As the Trump shutdown ends, cheers for air travel workers echo across Twitter

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Donald Trump’s record-setting partial shutdown of the U.S. government — which kept roughly 800,000 federal workers unpaid for more than a month — is finally over. Don’t forget to thank your flight attendants.

In the end, no one person or group is solely responsible for making Trump back off the U.S.-Mexico border wall demand that left portions of American society crippled for more than a month. But on the shutdown’s 35th day, hours before it finally ended, headlines were dominated by news of disrupted travel plans.

Air travel was one of the many categories of American life impacted by the shutdown. Air traffic controllers and flight attendants both are federal workers, and as safety professionals, their work is deemed essential — which means they were still putting in their usual hours, but they were doing it without pay. Read more…

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View More As the Trump shutdown ends, cheers for air travel workers echo across Twitter

How the government shutdown is affecting an FCC plan to expand broadband internet in low-income, rural communities

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The effects of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history are starting to be felt by an FCC program set up to support low-income Americans living in rural areas.

The FCC’s Connect America Fund (CAF) was established to bring broadband internet access to some of the country’s most rural areas. Internet service providers were awarded millions of dollars in subsidies during an auction as part of the program. These ISPs, which often serve smaller markets, are saying that the government shutdown has halted the FCC’s ability to distribute these funds. The FCC has been effectively closed because of the shutdown. Read more…

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Government shutdown delays flights on the East Coast

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Another day, another tangible impact of the government shutdown on the American people.

On Friday morning, the FAA began delaying flights into major East Coast airports — LaGuardia, Newark, Reagan (D.C.), and Philadelphia — due to air traffic control staff shortages in centers in Washington and Florida.

The ground delay program and ground stop for @LGAairport confirms that there are staffing issues at ZDC and ZJX (Jacksonville Center)pic.twitter.com/9Hdv4UcCg0

— NYCAviation (@NYCAviation) January 25, 2019

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‘The Daily Show’ nails what’s so absurd about Trump’s State of the Union comments

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We’re mired in the longest federal government shutdown in history, and President Donald Trump is feuding with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi over the State of the Union Speech. 

Fortunately, Trevor Noah has that knack for laying out the absurd in a way that makes us laugh despite the urge to cry. In the above clip, Noah walks us through Wednesday’s drama between Pelosi and Trump. There’s a lot to laugh at — from the Game of Thrones reference to the idea that Pelosi is the only one able to instill fear in Trump — but the best part is Noah’s analysis of how Trump’s comments sound like he made them using his  phone’s predictive text. Read more…

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View More ‘The Daily Show’ nails what’s so absurd about Trump’s State of the Union comments

A pot marketplace is offering federal employees free weed during the shutdown

Our political system may be crumbling, but at least federal workers who can’t pay for medical marijuana during the government shutdown can get it for free!
Called the “Craigslist of weed,” BudTrader is a massive pot-trading marketplace that allows us…

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Seth Meyers absolutely slams Trump’s rejected shutdown offer

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Feeling a little lost on where we’re at with the longest government shutdown in American history?

For “A Closer Look” on Monday, Late Night host Seth Meyers unpacked Donald Trump’s (undeniably breathy) speech about the shutdown, and his rejected deal to end it — and land that $5.7 billion for his border wall.

As Meyers points out, Trump’s deal which offered limited protections for young, undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers — more specifically, three-year extensions on DACA and TPS protections — was rejected by Democrats and hard-line conservatives alike. And as Meyers put it, the offer wasn’t the most solid proposal. Read more…

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View More Seth Meyers absolutely slams Trump’s rejected shutdown offer

GoFundMe launches official campaign for workers impacted by government shutdown

GoFundMe is partnering with Deepak Chopra to launch a different kind of campaigns. The company is going beyond its usual role as a platform and hosting its own campaign to provide relief for government workers impacted by the current government shutdown. The company is partnering with several nonprofit organizations that are providing support to government […]

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Stephen Colbert is selling mugs to help feed furloughed federal workers

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The government shutdown is still (still!) happening, so Stephen Colbert has joined the growing cohort of celebrities assisting furloughed federal employees. 

On Thursday’s episode of the Late Show, he announced he’d be selling mugs and donating all proceeds to World Central Kitchen. The operation is run by chef José Andrés and is currently operating an “emergency kitchen” in Washington, D.C. for government workers who aren’t getting paid — even though many of them have returned to work

Appropriately, the mugs read “Don’t even talk to me until I’ve had my paycheck.” They are available on the CBS online shop and cost $14.99 apiece. Read more…

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Someone turned Cardi B’s government shutdown rant into a song and it slaps

Honestly, blast this song until the government shutdown ends. 
Cardi B’s viral Instagram rant about the government shutdown is a song now, and it’s an absolute banger. 
In the original video, which was been retweeted by stans and lawmakers …

View More Someone turned Cardi B’s government shutdown rant into a song and it slaps