More than a million federal workers are missing paychecks as the government shutdown stretches into its third week. Find out which workers are still being paid, who’s stuck in limbo — and who faces the possibility of losing compensation altogether.
Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.
1️⃣ Ukraine
Russia launched an air attack on Ukraine today, killing at least six people and causing power outages across much of the country. Explosions jolted the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and damaged residential areas. Russia is once again targeting energy facilities to wipe out heat and water for Ukrainians as they head into winter. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Moscow has also become less interested in diplomacy now that the US has refused to provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. Zelensky argues that Ukraine’s ability to strike deep in Russian territory might be the key to forcing President Vladimir Putin to consider a peace deal. President Donald Trump had said he would meet with Putin in the coming weeks, but announced Tuesday that the meeting is off because it could be a “waste of time.”
2️⃣ Hostage release
Israel has identified the bodies of two more hostages handed over by Hamas as a US delegation works to reinforce the fragile ceasefire in the Middle East. Among the remains returned to Israel on Tuesday was the body of 85-year-old Arye Zalmanovich, the oldest hostage taken by Hamas following its attacks on October 7, 2023. Also on Tuesday, US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met several recently freed hostages in Tel Aviv. Vice President JD Vance is in Israel as well, partly to help ensure that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains committed to the ceasefire.
3️⃣ Trump compensation
President Trump said Tuesday that he “could be” seeking $230 million from his own Justice Department as compensation for past investigations into him. “All I know is that they would owe me a lot of money. But I’m not looking for money,” Trump said in the Oval Office, adding that he’d give away the money to charity or use it to renovate the White House. Though many of the details remain unclear, Trump acknowledged the unprecedented nature of the situation in which he would be potentially “paying himself” damages to resolve claims that the Justice Department under his predecessor had wronged him. “It’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m paying myself,” Trump said. A settlement to Trump would come from taxpayer funds.
4️⃣ Tropical storm Melissa
Tropical Storm Melissa could strengthen into a hurricane by the weekend and potentially slam the northern Caribbean with heavy rain and strong winds. Meteorologists have warned of the potential for significant flooding and dangerous mudslides across parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. A hurricane watch has been issued for parts of Haiti, while Jamaica is under a tropical storm watch. It’s currently unlikely that Melissa will directly impact the US mainland, although details are still coming into focus. Puerto Rico, however, is much more likely to experience storm effects in the coming days.
5️⃣ Car payments
A growing number of lower-income Americans are falling behind on their car payments, new data shows. The percentage of subprime borrowers — those with credit scores below 670 — who are at least 60 days late on their car loans has doubled since 2021 to 6.43%, according to Fitch Ratings. America’s current subprime delinquency rate is at the second-highest level since the early 1990s. While prime borrowers are mostly staying current on their car payments, vehicles are also being repossessed at the highest rate since the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009. Since car loans are usually the last payments Americans skip, economists worry this trend signals deeper trouble if the labor market grows considerably weaker and layoffs increase.
Breakfast browse
CVS pharmacy outage
Some customers were unable to fill or pick up their prescriptions at CVS locations on Tuesday because of technical issues.
Gold prices plunge
The precious metal’s spectacular rally came to a halt on Tuesday, when prices tumbled more than 5%. It was the largest sell-off in over a decade.
Iceland was one of the few mosquito-free nations. That just changed
Mosquitoes have made an unwelcome icelanding … This marks the country’s first confirmed finding of the insects in the wild.
World’s most polluted city
Around 20 million people in New Delhi woke up today breathing the most polluted air of any major city in the world, a day after celebrations for the Diwali festival.
A harrowing story of abuse
An explosive posthumous memoir from Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre reveals new details about Epstein’s inner circle..
Number of the day
140
That’s how many people were aboard a United Airlines flight last week when a mysterious object cracked a cockpit window mid-flight, forcing an emergency landing. An investigation is underway, but the object is believed to be a weather balloon operated by a private company to collect atmospheric data.
Weather
🌤️ Check your local forecast to see what you can expect.
And finally…
▶️ ‘The worst sleep of my life’: CNN reporter stays at infamous Clown Motel
At this Nevada motel, your check-in comes with creeping paranoia. See the video here — but don’t blame me if you get spooked!
Today’s edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN’s Andrew Torgan.
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