The Bite Back: Stories behind the soundbites: November 12, 2025

From the 43-day U.S. government shutdown to global unrest in Gaza, Ukraine, and beyond, this week’s headlines reveal a world where power is traded for optics and leadership for leverage.

Do you get your news from social media and want to stay informed, but without all the doomscrolling? Do you want to hear from all sides, but there isn’t one place that gives you everything you need?

Welcome to the Stories Behind the Soundbites: a series dedicated to unpacking the big picture trends shaping each week’s headlines from multiple perspectives. Each blog breaks down the headlines dominating your feeds, how they’re being spun from different sides, and what they really say about the world we’re building.

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Politics: Shutdown may be over, but America’s divide widens

After over 40 days of paralysis, Congress has finally voted to reopen the government, but the damage to public trust and essential services runs deep. The Senate passed a deal 60–40 to fund the government through January 2026, ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history and unlocking overdue SNAP payments for 42 million Americans. While those benefits will be issued retroactively, many families are still waiting. Some states have processed partial allocations under emergency court orders, while others have distributed nothing yet. The Supreme Court extended an order blocking full SNAP disbursements through Thursday night, leaving millions uncertain about when their grocery aid will actually arrive. Even after the funding deal, officials warn it could take weeks for federal and state agencies to return to normal operations, and longer still to restore confidence that safety-net programs are stable.

The shutdown’s ripple effects have also reached the skies. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that the FAA is slashing flight operations at 40 major U.S. airports as it recovers from weeks of disruption. As of Tuesday morning, over 1,100 flights were canceled and 600 delayed nationwide. The FAA began cutting flights by 4% last Friday, expecting reductions to climb to 10% if staffing and scheduling challenges persist. The agency plans to reassess later this week as air traffic controllers and safety inspectors return to work, but uncertainty looms. The mass cancellations have left travelers stranded and airlines scrambling to cover shortages, providing a visible reminder that shutdowns don’t end neatly once funding resumes. And in a move emblematic of Washington’s shifting priorities, the funding bill also preserves $200 million in private donations earmarked for the construction of a new White House ballroom.

Republicans also successfully blocked efforts to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies unless abortion restrictions were added, a demand Democrats condemned. Majority Leader John Thune inserted a last-minute provision allowing senators to sue the federal government for $500,000 if their phone records are seized, an act Democrats say undermines transparency and accountability.

Beyond Washington, the political landscape continues to shift. A Utah judge struck down the GOP’s gerrymandered map, giving Democrats their first safe congressional seat in the state in years. Anti-abortion groups announced an $80 million plan to influence the 2026 midterms, and JFK’s grandson Jack Schlossberg entered the race for New York’s 12th District. Newly released Epstein-Maxwell emails alleging Trump’s knowledge of Epstein’s conduct have reignited congressional scrutiny and public outrage.

The takeaway: The mechanics of democracy break down under partisan strain.

The shutdown’s end offers relief, not resolution. Federal workers will finally be paid, flights will slowly resume, and food aid will begin to flow again…but the underlying instability remains. The crisis exposed just how brittle the machinery of American governance has become, where essential programs and public safety can be held hostage to partisan brinkmanship. SNAP recipients, air travelers, and federal employees alike now face the same uneasy question: if one standoff can paralyze the system like this, what’s to stop it from happening again?

What was once a budget impasse has evolved into a reflection of how power, ideology, and personal grievance have replaced compromise as Washington’s currency. The shutdown showed that the real cost of political theater isn’t just delayed paychecks or canceled flights; it’s the erosion of trust in institutions meant to serve the people. Even as government doors reopen, the uncertainty lingers: whether it’s food on the table, healthcare access, or confidence in leadership, Americans are realizing that an ‘open’ government no longer means stable, accountable, or united.

Read the full blog on the Bite Back Substack.