☕ Trump's trip to Asia

Good morning!

Part of the dilemma facing news media in modern times is tracking a big story over many weeks, despite no headline-grabbing developments to bring you from the moment. It doesn’t mean the story is no longer important, though.

That’s part of what makes the current government shutdown challenging to report on - but four weeks in, the impacts of the stalemate are continuing to reverberate across the nation. In today’s edition, we look at where things stand.

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Some headlines from this morning:

• Israeli spy agency Mossad has named a senior Iranian official as the leader behind a spate of global antisemitic attacks. A statement from the Israeli Government alleges that Sardar Amar, a senior commander in the Iranian armed forces, led a secret unit “to promote attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets in both Israel and abroad”. Israel claimed Amar was responsible for “major attempted attacks” in Greece, Australia and Germany. It said Mossad will “act decisively to thwart terrorist threats from Iran and its proxies”.

• French police have arrested two men in connection to the Louvre jewellery heist. First reported by French newspaper Le Parisien, the suspects, aged in their thirties, were taken into custody on Saturday night (local time), nearly a week after millions worth of crown jewels were stolen in broad daylight. Thieves escaped on scooters after the robbery, leaving behind a hi-vis jacket and gloves. French media reports claim two suspects have been linked to the scene through DNA analysis. Prosecutors have since confirmed one suspect was trying to leave the country when he was arrested at Paris Charles De Gaulle airport. The stolen jewels are yet to be recovered, while the remaining collection has been moved to the Bank of France’s most secure vault, 26m underground. Prosecutors criticized media outlets for leaking information about the arrests, which they said would hinder “the 100 or so investigators who mobilized in the search for both the stolen jewellery and for all of the criminals” involved in the heist.

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President Trump arrived in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Sunday ahead of a week-long state visit to multiple Asian countries.

The president is expected to attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, visit Japan, and finally head to South Korea to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Here is what you need to know.

ASEAN Summit

President Trump is expected to attend the ASEAN summit and focus on two things: trade talks with Southeast Asian nations and a peace summit between Cambodia and Thailand.

Since Trump’s first trip to an ASEAN summit in 2017, Southeast Asian trade with the U.S. has doubled. President Trump’s recent trade wars have hurt the economies of many of these countries, which are increasingly dependent on exports to the U.S.

Nations attending the summit are expected to petition the President for trade deals.

Cambodia and Thailand are also hosting a peace meeting after months of conflict over their shared border. President Trump has taken responsibility for negotiating a peace deal and is expected to attend.

Trump to meet Japan’s new PM

President Trump heads to Japan after Kuala Lumpur to meet their new PM Sanae Takaichi. Takaichi was elected this month after becoming the new head of their conservative party last month.

Takaichi and President Trump are expected to discuss Japan investing billions in the U.S. in addition to increasing their military spending.

The pair is also expected to try and finalise a trade deal negotiated before Takaichi took office, one that specifically benefits Japanese auto giants Toyota, Honda, and Nissan.

Xi and Trump meet for the first time in their second term

South Korea will host the meeting between Xi and President Trump, the first of the President’s second term, and the first since his Liberty Day tariffs reignited a trade war between the two superpowers.

The meeting between the pair is widely seen as a sign of easing tensions, as a deal focused on an exchange of rare earths and semiconductors between China and the U.S. continues to be negotiated.

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The U.S. government shutdown has entered its fourth week, leaving federal workers facing another pay period without paychecks and forcing essential social services to close due to lack of funding.

Democrats and Republicans remain deadlocked over a stopgap funding bill, with food assistance cuts now threatening 40 million Americans. Here's what you need to know.

Context

Three weeks ago, Senate Democrats refused to support a Republican Continuing Resolution (CR) bill designed to fund the government.

Democrats said they would support the bill if Affordable Care Act (ACA) health subsidies were included and if they received guarantees that President Trump would not interfere with congressionally approved funding. Republicans have refused both demands.

“The well has run dry.”

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Saturday that some food benefits would not continue in November, saying “the well has run dry” in a post on its website.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits help low-income Americans subsidize their groceries bills via a debit card that refills once a month. In some states, up to 21% of the population relies on these subsidies to feed themselves and their families.

Over 200 Democrats called on USDA to use emergency funds to continue the benefits into November, but USDA refused because it needed the funds for natural disasters.

Other services affected

Also under increasing financial pressure is a childcare service called Head Start, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, and the military payroll.

Non-social services are also being affected, with essential airport staff continuing to experience staff shortages as they approach their second pay period without the possibility of receiving remuneration.

End in sight?

Republicans and Democrats remain in a stalemate despite being aware that the shutdown is causing pain. “Things are about to get worse,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune warned last week.

Democrats have proposed emergency funding measures for specific programs. Republicans have approved some but appear increasingly reluctant to continue doing so.

President Trump is currently touring Asia and is not expected to be heavily involved in negotiations while abroad.

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