Food benefits in Washington state are slated to end later this week due to the ongoing government shutdown.

Why it matters: More than 540,000 households in Washington — nearly 930,000 people — received Basic Food assistance benefits last month, according to state officials.

• Those benefits will stop after Friday, unless Congress reaches an agreement to fund the government by then, Norah West, a spokesperson for the state Department of Social and Health Services, wrote in an email to Axios.

What they're saying: "Losing food assistance will have devastating impacts on the well-being of Washingtonians and hurt local economies across the state," West wrote.

What's happening: Washington's Basic Food Program is mainly funded through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which will stop issuing benefits Nov. 1 if the government shutdown continues.

• Nationwide, about 42 million Americans who receive food assistance through SNAP are set to have their benefits cut off Saturday.

State of play: The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, is now the second longest in U.S. history.

Catch up quick: Senate Democrats are asking Republicans to extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies in exchange for Democratic votes needed to fund the government.

• Republicans, who control the House, Senate and White House, have said they won't negotiate on the health care subsidies unless Democrats vote to reopen the government first.

What they're saying: "These political games are harming the most vulnerable Washingtonians," Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said in an emailed statement. "President Trump and Congressional Republicans are to blame for this unnecessary crisis."

• Republicans, meanwhile, have continued to blame Democrats.
• "Government workers and every other American affected by this shutdown have become nothing more than pawns in the Democrats' political games," U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday on the Senate floor.

Friction point: Democrats have called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use contingency funds to continue providing SNAP payments in November.

• But the department said in a memo last week that those funds "are not legally available" for that purpose.

What we're watching: If the shutdown continues into next week, it could surpass the previous shutdown record, which lasted five weeks from December 2018 through January 2019.

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We want to see your dogs in their Halloween best!

Why it matters: There's few things that lift our spirits more paws-itively than a pup in a costume.

State of play: Show us a photo of your four-legged friend, whether they're spooky, silly or just downright adorable.

• Be sure to include your pet's name, breed and age, and tell us how to credit the photo.
• We'll feature some of our favorites in an upcoming Axios Seattle roundup.

Note: We also welcome photos of cats in costume — we just doubt most felines would allow such a thing.

Reply or email us to send us your cutest submissions!

📉 Amazon is cutting 14,000 corporate jobs as it prepares for wider adoption of AI technology, the company announced today. (Axios)

• More cuts may be coming: Three people familiar with Amazon's plans told Reuters the number of corporate layoffs could reach 30,000. (Reuters)

🌇 Sunday marked the last time the sun will set after 6pm this year in the Seattle area. We won't see another post-6pm sunset until March. (KING 5)

✈️ A fighter jet and helicopter from the USS Nimitz, which is based in Bremerton, crashed in the South China Sea on Sunday; all crew members were rescued. (AP)

🥅 The Sounders fell 3-2 in a penalty shootout to Minnesota United after a 90-minute draw, dropping Match 1 in their best-of-three Audi MLS Cup Playoffs series. (SoundersFC)

Competitive U.S. House races are attracting big money well ahead of the November 2026 election, including in Southwest Washington.

Zoom in: In Washington's 3rd Congressional District, Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez raised about $894,000 toward her reelection campaign during the third quarter of 2025, according to FEC records.

• Her Republican challenger, Washington state Sen. John Braun (R-Centralia), raked in about $510,000.

State of play: WA-03 is one of 17 U.S. House races that the nonpartisan Cook Political Report identifies as being a toss-up in 2026.

• Those contests, which either party has a good chance of winning, will decide control of the House next year.

The big picture

Nearly all of you correctly guessed that we were at the Amazon Spheres last week.

• Opened in 2018, the Spheres — often colloquially known as Bezos' balls — have become a downtown landmark and a symbol of Amazon's imprint on the city.

The trio of domes in South Lake Union, near the company's headquarters, were designed as a horticultural showpiece and a place for employees to work amid nature, per Amazon.

• Fun facts: The centerpiece is Rubi, a 55-foot fig tree that had to be installed by crane before the ceiling was completed, a guide told Axios.
• All told, the Spheres house more than 40,000 plants from over 30 countries, along with suspension-like bridges, lounging chairs and a busy coffee stand.

If you go: The Spheres are open to the public on the first and third Saturdays of the month. Reserve a spot here.