The Senate voted to condemn President Donald Trump's global tariff strategy, with four Republicans joining Democrats in the latest bipartisan rebuke of the administration's trade agenda. The decision comes as the White House prepares a $12 billion aid package for farmers affected by tariffs, while bipartisan talks continue on ending the monthlong government shutdown.

Chief US District Judge Jack McConnell held that the Trump administration cannot stop funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program amid the government shutdown, ruling that contingency funds must be used to continue providing SNAP benefits. Meanwhile, US District Judge Indira Talwani set a Monday deadline for the administration to specify "whether they will authorize at least reduced SNAP benefits for November" through the contingency funds or use additional funds to provide full benefits.

A notice in the Federal Register says the US will limit its admissions of refugees to 7,500 in the current fiscal year, which began Oct. 1 -- a sharp drop from 125,000 in the prior fiscal year. Refugee admissions will be focused largely on Afrikaners, a South African ethnic group comprising descendants of Dutch and French colonial settlers.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the temporary assignment of 48 military lawyers and four paralegals to the Justice Department to act as special assistant US attorneys in Memphis, Tenn., and near the US-Mexico border. The move comes as the Trump administration is extending the deployment of more than 2,000 National Guard troops in the District of Columbia through at least February. Meanwhile, each state's National Guard has been ordered to establish a "quick reaction force" to respond to riots and civil disturbances.

Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman reportedly plans to shrink the agency's supervision and regulation division by about 30%, reducing headcount to roughly 350 employees by 2026. The restructuring, driven by attrition and voluntary exits, would align with broader Trump administration efforts to scale back financial regulation and streamline oversight to focus on material banking risks.

Travis Hill, who has been acting chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for nine months, appeared before the Senate banking committee for a confirmation hearing on his nomination to serve permanently as FDIC chair. Hill has broad support within the banking sector due to his history of easing regulatory requirements for smaller banks. "Reforming the [FDIC's] culture continues to be a top priority. There are a lot of things that we have been doing throughout the year 2025. I think the linchpin of our efforts is accountability," Hill said.

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US District Judge Indira Talwani declined to grant a temporary restraining order against the Justice Department's plan to fire all but one remaining employee at its Community Relations Service, which was established in the 1960s to address racial and ethnic tensions. However, Talwani said the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits in arguing that the firings are part of an unlawful effort to eliminate the Community Relations Service, which is referred to as "America's peacemaker."

Fannie Mae has laid off more than 60 employees in several departments, including IT as well as Diversity, Equity and Inclus