By STEPHEN GROVES and MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats are poised for the 10th time Thursday to reject a stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government, insisting they won’t back away from demands that Congress take up health care benefits.

The repetition of votes on the funding bill has become a daily drumbeat in Congress, underscoring how intractable the situation has become as it has been at times the only item on the agenda for the Senate floor. House Republicans have left Washington altogether. The standoff has lasted over two weeks, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed, even more without a guaranteed payday and Congress essentially paralyzed.

“Every day that goes by, there are more and more Americans who are getting smaller and smaller paychecks,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, adding that there have been thousands of flight delays across the country as well.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks with reporters about the struggle to end the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Thune, a South Dakota Republican, again and again has tried to pressure Democrats to break from their strategy of voting against the stopgap funding bill. It hasn’t worked. And while some bipartisan talks have been ongoing about potential compromises on health care, they haven’t produced any meaningful progress toward reopening the government.

Democrats say they won’t budge until they get a guarantee on extending subsidies for health plans offered under Affordable Care Act marketplaces. They warned that millions of Americans who buy their own health insurance — such as small business owners, farmers and contractors — will see large increases when premium prices go out in the coming weeks. Looking ahead to a Nov. 1 deadline in most states, they think voters will demand that Republicans enter into serious negotiations.

“We have to do something, and right now, Republicans are letting these tax credits expire,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.

Still, Thune was also trying a different tack Thursday with a vote to proceed to appropriations bills — a move that could grease the Senate’s wheels into some action or just deepen the divide between the two parties.

A deadline for subsidies on health plans

Democrats have rallied around their priorities on health care as they hold out against voting for a Republican bill that would reopen the government. Yet they also warn that the time to strike a deal to prevent large increases for many health plans is drawing short.

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When they controlled Congress during the pandemic, Democrats boosted subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans. It pushed enrollment under President Barack Obama’s signature health care law to new levels and drove the rate of uninsured people to a historic low. Nearly 24 million people currently get their health insurance from subsidized marketplaces, according to health care research nonprofit KFF.

Democrats — and some Republicans — are worried that many of those people will forgo insurance if the price rises dramatically. While the tax credits don’t expire until next year, health insurers will soon send out notices of the price increases. In most states, they go out Nov. 1.

Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she has heard from “families who are absolutely panicking about their premiums that are doubling.”

“They are small business owners who are having to think about abandoning the job they love to get employer-sponsored health care elsewhere or just forgoing coverage altogether,” she added.

Murray also said that if many people decide to leave their health plan, it could have an effect across medical insurance because the pool of people under health plans will shrink. That could result in higher prices across the board, she said.

Some Republicans have acknowledged that the expiration of the tax credits could be a problem and floated potential compromises to address it, but there is hardly a consensus among the GOP.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., this week called the COVID-era subsidies a “boondoggle,” adding that “when you subsidize the health care system and you pay insurance companies more, the prices increase.”

President Donald Trump has said he would “like to see a deal done for great health care,” but has not meaningfully weighed into the debate. And Thune has insisted that Democrats first vote to reopen the government before entering any negotiations on health care.

If Congress were to engage in negotiations on significant changes to health care, it would likely take weeks, if not longer, to work out a compromise.

Votes on appropriations bills

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are setting up a vote Thursday to proceed to a bill to fund the Defense Department and several other areas of government. This would turn the Senate to Thune’s priority of working through spending bills and potentially pave the way to paying salaries for troops, though the House would eventually need to come back to Washington to vote for a final bill negotiated between the two chambers.

Thune said it would be a step toward getting “the government funded in the traditional way, which is through the annual appropriations process.”

It wasn’t clear whether Democrats would give the support needed to advance the bills. They discussed the idea at their luncheon Wednesday and emerged saying they wanted to review the Republican proposal and make sure it included appropriations that are priorities for them.

While the votes will not bring the Senate any closer to an immediate fix for the government shutdown, it could at least turn their attention to issues where there is some bipartisan agreement.

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI and LINLEY SANDERS, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the government shutdown drags on with no end in sight, a new AP-NORC poll finds that most Americans see it as a significant problem — and all of the major players are being blamed.

Roughly 6 in 10 Americans say President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the shutdown, while 54% say the same about Democrats in Congress, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. At least three-quarters of Americans believe each deserves at least a “moderate” share of blame, underscoring that no one is successfully evading responsibility.

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The survey, conducted as the shutdown stretched into its third week, comes as leaders warn it could soon become the longest in history. Democrats are demanding an extension of tax credits that have helped millions of people afford health insurance since the coronavirus pandemic, while Republicans have refused to negotiate until Congress passes a funding bill to reopen the government.

The standoff has become a messaging battle, with each party betting the public will blame the other. The stakes are especially high for Democrats, now out of power and searching for a unifying fight to rally around ahead of pivotal 2026 midterm elections.

Slightly more of the public’s frustration appears to be aimed at the party in power. The poll finds that about half of Americans say Trump has “a great deal” of responsibility for the shutdown, the very highest amount of responsibility offered in the poll. That’s roughly the same share who fault Republicans in Congress, but higher than the 40% who say the same of Democrats.

Sophia Cole, a 38-year-old Republican mother from St. Louis, placed equal blame for the shutdown on Trump and Congress. Cole, who described herself as a Trump supporter, said both sides “should be able to come together” on a compromise but believes it is ultimately the Republican president’s responsibility to broker a deal.

“We’re dependent on him to get the House and everyone to vote the way that he needs them to vote,” Cole said.

Democrats and independents more likely to call the shutdown a ‘major issue’

The effects of the shutdown are beginning to be felt across the country. Flights have been delayed, and hundreds of thousands of federal employees who are furloughed or working without pay are starting to miss paychecks.

The poll finds that 54% of U.S. adults call the shutdown a “major issue,” with just 11% saying it is “not a problem at all.” Democrats are most likely, at 69%, to see it as a major problem, but 59% of independents and 37% of Republicans feel the same way.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said this week the country is “barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history.” The last shutdown, during Trump’s first term, went to for a record 35 days and drew similar public sentiment, with Democrats more likely than Republicans to see it as a major problem.

The White House has warned the impact of the shutdown could be worse this time. While roughly 2 million service members were paid on time this week, the administration has used the federal workforce as leverage, and last weekend it began following through on threats to lay off federal workers. But on Wednesday, a federal judge in California temporarily blocked the firings, saying they appeared to be politically motivated and were being carried out without much thought.

“Things are just going to keep getting worse for federal workers,” said Angie Santiago, a 60-year-old Democrat from Miami. “If people like me are struggling, I can’t imagine what federal workers are going through.”

Santiago, who is on disability while her husband works, said she fears the shutdown will worsen economic hardship across the country. Santiago said during a phone interview that she began regularly going to food banks about a year ago.

“I’m calling you from a food line,” she said. “You’re going to see more of these lines popping up. It’s going to get bad.”

More favor than oppose extending health care subsidies

At the center of the shutdown is a stalemate over federal tax credits for people who buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Democrats want the credits extended, while Republicans say they will discuss the issue only once the government reopens.

The poll shows that roughly 4 in 10 U.S. adults support extending the tax credits, while about 1 in 10 oppose it outright. A large share, 42%, have no opinion, suggesting many Americans are not closely following the core dispute driving the shutdown.

Jason Beck, a Republican who is a self-employed insurance agent in Utah, uses the Affordable Care Act marketplace for his own insurance and supports extending the tax credits.

“I know a lot of the shutdown is over health insurance, and I’d rather just keep it the same way it is now,” Beck said of the subsidies.

Democrats say that keeping health insurance prices the same is central to their fight and that prices will skyrocket if Congress doesn’t do anything. But even Beck, who is on the Democrats’ side with the subsidies, still places equal blame for the shutdown on Democrats, Republicans and Trump.

“Trump’s blaming the Democrats, and the Democrats are blaming the Republicans,” Beck said. “We’re stuck because there’s no middle ground anymore.”

Neither party sees a substantial bump in favorability

Both parties have framed the shutdown as a prelude to the 2026 midterms, with Democrats aiming to flip the House. So far, however, it doesn’t appear to have meaningfully shifted opinions about either party.

About 3 in 10 U.S. adults have a “somewhat” or “very” favorable view of the Democratic Party, in line with an AP-NORC poll from September. Four in 10 have a “somewhat” or “very” favorable view of the Republican Party, similar to last month.

Confidence in Congress, meanwhile, remains extremely low. Only about 4% of Americans say they have “a great deal” of confidence in the way Congress is being run, while 43% have “only some” confidence and about half have “hardly any” confidence.

But the poll suggests that health care could be a helpful issue for Democrats down the road. The poll found that 38% of Americans trust Democrats to do a better job handling health care, while only 25% trust Republicans more. About 1 in 10 trust both equally, and 25% trust neither.

Rob Redding, a 49-year-old independent voter from New York, supports extending ACA subsidies and credits Democrats for defending them.

Redding said Democrats holding the line on the ACA subsidies is probably one of the most valiant and gutsy things he’s ever seen them do.

“And,” Redding said, “I think that it’s the right call.”

The AP-NORC poll of 1,289 adults was conducted Oct. 9-13, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

GRAND FORKS — The North Dakota-Minnesota rivalry changed when the old Western Collegiate Hockey Association imploded.

The teams moved into different startup conferences. They no longer battle for positioning in league standings.

There are no more epic Final Five playoff games in front of 19,000 fans in downtown St. Paul. Those guaranteed unforgettable moments — Thomas Vanek vs. Zach Parise, the famous Blake Wheeler goal and Dave Hakstol’s Timeout Game.

Their games now come in the season’s opening month when both teams are still going through the feeling-out process.

The familiarity is waning a bit, too.

When the teams meet this weekend in Grand Forks, only five Fighting Hawks and six Golden Gophers will have experienced the rivalry — the result of taking one year off and both teams having significant roster turnover.

While so much has changed, one thing hasn’t: There’s still nothing like it in college hockey.

Sellouts are guaranteed wherever they play, whether it’s Grand Forks, Minneapolis or Las Vegas, like in 2018.

Tickets on the resale market fetch prices similar to other programs’ season ticket pacakages.

The raucous atmospheres are impossible to replicate in other regular-season games, which is why nobody wants to miss it when it happens.

There are reasons why the rivalry has endured, despite the conference breakup.

Continuous success is one reason.

both programs have been dominant in their new conferences. UND has won six National Collegiate Hockey Conference titles in 12 years. Minnesota has won the Big Ten seven times.

It’s been 16 years since either team has had a losing season. Every other college hockey program has had at least one since then — even the traditional powerhouses.

Denver has had one. Boston University has had two. Boston College and Michigan have had three. Wisconsin has had nine and Michigan State 10.

Competitiveness is another reason.

The series has truly gone back and forth.

There’s been one sweep in the last nine years. There’s been one back-to-back sweep in the last 30 yars.

Nobody has won more than five in a row in the last two decades. In that span, there’s only been a single four-game winning streak.

And, of course, there’s the regional aspect.

Many of the players crossed paths growing up. There are 25 players on the two teams from Minnesota or North Dakota. Many of them attended those old Final Five showdowns and know the stakes.

Many of the fans cross paths every day. UND’s largest alumni base is located in the Twin Cities. There’s no escaping the office banter the week before or after the series.

Since the breakup of the leagues, UND and Minnesota have played 14 times.

They’re still producing timeless moments — Justin Holl’s last-second game winner, Gage Ausmus and Ryan Lindgren renewing the rivalry with their scuffle, Matthew Knies and Mark Sendert scoring overtime goals on back-to-back nights, and the Rhett Pitlick stick-toss game.

What’s the next unforgettable moment? We’ll find out this weekend.

It’s bound to be good.

This past week was full of meetups with friends as we all tried to wring every last bit sunshine out of this gorgeous fall weather. After all, we live in Minnesota, and it could snow tomorrow.

We hit up two patios and took a walk to one of my favorite bars in St. Paul. Here’s hoping the good weather holds out for at least a few more weeks.

North 20 Brewing

A friend of mine texted me to ask if I’d ever heard of this brewery in Rosemount, which he discovered because his child has soccer practice nearby.

I hadn’t, so we decided to meet there and have a few patio beers.

I thought the GPS was going rogue and taking us to meet the Children of the Corn as we turned onto the dirt road the brewery is on, but there it was. Across from a corn field with a gorgeous forest clearing for a back yard, North 20 feels like an escape from the city, and it’s less than 20 minutes from our neighborhood.

As we sat on the patio and watched deer wander in the golden-hour light, I sipped a decent pilsner and a pretty good blood orange IPA. We noshed on delicious Aki’s pretzels, a snappy brat from Greg’s Meats in Hampton and a smoky hot dog, also from Greg’s. A fancy dinner it was not, but a temporary escape from our busy urban lives, it was.

The brewery hosts lots of community events — from trivia nights to comedy, live music and other games. And a full parking lot on the night of our visit felt like the embodiment of the “Field of Dreams” adage: If you build it, they will come. Corn field and all.

North 20 Brewing: 12266 W. Bacardi Ave., Rosemount; 612-476-2961; north20brewing.com

Moscow on the Hill

Deruny (potato pancakes) at Moscow on the Hill in St. Paul, pictured in October 2025. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

After a recent business meeting, some friends and I needed somewhere to raise a glass to possibilities, and Moscow on the Hill is one of my favorite places to celebrate. (I actually marked my 40th birthday in the dining room with a big group of friends.)

Pelmeni and a Red Oct. martini at Moscow on the Hill on Selby Avenue in St. Paul, pictured in October 2025. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

And because the restaurant’s sprawling patio was still open, we wandered out, realizing quickly that the evening was a little chilly for outdoor dining.

Our server noticed and immediately brought us a pile of fleece blankets to wrap ourselves in, a little kindness that made sitting outside actually enjoyable.

We ordered martinis (I love a dry Sputnik, made with nose-clearing horseradish vodka) and some appetizers and had a lovely conversation.

My favorite bite was the Siberian pelmeni dumplings, which are maybe my most-ordered item in St. Paul. Filled with beef and pork and topped with a generous dollop of sour cream, these savory little pockets of deliciousness are best doused with the chili-garlic vinegar you can request with them.

I’m also a huge fan of the restaurant’s deruny (potato pancakes), which, unlike latkes and other shredded-potato varieties, are made from savory mashed potatoes and topped with caramelized onions and sour cream. They’re comfort food at its finest.

And I never dine at Moscow without ordering the cauliflower and green beans, which are deeply spiced and perfectly crisp-tender and disappear quickly.

Moscow on the Hill: 371 Selby Ave., St. Paul; 651-291-1236; moscowonthehill.com

Emerald Lounge

Butter beans from Emerald Lounge on St. Paul’s West Seventh Street, pictured in October 2025.

After a retirement party for the MVP of the office (congrats, Barb!), I was set to meet with a friend who works downtown, and it was a beautiful night, so we walked to Emerald Lounge.

This little slip of a bar is elegant and laid-back at the same time, which is my favorite combo.

The cocktails here are excellent — we ordered the martini of the day, which is always crisp and delicious, and the huntress, a savory cocktail featuring aquavit.

Cavatappi pasta at Emerald Lounge in St. Paul, pictured in October 2025. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

We split a plate of tender butter beans, which were swimming in a flavorful romesco sauce and topped with salty green olives and nutty manchego cheese. I could honestly make dinner out of that plate on my own, but since there were two of us, we added a crisp wedge salad and an excellent cavatappi pasta, bathed in a sauce that I’m still thinking about. Spicy chili crisp, umami miso and vodka combined with funky pecorino romano combine to create something far greater than any of the individual parts. I hope it stays on the menu for a while, because I can see it being warming perfection in the dead of winter.

Emerald Lounge: 455 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-410-1650; emeraldstpaul.com

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