By LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Signs of a potential end to the government shutdown intensified Tuesday with behind-the-scenes talks, as the federal closure was on track to become the longest ever disrupting the lives of millions of Americans.

Senators from both parties, Republicans and Democrats, are quietly negotiating the contours of an emerging deal. With a nod from their leadership, the senators seek a way to reopen the government, put the normal federal funding process back on track and devise some sort of resolution to the crisis of expiring health insurance subsidies that are spiking premium costs from coast to coast.

“Enough is enough,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, the South Dakota Republican, as he opened the deadlocked chamber.

On day 35 of the federal government shutdown, the record will be broken after midnight, this funding lapse surpassing the longest in modern times. With SNAP benefits interrupted for millions of Americans depending on federal food aid, airports grounding flights, hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed or working without pay and federal contracts being delayed, many on and off Capitol Hill think it’s time for the shutdown to end. Labor unions have stepped up pressure on lawmakers to reopen the government.

Election Day is seen as a turning point

Tuesday’s elections provide an inflection point, with off-year governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey, along with the mayor’s race in New York that will show voter attitudes, a moment of political assessment many hope will turn the tide. Another test vote Tuesday in the Senate failed, as Democrats rejected a temporary government funding bill.

“We’re not asking for anything radical,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said. “Lowering people’s healthcare costs is the definition of common sense.”

Unlike the earlier shutdown during President Donald Trump’s first term, when he fought Congress in 2018-19 for funds to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall, the president has been largely absent from this shutdown debate.

Trump threatens to halt SNAP food aid

But on Tuesday, Trump issued a fresh threat, warning he would halt SNAP food aid unless Democrats agree to reopen the government. That would be potentially in defiance of court orders to release the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program contingency funds.

Trump said on social media that SNAP benefits “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!”

With House Speaker Mike Johnson having sent lawmakers home in September, most attention is on the Senate. There, the leadership has outsourced negotiations to a loose group of centrist dealmakers from both parties have been quietly charting a way to end the standoff.

“We pray that today is that day,” said Johnson, R-La., holding his daily process on the empty side of the Capitol.

Contours of a potential deal

Central to any endgame will be a series of agreements that would need to be upheld not only by the Senate, but also the House, and the White House, which is not at all certain in Washington where Republicans have full control of the government.

First of all, senators from both parties, particularly the powerful members of the Appropriations Committee, are pushing to ensure the normal government funding process can be put back on track.

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Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and GOP Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, along with several Democrats, including Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, and Chris Coons of Delaware, are among those working behind the scenes.

“The pace of talks have increased,” said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who has been involved in conversations.

Among the goals is guaranteeing upcoming votes on a smaller package of bills where there is already widespread bipartisan agreement to fund various aspects of governments, like agricultural programs and military construction projects at bases.

“I certainly think that that three-bill package is primed to do a lot of good things for the American people,” said Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala, who has also been in talks.

More difficult, a substantial number of senators also want some resolution to the standoff over the funding for the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at year’s end.

White House won’t engage on health care until government reopens

The White House says its position remains unchanged and that Democrats must vote to fund the government until talks over health care can begin. White House officials are in close contact with GOP senators who have been quietly speaking with key Senate Democrats, according to a senior White House official. The official was granted anonymity to discuss administration strategy.

With insurance premium notices being sent, millions of Americans are experiencing sticker shock on skyrocketing prices. The loss of federal subsidies, which come in the form of tax credits, are expected to leave many people unable to buy health insurance.

Republicans, with control of the House and Senate, are reluctant to fund the health care program, also known as Obamacare. But Thune has promised Democrats a vote on their preferred proposal, on a date certain, as part of any deal to reopen government.

That’s not enough for some senators, who see the health care deadlock as part of their broader concerns with Trump’s direction for the country.

“Trump is a schoolyard bully,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Independent from Vermont, in an op-ed. “Anyone who thinks surrendering to him now will lead to better outcomes and cooperation in the future does not understand how a power-hungry demagogue operates.”

Moreover, Democrats, and some Republicans, are also pushing for guardrails to prevent the Trump administration’s practice of unilaterally slashing funds for programs that Congress had already approved, by law, the way billionaire Elon Musk did earlier this year at the Department of Government Efficiency.

With the Senate, which is split 53-47, having tried and failed more than a dozen times to advance the House-passed bill over the filibuster, that measure is out of date. It would have funded government to Nov. 21.

Trump has demanded senators nuke the filibuster, the Senate rule that requires a 60-vote threshold to advance most legislation, which preserves minority rights in the chamber. GOP senators panned that demand.

Both Thune and Johnson have acknowledged they will need a new temporary measure. They are eyeing one that skips past the Christmas holiday season, avoiding what often has been a year-end crunch, and instead develop an agreement that would keep government running into the near year, likely January.

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Seung Min Kim and Matt Brown contributed to this story.

It’s not a presidential election.

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But voters will go to the polls Tuesday dozens of states, deciding everything from local tax measures to high-profile races that could impact national politics. In short, Tuesday is the most significant election in the United states since last November, experts say, when President Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the presidential race, and Republicans maintained control of the House and Senate. It’s also being viewed as a way to gauge the pulse of voters a year before the 2026 elections, when control of the House, Senate and governor’s offices will be up for grabs.

“Tuesday has become an early referendum on Trump,” said Larry Gerston, a professor emeritus of political science at San Jose State University. “There are different states, different turnouts and different issues. But that’s the overall theme.”

A CNN poll Monday showed voters aren’t happy. Trump’s approval rating was 37% — the lowest of his second term. A majority of voters said his polices have worsened the economy, hurt America’s standing in the world, and that his immigration crackdown has “gone too far.” But the same voters had an even lower view of the Democratic Party, giving it just a 29% approval rating.

Five key races to watch Tuesday:

1) Proposition 50

Opponents of California Proposition 50, also known as the Election Rigging Response Act, a California ballot measure that would redraw congressional maps to benefit Democrats, rally in Westminster, in Orange County, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide ballot measure, if approved by voters, would redraw California’s congressional districts in a way that could cost five Republicans their seats, tilting the state’s delegation from the current 43 Democrats and 9 Republicans to 48-4 after next year’s elections. Newsom and Sacramento Democrats placed the measure on the ballot after Trump pushed governors in red states, including Texas, to redraw their district lines this year, instead of every 10 years after the Census, as had been the custom, in an attempt to boost Republicans’ chances of keeping control of the House of Representatives next year.

If Democrats win the House in 2026, they could impeach Trump again, haul his cabinet secretaries under oath before investigations, and block funding for everything from new offshore oil drilling to expanded immigration detention centers. Republicans led by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger — who worked hard to create California’s non-partisan commission that draws district lines — have fought Prop 50. But Democrats have outraised opponents $122 million to $44 million. Polls show the measure leading in California, a state Trump lost by 20 points last November. If it passes, Newsom’s national profile as a 2028 presidential candidate will be boosted.

2) Virginia

Former President Barack Obama and Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger raise their arms together during a campaign rally in the Chartway Arena on Nov. 01, 2025 in Norfolk, Virginia. Spanberger will face Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s off-year election for governor and other statewide offices on Nov. 4. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin will leave office due to term limits in this purple state. Former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, a moderate Democrat and former CIA agent who has focused on cost-of-living issues, is running to succeed him against Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Trump supporter and former Marine. Spanberger is leading in the polls, particularly as the federal government shutdown has hit Virginia residents hard. Whoever wins will be the first female governor in Virginia history.

A big question mark: Whether Democrat Jay Jones can hang on to beat Republican incumbent Jason Miyares in the attorney general’s race. Jones led until last month. But the National Review published text messages Jones sent to a fellow state lawmaker wishing a Republican state leader and his family would die. Jones also was cited in 2022 for driving 116 mph. As part of a plea deal, he performed 500 hours of community service for his own political action committee. His image and poll numbers have suffered.

3) New Jersey

New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli speaks during a campaign rally on Saturday, Nov 1, 2025, in Westfield, N.J. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

The other marquee governor’s race Tuesday is in the Garden State, where a close battle is playing out. Democrat Mikie Sherrill, a four-term member of Congress and former Navy helicopter pilot, faces Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a former state Assemblyman who came within 3 points of defeating incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021.

A normally reliable blue state that has voted for the Democratic nominee for president in every election since 1992, New Jersey has occasionally elected Republicans as governor, most recently Chris Christie in 2009 and 2013. Sherrill holds a narrow lead in the polls. But Harris only defeated Trump there in November by 5.9%, and Ciattarelli, with Trump’s backing and solid fundraising, is looking for a breakthrough win.

4) New York City

Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a campaign event with New York City elected officials on Nov. 1, 2025 in the Queens borough of New York City. Mamdani remains the front runner against former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

Three candidates are vying to run America’s most populous city: Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, 67, a Democrat who won four statewide elections, only to resign his Albany office in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations; Republican Curtis Sliwa, 71, who founded the Guardian Angels crimefighting group; and state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic Socialist who has built momentum with charismatic speeches, clever social media and promises to raise taxes on billionaires, provide free bus service and a pass a $30 minimum wage. Mamdani, a darling of progressives nationwide, is leading in the polls, even though many traditional Democratic leaders, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have not endorsed him or Cuomo.

5) Pennsylvania

Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin speaks at a Lancaster County Democratic Party event in support of the party’s candidates for state Supreme Court, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Lancaster, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)

Few states are more important in winning the presidency than Pennsylvania. After voting for Obama twice, Keystone State voters shifted to Trump in 2016, embraced Joe Biden in 2020, and veered back to Trump last year, awarding him their 19 electoral votes.

Democrats hold a 5-2 majority on the state Supreme Court. Three Democratic justices — David Wecht, Christine Donohue and Kevin Dougherty — face yes-no retention votes, in which voters will decide whether to keep them on the bench. Republicans are pushing hard to remove them, which would shift the court to a 2-2 tie before elections in 2027 add new members. A deadlocked chamber could have major impacts on the 2028 presidential race if disputes over voting, ballot counting or other elections questions make it to Pennsylvania’s highest court.

By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN, AP Science Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists have spotted the brightest flare yet from a supermassive black hole that shines with the light of 10 trillion suns.

These bursts of light and energy can come from things like tangled-up magnetic fields or hiccups in the heated gas disks surrounding black holes. The flares help illuminate researchers’ understanding of the black holes within.

The latest cosmic display was spotted in 2018 by a camera at the Palomar Observatory in California. It took about three months to shine at peak brightness and has been decaying in the years since.

It likely happened because a large star wandered too close to the black hole and got shredded to pieces.

“At first, we didn’t really believe the numbers about the energy,” said study author Matthew Graham with the California Institute of Technology, which operates Palomar.

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The new findings were published Tuesday in the journal Nature Astronomy.

The flare came from a supermassive black hole that’s 10 billion light years away, making the flash the most distant one observed so far. It hails from a time when the universe was rather young. A light year is nearly 6 trillion miles (9.7 trillion kilometers).

Almost every large galaxy, including our Milky Way, has a supermassive black hole at its center. But scientists still aren’t sure how they form.

Studying such behemoths can help researchers better understand the stellar neighborhood surrounding supermassive black holes.

The discovery also allows scientists “to probe the interaction of supermassive black holes with their environments early in the universe,” said Joseph Michail with Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, which didn’t have a role in the new study.

Those early interactions created the cosmos we now call home.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By JOSH FUNK

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted Tuesday that there could be chaos in the skies next week if the government shutdown drags on and air traffic controllers miss a second paycheck.

There have already been numerous delays at airports across the country — sometimes hours long — because the Federal Aviation Administration slows down or stops traffic temporarily anytime it is short on controllers. Last weekend saw some of the worst staff shortages and on Sunday, flights at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey were delayed for several hours.

Duffy and the head of the air traffic controllers union have both warned that the situation will only get worse the longer the shutdown continues and the financial pressure continues to grow on people who are forced to work without pay. FAA employees already missed one paycheck on Oct. 28. Their next payday is scheduled for next Tuesday.

“Many of the controllers said ‘A lot of us can navigate missing one paycheck. Not everybody, but a lot of us can. None of us can manage missing two paychecks,’” Duffy said. “So if you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos. You will see mass flight delays. You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have air traffic controllers.”

Most of the flight disruptions so far during the shutdown have been isolated and temporary. But if delays become more widespread and start to ripple throughout the system, the pressure will mount on Congress to reach an agreement to end the shutdown.

Major airlines, aviation unions and the travel industry have been urging Congress to end this shutdown as soon as possible by voting to support the clean funding resolution that Republicans have proposed.

The U.S. Travel Association said in a letter to Congressional leaders this week that the economy has already lost more than $4 billion because of the shutdown, and the industry worries the impact will get significantly worse if the shutdown continues into the holiday travel season.

“With Thanksgiving, the busiest travel period of the year, imminently approaching, the consequences of a continued shutdown will be immediate, deeply felt by millions of American travelers, and economically devastating to communities in every state,” the U.S. Travel Association said.

Normally, airlines strive to have at least 80% of their flights depart and arrive within 15 minutes of when they are scheduled. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said that since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, the total number of delays overall has not fallen significantly below that goal because most of the disruptions so far have been no worse than what happens when a major thunderstorm moves across an airport.

But on Sunday, only about 56% of Newark’s departures were on time, and the Orlando airport reported that only about 70% of its flights were on time, according to Cirium.

As of midday Tuesday, there have been 1,932 flight delays reported across the United States, according to www.FlightAware.com. That is lower than what is typical although the FAA did say that flights in Phoenix were being delayed Tuesday morning because of staffing shortages. Strong winds are also causing delays at the Newark and LaGuardia airports Tuesday.