The Frost on Wednesday released the schedule for their third PWHL season. Defense of their second straight Walter Cup title begins Nov. 21 at Grand Casino Arena when they play host to Toronto at 6 p.m.

The Nov. 21 opener will feature a championship banner-raising ceremony to begin a 30-game regular-season schedule against seven league opponents that runs through April 25.

The PWHL added franchises in Vancouver, B.C., and Seattle this offseason. The Frost will be Seattle’s first home opponent on Nov. 28 at Climate Pledge Arena. They will play at last year’s runner-up Ottawa on Dec. 2.

Minnesota is scheduled for three neutral site games that will be announced at a future date. For a full schedule, go to the team’s web site https://www.thepwhl.com/en/teams/minnesota-frost .

In spite of the shutdown, tenants in federally subsidized housing programs like Sections 8 will continue to receive those benefits, at least through October, according to legal experts.

HUD offices at the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building in Washington, D.C. (Flickr/U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development)

The federal government shut down Wednesday morning following a stalemate between Republican and Democratic lawmakers over healthcare spending—the first such impasse since 2018.

Democratic Congress members say they won’t pass a new spending bill unless Republicans and the Trump administration agree to reverse earlier cuts to Medicaid, and extend subsidies that help people pay for health services under the Affordable Care Act.

On a practical level, the shutdown could mean missed paychecks for the more than 100,000 federal workers across New York State, who are either furloughed or at risk of being furloughed during the shutdown, Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a press briefing Wednesday.

“Think about that—public servants dedicated their lives to this country, and now they’re being told, no paycheck, no certainty, go figure it out on your own,” the governor said. “That’s the real human toll of this shutdown.”

New Yorkers who rely on federally funded assistance programs, including housing vouchers, however, should see those benefits continue in spite of the shutdown—at least for now, experts say.

“We want to make clear: despite the federal shutdown, New Yorkers will still receive their benefits, and applications for new benefits are still being accepted,” said Adriene Holder, chief attorney of the civil practice at The Legal Aid Society.

The nonprofit published a chart (below) of various subsidies and where they stand for the month of October. New Yorkers receiving Cash Assistance, SNAP, Medicaid and Social Security payments should see no immediate interruptions to those services, the group said.

Information on Benefits and Public Assistance for October 2025
(Chart by The Legal Aid Society)

BenefitWhat you need to knowCash AssistanceYour benefits will continue as usual. SNAP (Food Stamps)October SNAP benefits are safe. MedicaidYour Medicaid coverage will continue. SSI / Social SecurityPayments will continue as usual. FHEPS, CityFHEPSThese housing subsidies are safe. Federal Housing (Section 8, Public Housing, 202’s)Rent subsidies are still being paid. 

The same goes for tenants who get rental assistance through U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs, such as Section 8.

“Most tenants who live in HUD and USDA housing should not experience a disruption in their housing because of the shutdown,” the National Housing Law Project explained on its website. “Continue to pay your portion of the rent.”

A flyer from the National Housing Law Project on how the government shutdown could impact public benefits.

The group warns, however, that the situation could change depending on how long the shutdown lasts, and could eventually lead to public benefits delays.

“If the shutdown lasts past November, your rights might change and you should contact an attorney for updated information,” according to NHLP, which advises tenants who run into issues to seek legal help via LawHelp.org and the Legal Services Corporation.

A more detailed breakdown of how specific housing programs could be impacted by the shutdown can be found on NHLP’s website here.

To reach the editor, contact Jeanmarie@citylimits.org. Want to republish this story? Find City Limits’ reprint policy here.

The post What the Federal Govt. Shutdown Means for Your Voucher & Benefits appeared first on City Limits.

I am acquiring costume paraphernalia for Halloween parties that haven’t even been conceived yet.

If there is a costume contest, I will be there with bells (and wigs and masks and tutus) on.

I have been known to carry a cape and wizard hat in my car just in case of a sartorial emergency. And it has come in handy, thank you very much.

There is an artistry to a good costume. The combination of whimsy and vulnerability necessary for a grown adult to commit to a public game of dress up with an outfit inevitably revealing a glimpse into their spirit is endlessly charming.

Be brave this Halloween. Put down the “this is my costume” T-shirt. You’re better than that. Let me help!

1. Nostalgia factor

There is nothing like dressing up to make you feel like a kid again. If you’re drawing a blank on who to portray, think back to your favorite childhood cartoons, movies, action figures, books, cereal mascots or video game characters. Sure, you might not find a readymade Count Chocula or Junie B. Jones costume available in a big-box store near you, but it’s not hard — and can even be pretty fun, if you ask me — to gather some pieces here and there that get the job done. Make the 7-year-old version of you smile! Plus, there’s nothing like the high of locking eyes with someone who also loved the obscure computer game character you’ve embodied and seeing their face light up, too.

2. Get thrifty and crafty

Once you’ve honed in on who or what you want to be, a thrift and craft store will make it come to life. Dedicate a day to hitting a few thrift spots to find the perfect blue jacket to pull off Cap’n Crunch. Stop by a craft store on your way home to pick up some blue posterboard so you can DIY his hat. If you work better in teams, host a costume crafting party one weekend in October. Invite your friends over, throw on a spooky movie and supervise each other’s hot glue gun usage while you work on your masterpieces. You’d be surprised how much money you can save picking up glasses, jewelry, leather jackets, jerseys or whatever you’re in the market for at a thrift store. I once thrifted a hand-sewn ET costume clearly made with love by a janky seamstress, and it remains a Halloween costume highlight.

3. Shop local for accessories

If the costume you’ve settled on requires accessories that feel a bit too specific to make or thrift yourself — a sword, a certain wig, a mustache, fangs — then Denver is home to great local costume shops that beat out the chain retailers every time. Lakewood houses Disguises, at 10500 W. Colfax Ave., where you can walk through a maze of costumes and accessories all year round. South Broadway’s Wizard’s Chest, at 451 Broadway, offers year-round help with costumes, a professional theatrical make-up counter, and all kinds of aesthetic accouterments. Witch hats just look better when they’re bought locally, folks.

Bethany Bacon looks for costumes for her 2-month-old son Liam’s first Halloween at The Wizard’s Chest in Denver on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

4. Retro is the way to go

If you really want to stand out this Halloween, an easy way to take a basic costume — witch, astronaut, clown, vampire — and give it a unique spin is to style it vintage. Look up old Halloween costume photos, scour eBay for retro plastic masks or do your hair and makeup reminiscent of a bygone decade. A retro space girl! A 1920s clown! A 1950s robot! Check the thrift stores for some of that authentic antique goodness or shop your grandma’s closet. Play with decades and have some good, old-fashioned fun.

5. RIP

When in doubt, zombie-fy yourself. If you’re going to recycle an old costume, paint your face green and rub some eyeliner under your eyes and, voilà, you’re the zombie version. Even better if you’ve got a pretty costume — ballerina, princess, cheerleader, etc. Coming from the gal who was Zombie Jo March (of “Little Women,” of course) a few years ago, anything can be zombie-fied, friends. Unleash the brains-eater within.

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