President Donald Trump traveled through Asia this week, sitting down for a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which he described as “truly great,” while Americans at home bore the brunt of the ongoing government shutdown, which is entering its second month.Democrats now find themselves in a bind as they have succeeded in framing health care as the issue at the heart of the stalemate but are grappling with the lapse of federal food assistance for millions of Americans set to begin Saturday.The shutdown is also likely to lead to more flight delays as the Federal Aviation Administration grapples with staffing shortages. At the same time, federal employees are working without pay, and food banks are bracing for a surge in demand.The president, though, seems to have his mind focused elsewhere as he instructed the Pentagon to immediately resume testing of nuclear weapons to ensure the U.S. keeps up with its rivals.“With others doing testing, I think it’s appropriate that we do also,” he told reporters after departing South Korea to return to the U.S.The Trump administration is continuing to add pressure on Venezuela, with the country’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, now accusing the U.S. of “fabricating a new eternal war.”See previous updates here, and read the latest below:Vance To Host Roundtable Discussion With Aviation Industry Leaders Amid Government ShutdownAs the government shutdown continues to strain the aviation industry, Vice President JD Vance will host a roundtable discussion Thursday with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, which will also be attended by the chief executives of American Airlines and United Airlines as well as former Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, currently the CEO of Airlines for America, according to multiple news reports.The event is meant to highlight the effects of the stalemate on the industry. Air traffic controllers and TSA employees missed their first paycheck on Wednesday and continue to work without pay, with Duffy warning that flight delays could persist and become worse in the absence of a breakthrough in Congress.See All UpdatesClose