The federal government is reopening. But after 43 days on pause, things may not return to business as usual right away.
Where things stand: The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is officially over after President Donald Trump signed a bill passed by Congress last night.
But... some impacts could continue much longer than six weeks, whether that's national parks trying to make up for lost visitor revenue or taxpayers waiting longer for refunds from a backlogged Internal Revenue Service (IRS). There's also the looming threat of another potential shutdown in the not-too-distant future, since this bill only funds the government through Jan. 30.
The federal government is reopening. But after 43 days on pause, things may not return to business as usual right away. For instance, federal workers are still awaiting backpay and air travel disruptions are expected to linger.
And some impacts could continue much longer than six weeks, whether that's national parks trying to make up for lost visitor revenue or taxpayers waiting longer for refunds from a backlogged Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
There's also the looming threat of another potential shutdown in the not-too-distant future, since this bill only funds the government through Jan. 30.
Here's a look at where things stand for now.
Keep scrolling for updates, and jump by category here:
Federal employees return to work, awaiting back pay
Roughly 1.4 million federal workers have gone without pay for six weeks. Roughly half of them were required to keep working without paychecks, while hundreds of thousands of others were furloughed.
Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, told agency heads to direct furloughed employees to return to work Thursday.
"Agencies should take all necessary steps to ensure that offices reopen in a prompt and orderly manner" on Thursday, Vought wrote in a
Wednesday memo
.
The timing of backpay is a different question.
After the government shutdown ending in January 2019 — then the longest in history — Congress
passed a law
ensuring back pay for federal workers "at the earliest date possible after the lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates."
But Trump appeared to
suggest otherwise
in public comments last month, leaving many feds worried.
The bill that Congress passed to end the shutdown guarantees back pay. It also reverses several agencies' attempted staffing reductions during the shutdown, which were
paused by a federal judge
, and prevents additional layoffs of federal employees through January.
Shaun Southworth, a federal employment attorney, said in an
Instagram video
that the timing of backpay will vary by agency based on their payroll providers, but most employees should start seeing deposits within days.
"Many employees historically saw deposits within the first business days after reopening," he says of the last shutdown. "A minority may roll to the next cycle if the system needs extra processing."
SNAP is back
The bill Congress passed to reopen the government funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through September 2026.
The program, which some
42 million Americans rely on
for food assistance, has been the subject of much uncertainty — and an escalating legal battle — in recent weeks. The Trump administration said last month that it would suspend SNAP funding in November due to the shutdown, prompting a wide outcry and a series of legal challenges.
While the administration initially said it would comply with two rulings requiring it to provide at least partial funding for SNAP in November, it balked — and ultimately appealed to the Supreme Court — after one of those judges said it must fund the program fully for the month. The Supreme Court paused that order (and
extended that pause again
on Tuesday, with the end of the shutdown in sight).
At this point, beneficiaries in some states have gotten their full monthly allocations, while others have gotten partial payments or nothing at all. Reopening the government means restarting SNAP, but it's not clear how quickly full payments will resume, since that varies by state. And, as
NPR has reported
, many who rely on the program are worried that benefits could be cut again.
Smithsonian institutions will reopen on a rolling basis
The Smithsonian, which encompasses 21 museums and the National Zoo, says its reopening will be gradual.
Its
website says
the National Museum of American History, as well as the National Air and Space Museum and its Virginia annex, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, will open their doors on Friday.
All other museums and the zoo — including its beloved
live animal cams
— will reopen to the public "on a rolling basis" by Monday.
This is a live story that will be updated throughout the day as we learn more.
California plans to revoke 17,000 commercial driver's licenses given to immigrants after discovering the expiration dates went past when the drivers were legally allowed to be in the U.S., state officials said today.
Why now: The announcement follows harsh criticism from the Trump administration about California and other states granting licenses to people in the country illegally. The issue was thrust into the public's consciousness in August, when a tractor-trailer driver not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people.
Where things stand: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy previously imposed new restrictions on which immigrants can qualify for commercial driver's licenses These new rules, announced in September, make it extremely hard for immigrants to get a commercial license.
Read on... for details on what's changing and what's next.
California plans to revoke 17,000 commercial driver's licenses given to immigrants after discovering the expiration dates went past when the drivers were legally allowed to be in the U.S., state officials said Wednesday.
The announcement follows harsh criticism from the Trump administration about California and other states granting licenses to people in the country illegally. The issue was thrust into the public's consciousness in August, when a tractor-trailer driver not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday that California's action to revoke these licenses is an admission that the state acted improperly even though it previously defended its licensing standards. California launched its review of commercial driver's licenses it issued after Duffy raised concerns.
"After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed. Now that we've exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked," Duffy said, referring to the state's governor. "This is just the tip of iceberg. My team will continue to force California to prove they have removed every illegal immigrant from behind the wheel of semitrucks and school buses."
Newsom's office said that every one of the drivers whose license is being revoked had valid work authorizations from the federal government. At first, his office declined to disclose the exact reason for revoking the licenses, saying only they violated state law. Later, his office revealed the state law it was referring to was one that requires the licenses expire on or before a person's legal status to be in the United State ends, as reported to the DMV.
Still, Newsom's spokesperson Brandon Richards shot back at Duffy in a statement.
"Once again, the Sean 'Road Rules' Duffy fails to share the truth — spreading easily disproven falsehoods in a sad and desperate attempt to please his dear leader," Richards said.
Fatal truck crashes in Texas and Alabama earlier this year also highlight questions about these licenses. A fiery California crash that killed three people last month involved a truck driver in the country illegally, only adding to the concerns.
Duffy previously imposed new restrictions on which immigrants can qualify for commercial driver's licenses. He said earlier this fall that California and five other states had improperly issued commercial driver's licenses to noncitizens, but California is the only state Duffy has taken action against because it was the first one where an audit was completed. The reviews in the other states have been delayed by the government shutdown, but the Transportation Department is urging all of them to tighten their standards.
Duffy revoked $40 million in federal funding because he said California isn't enforcing English language requirements for truckers, and he reiterated Wednesday that he will take another $160 million from the state over these improperly issued licenses if they don't invalidate every illegal license and address all the concerns. But revoking these licenses is part of the state's effort to comply.
The new rules for commercial driver's licenses that Duffy announced in September make getting them extremely hard for immigrants because only three specific classes of visa holders will be eligible. States will also have to verify an applicant's immigration status in a federal database. The licenses will be valid for up to one year unless the applicant's visa expires sooner.
Under the new rules, only 10,000 of the 200,000 noncitizens who have commercial licenses would qualify for them, which would only be available to drivers who have an H-2a, H-2b or E-2 visa. H-2a is for temporary agricultural workers while H-2b is for temporary nonagricultural workers, and E-2 is for people who make substantial investments in a U.S. business. But the rules won't be enforced retroactively, so those 190,000 drivers will be allowed to keep their commercial licenses at least until they come up for renewal.
Those new requirements were not in place at the time the 17,000 California licenses were issued. But those drivers were given notices that their licenses will expire in 60 days.
Duffy said in September that investigators found that one quarter of the 145 licenses they reviewed in California shouldn't have been issued. He cited four California licenses that remained valid after the driver's work permit expired — sometimes years after.
Newsom's office said the state followed guidance it received from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about issuing these licenses to noncitizens.
Copyright 2025 NPR
Cato Hernández
explores tangible ways people can make an impact on their lives and neighborhood.
Published November 13, 2025 5:00 AM
Baby lettuce grows in a hydroponic tower in Santa Barbara.
(
George Rose
/
Getty Images
)
Topline:
The L.A. City Council has approved funding for a project that will teach San Fernando Valley residents how to build and run a hydroponic system to grow food indoors and outdoors.
The details: Mid Valley Family YMCA will teach residents in Mission Hills, Panorama City and North Hills about hydroponic gardening, a process whereby plants grow in water instead of soil. The program will cover skills to build your own system and best practices for planting.
The money: The nonprofit will get nearly $390,000 to run the program. The money comes from funds already set aside for L.A. REPAIR, the city’s participatory budget program, which asked Angelenos in 2023 to vote on how to spend a pot of money. The designated neighborhoods are part of the Valley’s
L.A. REPAIR Zone,
designated neighborhoods impacted by structural and historic racism.
The backstory: Mid Valley Family YMCA is stepping in because the original grantee dropped out recently. Another program is the works for urban farming.
Julia Paskin
is the local host of All Things Considered and the L.A. Report Evening Edition.
Published November 13, 2025 5:00 AM
Artist and advocate Gary Tyler.
(
Dorian Hill
/
Courtesy the artist and Library Street Collective
)
Topline:
After living 42 years wrongfully incarcerated in the Angola State Penitentiary, Gary Tyler has spent the past decade living and working as an artist and advocate in Los Angeles. His newest exhibition now is on display at the Official Welcome Gallery through Dec. 20.
The context: Tyler was part of a group of Black students in Louisiana bussed to a formerly all-white high school under court ordered desegregation. In 1974, their bus was attacked by a white mob and a white boy was killed. Tyler was wrongfully convicted of his murder by an all-white jury.
Read on … to learn about Tyler’s political awakening in Los Angeles and how and why Tyler learned to quilt in prison.
After living 42 years wrongfully incarcerated in the Angola State Penitentiary, Gary Tyler has spent the past decade living and working as an artist and advocate in Los Angeles.
A political awakening in Los Angeles
Growing up in Louisiana, Gary Tyler experienced some culture shock when he initially moved to South Central L.A. at 12 years old.
“It was like a new world I was venturing into,” Tyler said. “I learned things that I never thought was accessible 'cause it was totally different from the way the culture in the South was. It was more open and engaging.
'Negro History Week'
Negro History Week was the precursor to what would become Black History Month. Activist Angela Davis had been the subject of international outcry after being charged with murder and kidnapping. She said she was innocent and that she was being politically framed. She was later acquitted of all charges.
“I learned about Negro History Week. […] I also walked around the community, knocked on doors and got petitions signed for Angela Davis.
“Coming to L.A. was like walking out of the dark into the light.”
A segregationist mob changes the course of Tyler’s life
After a couple of years, Tyler moved back to Louisiana, where he was part of a group of Black students bused to a formerly all-white high school under court-ordered desegregation.
On Oct. 16, 1974, their bus was attacked by a white mob and a white boy was killed. Tyler was wrongfully convicted of his murder by an all-white jury.
Detroit Newspaper circa 1976
(
Courtesy of Gary Tyler's archive
)
Multiple witnesses later recanted their testimonies, saying they were pressured by police. Nevertheless, at just 17, Tyler became the youngest person on death row in the country, and was sent to the
Louisiana State Prison
in Angola, La.
Rodeos, quilting and an unexpected community
Tyler said he was afraid of the people he would meet in prison, but to his surprise, he found a community of older men who came together to protect him.
“Little did I know, despite the appearance of these guys, these guys was caring. These guys were loving,” Tyler said. “And these guys didn't perceive me as a threat at all because I was this little kid in adult prison.”
Tyler paid that care forward in different ways within the community in Angola, spending decades leading the prison theater program and volunteering with the country’s first prison hospice program, which was established in 1988 during the heigh of the AIDS crisis.
It was the need to fund hospice care that led Tyler to learn quilting in order to have something to sell at the notorious Angola Prison Rodeo, an annual fundraiser where inmates risk life and limb facing off against agitated bulls before a crowd.
Tyler resisted the craft at first.
GARY TYLER QUILTS
'Fernanda's Touch,' 2025
(
Courtesy of the artist; Library Street Collective, Detroit; and Official Welcome, Los Angeles. Photo: Evan Bedford
)
'Unforgiven,' 2025
(
Courtesy of the artist; Library Street Collective, Detroit; and Official Welcome, Los Angeles. Photo: Evan Bedford
)
'Convict Poker,' 2025;
(
Courtesy of the artist; Library Street Collective, Detroit; and Official Welcome, Los Angeles. Photo: Evan Bedford
)
“I felt that it was a feminine thing to do in prison,” Tyler said. “But I started thinking about my grandmother when I was this little kid. … I said, 'Wait a minute. I come from a family generation where my grandmother made quilts.' So I started having a different perspective … [that] we’re doing something noble. We doing something that supports dying men in prison.”
As Tyler’s quilts became big sellers at the rodeo and his leadership in the theater program attracted even more attention to his case, Tyler’s lawyers and national and international supporters rallied around his case. Still, it took 42 years for Tyler to be released — in 2016 at the age of 57.
A return to Los Angeles
With the aid of some of his longtime supporters, Tyler settled in Pasadena, where he became an advocate, working with organizations like
A Safe Place For Youth
. He continues to make quilts, ranging from colorful butterflies — a symbol of freedom — to depictions of life in incarceration.
“I felt that doing something tangible through my artwork, through quilting … that would give an understanding of my life experience in prison.”
'Illuminations from a Captured Soul' is now on display at the Official Welcome Gallery in Los Angeles through December 20th, 2025.
(
Official Welcome Gallery
)
Tyler’s newest exhibition of narrative quilts includes portraits of people serving sentences in Angola, depicted not as inmates but as the characters they portrayed in his plays. Tyler says this gives the viewer an opportunity to see their humanity.
And preserving one’s humanity is at the heart of all of Tyler’s work.
“I wanted to maintain my own individuality, knowing that I was an innocent person,” he said. “And I want people to know … even if you’re guilty, there's a chance for change. Never miss out on that opportunity, no matter what.”
"Illuminations from a Captured Soul" is now on display at the Official Welcome Gallery in Los Angeles through Dec. 20.
See artists like John Mooney at Venice Open Studios.
(
John Mooney
/
Venice Open Studios
)
In this edition:
Benny Boy Brewery wants YOU to crush apples. Plus, Venice Open Studios and Baratunde Thurston in Long Beach.
Highlights:
CONGRESS invites the audience to participate in a salon-style environment, creating a conversation that bridges genres and builds community through movement. Eight choreographers come together at the event to “create a unique piece showcasing both LA’s rising stars and established creative voices.”
Bring a non-perishable food item and your dancing energy for a free hip-hop and R&B DJ set from Yaya Bey, who’s performing an intimate show to support Feed the Streets.
Take a peek inside many of the artist studios in one of the city’s most artsy neighborhoods, Venice, at Venice Open Studios. Learn about the beachside community’s art-centric history and visit artist spaces to learn more about the creative processes behind the work of locals.
Comedian and host Baratunde Thurston (The Daily Show, America Outdoors) brings his take on the future, AI and more to the Carpenter Center in Long Beach for an evening of laughs and community as part of the venue’s Wit & Wisdom series.
And celebrate all things cider at Benny Boy Brewing’s 4th annual Applefest Fall Festival — including actually crushing the apples.
Though there's a myriad of fun things scheduled for the weekend, double-check all listings, as
the oncoming storm
may see some events canceled or postponed.
At least indoors, there are some really special music events this weekend, too. Miguel is playing a set at The Broad on Saturday afternoon, and Patti Smith is rocking through her landmark album Horses on its 50th anniversary at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Plus, Tyler, the Creator’s sold-out Camp Flog Gnaw is happening all weekend long at Dodger Stadium.
Licorice Pizza
has even more music listings for you.
Saturday, November 15, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Yaya Bey The Airliner 2419 N. Broadway, Lincoln Heights COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Ra.co
)
Bring a non-perishable food item and your dancing energy for a free hip-hop and R&B DJ set from Yaya Bey, who’s performing an intimate show to support Feed the Streets. Do some good to support those in our community struggling with SNAP benefit cuts and have some fun — a double win.
Friday, November 14, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Innovation Social: Rhythmic Wave I: A Journey to 5054 Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Music Center 135 N. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A. COST: FREE WITH RSVP; MORE INFO
Dance meets immersive technology meets Afrofuturism in Rhythmic Wave I: A Journey to 5054, a performance from Faith “Aya” Umoh. Umoh, who won last year’s MIT XR Grand Prize, is also a Royal Shakespeare fellow who blends her theater and dance experience with motion capture, ancestral Nigerian dance, and AI. She’ll be performing (for free!) at this latest iteration of the Music Center’s Innovation Social series.
Friday, November 14 to Sunday, November 16 CONGRESS Vol. XII L.A. Dance Project 2245 E. Washington Blvd., Downtown L.A. COST: FROM $55; MORE INFO
More dance! CONGRESS invites the audience to participate in a salon-style environment, creating a conversation that bridges genres and builds community through movement. Eight choreographers come together at the event to “create a unique piece showcasing both L.A.'s rising stars and established creative voices.”
November 15 to 23, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. nightly Mountains of the Moon 1600 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica COST: $10; MORE INFO
(
Jay Blakesberg
/
Outside PR
)
Calling all Deadheads, flower children and tie-dye enthusiasts — and I mean all that in the best possible way. Artist, skier and filmmaker Chris Benchetler is launching Mountains of the Moon, an immersive experience set to the music of the Grateful Dead. The week-long premiere event, in partnership with Arc’teryx, includes the film itself and background on how it was made.
Saturday, November 15, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Grandma’s House Hollywood, exact location upon RSVP COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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1Community
)
Grandmas are the best. Enter this unique experience — part museum, part culinary adventure, all heart — which takes you into the homes of several real-life and much-admired L.A. grandmas. The team behind the Netflix film Nonnas has created a series of themed rooms curated by the women who share their stories, recipes and keepsakes in this walk-through experience. The grandmothers featured are:
Fran Jemmott
, co-founder of the California Black Women's Health Project;
Odilia Romero
, a pivotal figure in advocacy for Indigenous migrant communities; and Pauline Bunt, a doting grandmother of four with Sicilian and Neapolitan Calabrian roots. The experience also includes bites from Komal chef Fatima Juarez, sharing the flavors of her native Mexico City.
Sunday, November 16, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Venice Open Studios 2025 Multiple locations in Venice COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Take a peek inside many of the artist studios in one of the city’s most artsy neighborhoods: Venice. Learn about the beachside community’s art-centric history and visit artist spaces to learn more about the creative processes behind the work of locals like William Attaway (who did the shell mosaics on the Boardwalk) and Alejandro Gehry, and visit local favorite spots like Sunset Avenue gallery Arcane Space.
Saturday, November 15, 8 p.m. An Evening With Baratunde Thurston Carpenter Center 6200 E. Atherton Street, Long Beach COST: FROM $33.75; MORE INFO
Baratunde is coming to Long Beach.
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Mathieu Young
/
Carpenter Arts
)
Comedian and host Baratunde Thurston (The Daily Show, America Outdoors) brings his take on the future, AI and more to the Carpenter Center in Long Beach. It’s part of the venue’s Wit & Wisdom series, and promises to be an evening of laughs and community.
Through January 10, 2026 Opening reception: Saturday, November 15, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Perspective and Plane Louis Stern Fine Arts 9002 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Louis Stern Fine Arts
)
Perspective and Plane is a group exhibition pairing works by Louis Stern Gallery artists with those of artists from a different era, encouraging the viewer to reflect on the relationship between past and present. The show includes paintings, photography and sculptures by artists like Lorser Feitelson, Helen Lundeberg, Karl Benjamin and Alfredo Ramos Martínez, as well as contemporary artists like James Little, Mark Leonard, Mokha Laget and Cecilia Z. Miguez.
Outdoor Pick
Saturday, November 15, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Native Bees with Krystle Hickman Los Angeles County Arboretum 301 North Baldwin Ave., Arcadia COST: $20; MORE INFO
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Aaron Burden
/
Unsplash
)
National Geographic Explorer and community scientist Krystle Hickman leads a conversation about one of our most precious natural resources — bees — at the Arboretum. Her work centers on native bees and the ecosystems they call home.
Viewing Pick
Sunday, November 16, 5 p.m. Organist Roger Sayer: Interstellar in Concert First Congregational Church of Los Angeles 40 South Commonwealth Ave., Rampart Village COST: $33.85; MORE INFO
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Paramount Pictures
/
Facebook
)
While this is more of a listening pick than a viewing pick, I hope you’ll forgive the loose interpretation. The magic of the music of Interstellar, Christopher Nolan’s 2015 epic space adventure, was a collaboration between Hans Zimmer and organist Roger Sayer, who is performing pieces from the soundtrack at the First Congregational Church. Those acoustics! Get it! The concert also includes additional space-themed pieces, like the opening theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey and selections from The Planets by Gustav Holst. The concert *does* include a short documentary about the creation of the Interstellar soundtrack, followed by an audience Q&A.
Dine & Drink Deals
Saturday and Sunday, November 15 and 16 Benny Boy Brewing’s 4th Annual Applefest Fall Festival 1821 Daly Street, Downtown L.A. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Benny Boy Brewing
)
Celebrate all things cider at Benny Boy Brewing’s 4th annual Applefest Fall Festival — including actually crushing the apples. Get hands-on in the harvest and help sort, crush and press apples on Benny Boy’s old-fashioned rack and cloth press to make a community cider. Nearly 500 volunteers have collectively crushed and pressed 3 tons of apples at the annual event!
Saturday, November 15, 11 a.m. 3 p.m. Joimo Kombucha 'Sips of Pure Joy' Tasting Event 1375 E. 15th Street, Arts District COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Joimo Kombucha
)
More fermentation is on the menu at Joimo Kombucha. Get a tour of the fermentation room, learn about the brewing process, and try free tastings of the pungent, sparkly, probiotic brew.
