Axios

Radio Free Asia, one of several government-funded international broadcasters, announced Wednesday it would suspend operations and formally lay off its furloughed staff on Friday amid fiscal uncertainty.

Why it matters: It's the first time the outlet has gone dark since its founding in 1996. RFA was created to provide free and accurate news and information to Asian audiences following the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, and the subsequent information crackdowns in China thereafter.

President Trump was gifted a ceremonial crown Wednesday by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

Why it matters: South Korea's gift of a monarchical symbol comes the same month that more than 7 million Americans rallied in No Kings protests.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Cuba early Wednesday morning with "EXTREMELY DANGEROUS" conditions, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The big picture: Melissa was a Category 3 when it hit eastern Cuba, bringing life-threatening storm surge, flash flooding, landslides and damaging winds. That's down from the Category 5 storm that pummeled Jamaica.

The Israeli military announced Wednesday it would resume compliance with the ceasefire in Gaza after a night of airstrikes that killed more than 100 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.

The big picture: The deal to end the war in Gaza was easily President Trump's biggest diplomatic achievement this term. The rupture in the ceasefire on Tuesday has put the agreement in jeopardy.

Maritime-technology startup Navier today unveiled three hybrid-electric hydrofoiling vessels: the 30-foot Quanta, the 80-foot Valkyrie and the 120-foot Morpheus.

• Each is customizable. And each promises thousands of nautical miles of range as it glides above choppy waters.

The big picture: The Trump administration is obsessing over the shipbuilding gap with China. Sampriti Bhattacharyya, a roboticist and Navier's chief executive, told Axios the U.S. doesn't just need to catch up in terms of quantity. It also needs to "out-innovate" competitors.

Eyes and ears are fixed to the Indo-Pacific this week, as President Trump leapfrogs across Malaysia, Japan and South Korea and prepares for a high-profile rendezvous with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Why it matters: Trade is at the top of Trump's agenda, with the markets bracing for news on tariffs and export controls. But the two are also expected to discuss Taiwan, which remains a focal point of fears over potential great-power conflict.

EBT cards aren't expected to stop working when SNAP benefits freeze in November.

Why it matters: About 42 million Americans — or around 20 million households — are expected to lose access to their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits next month.

• EBT cards — used by recipients to spend SNAP funds — can still be used if they have leftover funds from previous months, experts said.
• However, experts said that many people spend their benefits during the month they're issued — so this is unlikely to help many.

Catch up quick: The government shutdown is expected to stretch into November. It has already disrupted air travel and food assistance.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture told states it won't provide November's SNAP payments and that the agency won't tap into emergency funds for food stamps.
• SNAP benefits will not be distributed Nov. 1, leaving many struggling to buy food and goods

Yes, but: People will still have access to their EBT cards.

Here's what to know.

EBT cards and SNAP benefits

Zoom in: Any SNAP funds unspent from October or previous months will roll over into November.

• Benefits do not expire for an entire calendar year, per the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
• DHS officials recommend SNAP recipients keep their cards locked and secure to avoid losing funds.

What they're saying: "Your existing card will continue to work, but your regular payment will not appear," said Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) in a press release. "Keep your EBT Card active."

• Mackenzie Libbey with Community Legal Services told CBS News: "That's money that's already been appropriated. It's been put on their card."
• "So we definitely do not want people rushing out to try to use up their benefits at the end of October thinking they're not going to be able to buy anything in November."

Yes, but: SNAP recipients often spend all of their benefits at once, or in the month they're issued, Axios' Emily Peck writes.

• "About 80 percent of benefits are spent in the first two weeks and 97 percent by the end of the month," said Lauren Bauer of the Brookings Institution.
• This spending becomes a key revenue driver for grocery stores, meaning a drop in SNAP benefits usage can lead to a broader decline in general spending, too, Peck writes.

States and SNAP benefits

The intrigue: Some states say they're unsure if EBT cards will still work in November and that families should plan ahead.

• New Hampshire, for example, recommends beneficiaries use all of their funds before Oct. 31.
• Oklahoma similarly urged families to budget ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline.

States are handling the lack of SNAP benefit funding differently.

• Virginia declared a state of emergency so it can use funds to pay for benefits.
• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis asked his state for up to $10 million to support food banks.

What happens to EBT, SNAP when shutdown ends

What's next: Many expect that when the shutdown ends, any missed benefits will be sent retroactively to EBT cards.

• Brown of Ohio recommends those in need still apply or renew their benefit application as needed so they don't lose help when the shutdown ends.

What to watch for: Food banks are already seeing a surge of people as millions of families prepare for benefits to freeze.

Emily Peck contributed to this report.

Go deeper:

• Virginia launches new food aid program to replace halted SNAP
• Two dozen states sue Trump administration over impending SNAP cuts
• How the SNAP freeze will squeeze Walmart and grocery stores

President Trump may be overseas, but his presence loomed large over an Nvidia conference in D.C. on Tuesday where CEO Jensen Huang lauded the administration's embrace of AI.

Why it matters: Huang has built a strong relationship with Trump, and Nvidia has been rewarded for it — from winning approval to export chips to China to preventing the National Guard deployment to San Francisco.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm on Tuesday — bringing an "EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION," per the National Hurricane Center.

The big picture: Officials confirmed three storm-related deaths on Monday evening, before the monster hurricane had made landfall in the Caribbean island nation.

By all accounts — even in the absence of government data — the U.S economy is growing strongly, driven by almost unfathomable levels of spending to build AI dominance.

• Just one caveat: Don't bother looking for a job.

The big picture: Some of America's largest and most important employers say they don't need to hire to keep growing, as AI takes the place of many workers and drives more productivity out of others.

Editor's note: For the latest on Hurricane Melissa, click here.

Hurricane Melissa strengthened into the world's most powerful storm of 2025 on Monday fueled by warmer ocean temperatures, as the Category 5 behemoth closed in on Jamaica ahead of its expected Tuesday landfall.

The big picture: The impacts of the storm that forecasters described as "catastrophic" were already being felt in Jamaica and three storm-related deaths were reported, the Jamaican Ministry of Health and Wellness said on X Monday evening.