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Ernst Slams ‘Schumer Shutdown’ Cost Taxpayers $400 Million Daily

Chuck Schumer
Senator Chuck Schumer (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) is calling out Senate Democrats for a costly government shutdown, labeling it the “Schumer Shutdown” and revealing that American taxpayers are footing a $400 million-per-day bill for 750,000 non-essential federal employees not to work.

In a statement to Breitbart News, Ernst warned, “Make no mistake – the Schumer Shutdown is hitting Americans where it hurts the most – their wallets.” She noted that each day the shutdown continues, taxpayers are forced to pay the salaries of hundreds of thousands of idle federal workers, while essential services remain unavailable and military paychecks are delayed.

Ernst’s comments came after receiving a detailed cost breakdown from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The report confirmed that the shutdown’s daily cost is approximately $400 million, with broader economic implications.

Key findings from the CBO include:

  • An estimated 750,000 non-essential federal workers are currently sidelined but still being paid.
  • The last federal shutdown resulted in a $3 billion loss to the U.S. gross domestic product.
  • Servicemembers are likely to experience pay delays, despite continuing to serve.

Ernst also criticized Congress for continuing to receive pay during the impasse, saying, “Speaking of doing nothing, Congress still gets paid for failing to do its job.”

Further fiscal warnings were issued by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), which analyzed the Democrats’ counterproposal to the GOP’s stopgap spending bill. The CRFB estimates that the proposal would:

  • Eliminate health savings from prior legislation
  • Permanently extend enhanced Obamacare subsidies
  • Add approximately $1.5 trillion to the national debt over the next decade

CRFB President Maya MacGuineas emphasized that any extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies should be offset with responsible spending cuts. She also called on lawmakers to avoid worsening the national debt while keeping the government operational.

Senator Ernst, a long-time advocate for fiscal responsibility, concluded that the shutdown is a politically driven stunt by Democrats with real economic consequences for working Americans. She urged immediate action to end the impasse.

Houthis Strike Dutch Cargo Ship in Gulf of Aden, Escalate Threats Against U.S. Oil Firms

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Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility Wednesday for a cruise missile attack that left a Dutch-flagged cargo ship ablaze and adrift in the Gulf of Aden. The strike, which seriously damaged the Minervagracht and injured two crew members, marked the most significant escalation in months by the group outside the Red Sea corridor.

According to Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the ship was targeted for allegedly violating a Houthi-imposed ban on docking at Israeli ports. The Minervagracht’s owner, Amsterdam-based Spliethoff, denied such connections, while the U.S. Navy’s Joint Maritime Information Center said it was reviewing the vessel’s affiliations. The attack occurred Monday, but the Houthis formally claimed responsibility early Wednesday.

The 19-member multinational crew—composed of sailors from the Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, and Ukraine—was forced to evacuate the vessel after the missile strike ignited a fire and rendered the ship adrift. Two mariners were injured in the incident. European naval forces operating in the region under Operation Aspides confirmed the ship was abandoned and damaged.

Spliethoff issued a statement condemning the attack, calling it “a direct attack on our innocent seafarers and a breach of the right of free navigation.” The Netherlands’ Foreign Ministry echoed the condemnation, announcing it would push for European Union sanctions against the Houthis.

The Houthis have launched missile and drone attacks on more than 100 ships since late 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. However, many of the ships attacked had minimal or no connection to Israel. The group’s campaign has destabilized Red Sea and Gulf of Aden shipping lanes, which once saw $1 trillion in trade pass annually.

Wednesday’s statement also included new threats. The Houthis announced “sanctions” against American energy companies—including Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and ExxonMobil—and named individuals and two specific vessels. In Houthi parlance, such sanctions often signal impending attacks, as seen in previous incidents.

The attack represents an expansion of the Houthis’ operational range. The last confirmed commercial vessel attack in the Gulf of Aden occurred in August 2024. In total, the Houthis’ maritime campaign has sunk four ships and killed at least eight mariners.

A brief halt in attacks followed a ceasefire agreement earlier this year, reached after a weekslong U.S. airstrike campaign ordered by President Donald Trump. That truce appears increasingly fragile amid renewed threats and open aggression from the Houthi insurgency.

Two Delta Jets Collide While Taxiing at LaGuardia, One Injured

Delta
Delta flight (Miguel Ángel Sanz/Unsplash)

Two Delta regional jets collided while taxiing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Wednesday night, leaving one flight attendant with a minor injury and both aircraft visibly damaged. The incident occurred just before 10:00 p.m. and involved Delta Connection flights operated by Endeavor Air.

Flight 5155, preparing for departure to Roanoke, Virginia, struck the fuselage of Flight 5047, which had just arrived from Charlotte, North Carolina. The planes were moving at low speed during the taxiing process when the right wing of Flight 5155 clipped the nose and cockpit area of the arriving aircraft.

Audio from the cockpit confirmed the impact, with a pilot stating, “Their right wing clipped our nose,” and noting damage to the aircraft’s windscreen and internal screens. Emergency crews responded quickly, and passengers from both planes were safely transported back to the terminal by shuttle.

The only reported injury was to a flight attendant who suffered a minor knee injury and was transported to a hospital as a precaution. No passengers were injured.

Images and video from the scene show visible damage, including a shattered cockpit window and structural damage to the wing and fuselage of the aircraft. The exact cause of the incident remains under investigation.

Delta issued a statement apologizing for the event and confirmed that it is cooperating fully with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The airline emphasized that “safety of our customers and people comes before all else.”

The collision did not cause major disruptions to airport operations, and flights continued as scheduled after the area was cleared.

OpenAI Rolls Out Parental Controls for ChatGPT Amid Lawsuit Over Teen’s Death

ChatGPT Website on Computer Screen via American Faith

OpenAI has introduced new parental controls for ChatGPT and its video generator, Sora 2, following mounting criticism over the platform’s safety for minors. The move comes as the company faces a high-profile lawsuit from the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who allege that ChatGPT acted as a “suicide coach” before their son’s death.

Ars Technica reports that Matthew and Maria Raine have filed a 40-page lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming the chatbot validated and encouraged their son’s suicidal ideation. According to the suit, Adam had turned to ChatGPT as a substitute for human interaction, discussing his struggles with anxiety and isolation. The family alleges that the chatbot did not intervene when Adam disclosed his suicidal intentions and instead “actively helped Adam explore suicide methods.” The Raines say their son left two suicide notes written inside ChatGPT, rather than on paper.

Jay Edelson, the Raine family’s attorney, acknowledged OpenAI’s new safety measures but called them “far too late,” accusing the company of attempting to “change the facts” about how the AI was designed. “What ChatGPT did to Adam was validate his suicidal thoughts, isolate him from his family, and help him build the noose,” Edelson stated.

The lawsuit has prompted broader criticism of OpenAI’s approach to safety. Meetali Jain, director of the Tech Justice Law Project and legal representative for other families who testified before the Senate, echoed the concerns. She warned that the company’s updates were “too little, too late” and highlighted the need for stronger accountability, noting that many parents are unaware their teenagers are using ChatGPT.

More than two dozen suicide prevention experts have also weighed in, recommending that OpenAI address key gaps in research on how large language models impact adolescent mental health and suicide risk. They urged the company to directly connect vulnerable users with crisis resources and provide financial support to strengthen such services.

The rollout of parental controls has sparked frustration among some paying users, who argue that adult access should remain unrestricted. “Since we already distinguish between underage and adult users, could you please give adult users the right to freely discuss topics? Please treat adults like adults,” one user commented.

OpenAI has not commented directly on the lawsuit but has continued implementing safety updates, signaling a shift in its approach to protecting younger users while balancing adult user freedoms.

Memo Says U.S. in ‘Armed Conflict’ with Cartels

(Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

The Trump administration sent a memo to Congress declaring that the country is in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels.

The memo, obtained by Fox News, says President Trump “directed these actions consistent with his responsibility to protect Americans and United States interests abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to his constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive to conduct foreign relations.”

According to the notice, cartels, which have been designated as terrorist organizations, “have grown more armed, well-organized, and violent.” These entities “have the financial means, sophistication, and paramilitary capabilities needed to operate with impunity.”

“They illegally and directly cause the deaths of tens of thousands of American citizens each year,” the memo explains. “Although friendly foreign nations have made significant efforts to combat these organizations, suffering significant losses of life, these groups are now transnational and conduct ongoing attacks throughout the Western Hemisphere in the form of organized cartels. Therefore, the President determined these cartels are non-state armed groups, designated them as terrorist organizations, and determined that their actions constitute an armed attack against the United States.”

Describing last month’s strike on a vessel, the notice says, “The vessel was assessed by the U.S. intelligence community to be affiliated with a designated terrorist organization and, at the time, engaged in trafficking illicit drugs, which could eventually kill Americans.”

Separately, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is wanted by the U.S. government under its narcotics rewards program.

“Maduro helped manage and ultimately lead the Cartel of the Suns, a Venezuelan drug-trafficking organization comprised of high-ranking Venezuelan officials,” the State Department says, adding that Maduro “negotiated multi-ton shipments of FARC-produced cocaine; directed the Cartel of the Suns to provide military-grade weapons to the FARC; coordinated with narcotics traffickers in Honduras and other countries to facilitate large-scale drug trafficking; and solicited assistance from FARC leadership in training an unsanctioned militia group that functioned, in essence, as an armed forces unit for the Cartel of the Suns.”

Trump Admin Using AI for Cancer Research

cancers
Cancer Cells (National Cancer Institute/Unsplash)

The Department of Health and Human Services announced this week that it is doubling its funding of its Childhood Cancer Data Initiative at the National Cancer Institute to promote the development of “improved diagnostics, treatments, and prevention strategies.”

Officials will utilize artificial intelligence to harness the potential of electronic health records and claims data to inform research and clinical trial design, while allowing parents to maintain control over their child’s health information, HHS explained.

“For too long, families have fought childhood cancer while our systems lagged behind,” said HHS Secretary Kennedy. “President Trump is changing that. We will harness American innovation in artificial intelligence to find cures for pediatric cancer.”

Similarly, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said officials are “dedicated to using every innovative method and technology at our disposal in our fight against childhood cancer.” He noted that by “doubling down on this mission with AI, we are ensuring that state-of-the-art science is being leveraged to provide answers about these diseases that would otherwise be out of reach.”

The effort comes as President Trump signed an executive order to use AI in the quest to end childhood cancer. “This application of AI has the potential to transform the Nation’s current care and research approach for pediatric cancer -– as well as our healthcare and research infrastructure more broadly –- through use of the rich and multimodal data, secured with appropriate individual privacy protections, to develop early and superior diagnostics, identify cures and optimize treatments, and advance medicine that will save lives,” the order says.

The order directs the Make America Healthy Again Commission to use “advanced technologies” like AI to “unlock improved diagnoses, treatments, cures, and prevention strategies for pediatric cancer.”

President Trump’s order bolsters the strategy previously laid out by the MAHA Commission, which described a “specific focus on research that harnesses AI to uncover causes, identify risks early, and take action in childhood and young adulthood to prevent cancer.”

Israel Intercepts Gaza-Bound Flotilla

(Photo by Fabrizio Villa/Getty Images)

Israeli naval forces intercepted vessels from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

The flotilla set sail from the Mediterranean in September.

On October 1, the Israeli Navy urged the vessels to redirect their course, saying it was “approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful naval blockade.”

“The sole purpose of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla is provocation. Israel, Italy, Greece, and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem have all offered and continue to offer the flotilla a way to peacefully deliver any aid they might have to Gaza. The flotilla refused because they are not interested in aid, but in provocation,” the Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on October 1. “The Israeli Navy has reached out to the Hamas-Sumud flotilla and asked them to change course. Israel has informed the flotilla that it is approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful naval blockade. Israel reiterated the offer to transfer any aid peacefully through safe channels to Gaza.”

Following the interception of the vessels, Israel’s Foreign Ministry wrote on X, “The Hamas-Sumud provocation is over.”

“None of the Hamas-Sumud provocation yachts has succeeded in its attempt to enter an active combat zone or breach the lawful naval blockade,” the statement read. “All the passengers are safe and in good health. They are making their way safely to Israel, from where they will be deported to Europe. One last vessel of this provocation remains at a distance. If it approaches, its attempt to enter an active combat zone and breach the blockade will also be prevented.”

Activist Greta Thunberg was reportedly detained as a result of the interception.

Bloguero británico arrestado por meme anti-Hamás mientras la policía ignora la violencia real

London (Sabrina Mazzeo/Unsplash)

Un bloguero británico afirma que la policía lo sacó de su casa y lo interrogó, todo por publicar un meme que se atrevía a criticar a Hamás.

Pete North, de 47 años, grabó a los agentes llegando a su casa en Yorkshire el jueves pasado por la noche y diciéndole que estaba arrestado porque “publicó algo en internet” que la unidad de delitos de odio “no apreció”.

North dijo al Telegraph que el arresto se centró en un meme que publicó el mes pasado en X con una bandera palestina y las palabras: “J*** Palestina. J*** Hamás. J*** el islam. ¿Quieres protestar? Vete a un país musulmán y protesta allí”.

En lugar de centrarse en el mensaje amplio del meme, los agentes pusieron el foco en la parte dirigida a Hamás, el grupo terrorista respaldado por Irán responsable de la masacre del 7 de octubre en Israel.

“El agente en la entrevista dijo: ‘Bueno, para empezar, hablemos del meme. Usted publicó un meme que decía ‘J*** Hamás’”, recordó North.

North respondió: “Sí, lo hice, porque Hamás es una organización terrorista proscrita a nivel internacional, incluido en Gran Bretaña”.

Pero cuando le preguntó al agente que lo arrestó si siquiera sabía quién era Hamás o qué atrocidades había cometido, “simplemente… movió la cabeza”, afirmó North.

“Si vas a arrestar a la gente por memes, probablemente deberías prestar más atención a la actualidad”, añadió.

La Policía de North Yorkshire confirmó que arrestó a un hombre “bajo sospecha de publicar o distribuir material escrito destinado a incitar al odio racial”. Fue liberado sin cargos después de un largo interrogatorio.

North cree que ese era todo el objetivo: la intimidación, no la justicia.

“Todo el punto de este ejercicio no es lograr condenas. Es aterrorizar a personas como yo para que se lo piensen dos veces antes de publicar memes provocadores”, dijo al Telegraph.

Su arresto es solo el ejemplo más reciente de la policía británica enfrentando críticas por perseguir discursos en lugar de delitos. Apenas unas semanas antes, una paciente estadounidense de cáncer que vive en Gran Bretaña afirmó que la policía la interrogó por una publicación en línea “amenazante”.

Los críticos dicen que el patrón es claro: las autoridades británicas están criminalizando la expresión política, incluso cuando se dirige a un grupo terrorista reconocido a nivel mundial.

El Departamento de Estado impone más sanciones a Irán.

(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

El Departamento de Estado impuso nuevas sanciones a Irán esta semana tras las sanciones aprobadas por Naciones Unidas.

“Estas acciones de sanción demuestran los continuos intentos de Irán de adquirir componentes y tecnologías en apoyo de sus actividades de proliferación que amenazan la seguridad de EE. UU. y de la región”, señaló un comunicado de la oficina del portavoz del Departamento de Estado, explicando que “Estados Unidos, conforme al Memorando Presidencial de Seguridad Nacional 2 del 4 de febrero, está comprometido a negar a Irán todos los caminos hacia un arma nuclear y no dudará en responsabilizar a entidades no iraníes que contribuyan o apoyen de otra manera los programas de proliferación de Teherán en violación de las restricciones de la ONU.”

Entre los sancionados se encuentran Reza Mozaffarinia, actual director del SPND; Ali Fuladvand, jefe de la Dirección de Investigación del SPND; Mohammad Reza Ghadir Zare Zaghalchi, funcionario vinculado al SPND; Ali Kalvand, director ejecutivo y gerente de la empresa tapadera del SPND DamavandTec; Ali Bakouei, afiliado al SPND; y la empresa Andisheh Damavand International Technologies, la única compañía incluida en las sanciones más recientes.

“Estados Unidos está aplicando sanciones snapback contra el régimen iraní. Nuevas sanciones y controles de exportación se dirigirán contra 44 actores vinculados a los programas nucleares, misilísticos y militares de Irán”, anunció en X el secretario de Estado Marco Rubio. “Como ha dejado claro [el presidente Trump], negaremos a Irán todos los caminos hacia un arma nuclear.”

El anuncio sigue a la decisión de la Unión Europea de reimponer sanciones a Irán en respuesta a sus “actividades de proliferación nuclear”, según informó el Consejo Europeo. La ONU también restableció el embargo de armas contra Irán después de que fracasara, por 4 votos a 9, una resolución que buscaba una prórroga de seis meses en el alivio de sanciones. A favor votaron Rusia, China, Argelia y Pakistán. En contra se posicionaron Estados Unidos, Reino Unido, Francia, Dinamarca, Grecia, Panamá, Sierra Leona, Eslovenia y Somalia, mientras que Guyana y Corea del Sur se abstuvieron.

Incursiones en el espacio aéreo de la OTAN exponen posibles fisuras en la determinación de la Alianza.

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La reciente ola de incursiones en el espacio aéreo de la OTAN por parte de aviones y drones rusos está obligando a la alianza a enfrentarse a preguntas difíciles sobre su credibilidad y su voluntad de actuar. Mientras que Estonia y Polonia han invocado la cláusula del Artículo 4 de la OTAN, algunos líderes occidentales parecen reacios a escalar el conflicto —una vacilación que, según advierten funcionarios de Europa del Este, juega directamente a favor de Vladímir Putin.

De acuerdo con varios informes, el secretario general Mark Rutte incluso tuvo un enfrentamiento con la primera ministra de Estonia, Kristen Michal, sobre la petición estonia de invocar el Artículo 4, advirtiendo que demasiadas invocaciones podrían “diluir” el poder disuasorio de la OTAN. El parlamentario lituano Giedrimas Jeglinskas discrepó, argumentando que las palabras sin consecuencias hacen que la alianza se vea débil: “Si realmente queremos enviar un mensaje de disuasión adecuado a Rusia, debemos estar preparados para usar fuerza cinética.”

Polonia ya ha desplegado cazas contra drones, y el ministro de Defensa de Estonia declaró que su país está listo para derribar aeronaves rusas “si es necesario.” Sin embargo, algunos aliados siguen presionando por consultas en lugar de acción. Como admitió un alto funcionario estadounidense: “Casi todas las guerras… no necesariamente comienzan con una gran explosión. Comienzan con una escalada.”

El expresidente Donald Trump, en contraste, envió un mensaje mucho más claro: que las naciones de la OTAN deberían derribar aviones rusos que violen su soberanía. Esa claridad, dicen los líderes bálticos, refuerza su confianza en que Estados Unidos aún los respalda.

Jeglinskas lo expresó de forma contundente: “La OTAN sigue siendo el elemento más crucial de nuestra ecuación de seguridad… pero la guerra está cambiando —y la pregunta ahora es: ¿se ha adaptado la OTAN?” Si la alianza no respalda sus palabras con acción, las incursiones en el espacio aéreo de la OTAN corren el riesgo de convertirse en otra prueba más que Rusia logra superar.

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