Murphy said. Speaking of accountability: Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) — one of the Democratic caucus members who struck a deal to end the shutdown — defended the decision in an op-ed for The Portland Press Herald. “This was already the longest shutdown in American history and there was no indication that prolonging it would move the Republicans off their position,” King wrote. He also argued it restored SNAP benefits at a higher level next year and restored federal workers’ jobs with pay. King also pushed back against those who feel the party abandoned a chance to stand up to Trump: “We do need to stand up to him, but a shutdown, with all the pain it is bringing to the very people we want to help, is just not the place to do it,” King said. “Will we be able to pass a bill next month extending the tax credits? It’s going to take some hard bargaining and is anything but a sure thing, but at least now there’s a chance where there was none before. And, in the meantime, the kids will be fed.” Survey says: A new Reuters/Ipsos poll could lift Democrats’ spirits however. Democrats indicated they are “more fired up than Republicans” about voting in the midterms off the heels of this month’s victories, Reuters’ Jason Lange reports. The poll found that 44 percent of Democrats said they were “very enthusiastic” about casting their ballot next year, compared with 26 percent of Republicans. Cost of living remains voters’ top concern, with 45 percent saying it is the most important factor for deciding whether to vote for a candidate. The impacts:
- SNAP back: For the “13 states that have issued no SNAP benefits this month, it could take between a week and 10 days after the shutdown ends for payments to be fully issued,” while states that opted for partial payouts could encounter additional snags in restoring critical food funds, The Hill’s Joseph Choi reports.
- Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department is planning to fire Food and Nutrition Service program specialist Ellen Mei for warning on MSNBC last month “that the shutdown could have negative impacts on the millions of Americans” relying on food benefits, WaPo’s Mariana Alfaro and Hannah Natanson report. “The agency accused Mei of discussing USDA programs and funding ‘without prior approval.’”
- Up in the air: Air travel is also taking time to ramp up operations again. The flight tracking website FlightAware reports that nearly 1,000 flights across the country have been canceled today and over 1,300 have faced delays as the airlines work to return back to normal operations. Still, it’s unclear if the flight disruptions were all connected to ongoing staffing issues, per NBC’s Rebecca Cohen and Jay Blackman.
Good Thursday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at birvine@politico.com.
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Lindsey Halligan, attorney for US President Donald Trump, during an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on March 31, 2025. | Al Drago/Bloomberg | 1. INVESTIGATION STATION: U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie “expressed deep skepticism” and said she would rule by Thanksgiving on whether interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, who was handpicked by Trump, was appointed illegitimately in order to bring indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York AG Letitia James — which could sink the cases altogether as a result, POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein report from Alexandria. All in the family: Maurene Comey, a former federal prosecutor and daughter of James Comey, in September “sued the Trump administration, accusing it of firing her without cause and asking to be reinstated. Two months later, the Justice Department, hobbled by scores of resignations and firings and strained by a crisis in morale, has not responded to the lawsuit,” NYT’s Jonah Bromwich and William Rashbaum report. “The department, according to three people with knowledge of the matter, has struggled to determine which of its offices and lawyers will handle Ms. Comey’s lawsuit, leading to the highly unusual lapse.” For those keeping track: U.S. District Judge Jamel Semper declined to toss two out of three federal assault charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) related to her May clash with law enforcement officials outside a New Jersey immigration detention facility, POLITICO’s Ry Rivard and Matt Friedman report. “Lawfully or unlawfully, Defendant actively engaged in conduct unrelated to her oversight responsibilities and congressional duties,” Semper said. “McIver is accused in a three-count indictment of slamming a federal agent with her forearm, ‘forcibly’ grabbing him and using her forearms to strike another agent,” Ry and Matt write. 2. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Opportunity cost: Global Strategy Group is out with some key recommendations on how Democrats can reach Black voters based on new polling data from Navigator Research tracking. Among them, the group says that Democrats “must center our message on the economy and cost of living” if the party wants to reach Black voters in 2026. The group notes that “Black swing voters are the voters most dissatisfied with their personal financial situations” and urges the party to include “an economic component in all our messaging to Black voters.” Read the full memo Watch this space: The upcoming special election to replace retired Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) has Democrats feeling optimistic that nominee Aftyn Behn is within “striking distance” of winning the reliably red district, POLITICO’s Andrew Howard reports. “Recent internal polling from Democrats has Behn within 8 to 10 points of her Republican opponent Matt Van Epps.” Though the seat is unlikely to be competitive next year, those involved on “both sides of the aisle say a confluence of factors — from lingering post-off year enthusiasm to the timing of the contest — make it worth watching.” Cook Political Report also shifted the district’s rating today from “Solid Republican” to “ Likely Republican.” A New York minute: Democratic City Councilman Erik Bottcher is jumping into the increasingly crowded primary race to replace outgoing Rep. Jerry Nadler, which Jack Schlossberg ignited with his entry this week, NYT’s Nicholas Fandos reports. In an interview, “Bottcher argued that his experiences as a gay man and L.G.B.T.Q. rights activist had made him prepared to face a fractious moment in American politics in ways his rivals were not.” Also rumored to be jumping in: Longtime Trump critic George Conway, per NYT’s Annie Karni. Joining up in Jersey: New Jersey Lt. Gov. and Secretary of State Tahesha Way is expected to join the race for Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill’s open House seat, The New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein reports. “Her unexpected entrance into the race for Congress puts her in the top tier of a field of Democrats that includes Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill and former Rep. Tom Malinowski. It also puts her on a possible collision course with Passaic County Commissioner John Bartlett, a fellow Passaic Democrat.” 3. FED UP: Trump’s ongoing feud with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and search for his successor has left the president facing a central question when it comes to a replacement: “Does he want to reduce the Fed’s influence over markets, or does he want to use that influence to further his desire for the lowest rates possible?” POLITICO’s Victoria Guida writes in her latest Capital Letter column. “Trump, famously, loves low rates. He has said repeatedly that he wants lower mortgage rates and to reduce the amount of interest that the federal government pays on its debt. And yet, momentum seems to be building toward curbing a Fed tool that is aimed at doing exactly that,” Victoria writes. The next Fed fight: “Regional Fed banks could be next front in Trump's pressure campaign,” by Reuters’ Howard Schneider and Ann Saphir
| | | | POLITICO Policy Outlook: Combating Financial Cybercrime: From identity theft to phishing scams, financial cybercrimes have skyrocketed in recent years. But catching perpetrators and preventing future scams remains a challenge. Join Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) and Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) for discussions on the latest strategies for confronting these crimes and empowering consumers. Register to attend or watch online. | | | | | 4. CARR TROUBLE: Seven former Federal Communications Commission officials are urging the agency to “repeal its policy prohibiting broadcasters from distorting the news” in a new letter arguing that Chair Brendan Carr is improperly invoking the policy to protect Trump, WaPo’s Scott Nover reports. “Wielding the news distortion policy, the FCC has already opened or threatened to open investigations against private broadcasters due to disagreements with editorial decisions or statements made in a comedic monologue,” the bipartisan group wrote. “Even if the FCC never tries to take enforcement action in these cases, the specter of government interference alone chills broadcasters’ speech and suppresses their message.” 5. BEHIND THE CUTS: “USDA searched for terms like ‘diversity,’ ‘climate modeling’ to target grants for cancellation,” by Reuters’ Leah Douglas: “Agency officials directed budget and finance officers to identify awards that used the terms ‘diversity,’ ‘equity,’ ‘inclusion,’ ‘DEI,’ ‘DEIA,’ ‘environmental justice,’ ‘underrepresented producers,’ ‘underserved communities,’ ‘socially disadvantaged producers’ and ‘socially vulnerable (and similar phrases),’ according to a February 6 memo. … Work funded by the canceled grants included technical support for farmers using climate-friendly practices like planting cover crops, local food purchases for schools and improving nutrition for people receiving federal food aid.” 6. ON THE HOMEFRONT: WaPo’s Jonathan O'Connell is out with a deep dive on how D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has worked to appease Trump in the past year in order to fend off a complete federal takeover of the city. Behind closed doors, Bowser “assured Trump in an Oval Office meeting that she would publicly emphasize the benefits of his federal intervention,” and “worked to beautify city property that had drawn his attention.” Meanwhile, “she has angered liberal constituents, and the limits of her strategy have come into focus since the emergency order expired in September.” 7. FOR YOUR RADAR: “U.S. visas can be denied for obesity, cancer and diabetes, Rubio says,” per WaPo’s Lauren Kaori Gurley and Hannah Natanson: “Secretary of State Marco Rubio told U.S. consulates and embassies around the world about the changes in a Nov. 6 cable … The move broadens current medical screening beyond contagious diseases and gives visa officers new justification to reject applicants.”
| | | | Global Security is POLITICO’s new weekly briefing on the policies and industrial forces reshaping transatlantic defense. From Washington to Brussels and beyond, we track how decisions ripple across borders — redefining the future of security and industry. Sign up for the free preview edition. | | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | Liz Cheney and George W. Bush are set to memorialize the late VP Dick Cheney in a funeral service at Washington National Cathedral on Nov. 20. John Fetterman was hospitalized following a fall this morning but is now recovering and “doing well,” according to his office. “If you thought my face looked bad before, wait until you see it now!” Fetterman said in the statement. WHO’S COMING TO DINNER — Invitations have started going out to members of Congress, administration officials and business leaders for a Nov. 18 dinner Donald Trump is throwing for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, per Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman. The event is not an official state dinner “because he’s not officially the head of state. But a formal dinner with a lot of pomp.” DONOR DIGEST — The White House released a list of 37 donors funding Trump’s $300 million ballroom “including crypto billionaires, charitable organizations, sports team owners, powerful financiers, tech and tobacco giants, media companies” and others, per AP’s Will Weissert, but the list was incomplete. “Among others, the list doesn’t include Carrier Group, which offered to donate an HVAC system for the ballroom, and artificial intelligence chipmaker Nvidia, whose CEO, Jensen Huang, publicly discussed its donation. The White House hasn’t said how much each donor is giving, and almost none was willing to divulge that.” SOCCER DIPLOMACY — FIFA will take over the Kennedy Center later this month for the 2026 World Cup draw and pay zero rental fees, according to a copy of the venue use agreement and other documents, WaPo’s Janay Kingsberry and Rick Maese report. The center’s “arrangement with soccer’s international governing body will disrupt its performance schedule, forcing the relocation or postponement of several concerts.” WEATHER REPORT — Bundle up, folks. Washington can expect a chillier than normal winter this year with slightly lower snowfall than in 2024, according to WaPo’s Capital Weather Gang. “Our forecast calls for 8 to 14 inches of snow in the D.C. area, and up to a foot and a half in colder spots north and west of the city. That’s a touch below normal, but still more than what’s fallen in six of the past 10 winters.” Though subject to change, some models “suggest a dramatic breakdown of the polar vortex after Thanksgiving, which could usher in a cold December with a few snow chances.” TRANSITIONS — Jon Levin is now senior comms advisers for the New Hampshire Democratic Party. He previously worked for Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.). … Jessica Gail is now senior media lead at Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications. She previously worked at the American Trucking Association. BIRTHWEEK (was Tuesday): Nate Guajardo of Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s (D-Conn.) office … Patrick J. Devlin Jr. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn’t happen without our deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
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