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MLS playoff matchups for conference semifinals

The 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs are through the best-of-three Round 1 series and the journey toward the Dec. 6 championship game will continue with the conference semifinals.

In Round 1, the higher-seeded teams won seven of the eight matchups. The Philadelphia Union, the 2025 Supporters’ Shield winners, swept their first-round series; so did Los Angeles FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami avoided a first-round playoff upset this time around, dispatching Nashville SC in three games.

Here is a look at the schedule for the conference semifinals for the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs:

MLS Cup Playoffs 2025: Results and upcoming schedule

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

Eastern Conference

FC Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami — Sunday, Nov. 23, 5 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Union vs. New York City FC — Sunday, Nov. 23, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)

Western Conference

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Los Angeles FC — Saturday, Nov. 22, 9:30 p.m. ET
San Diego FC vs. Minnesota United — Monday, Nov. 24, 10 p.m. ET

Watch the MLS playoffs on Apple TV

ROUND 1

Philadelphia Union vs. Chicago Fire

Philadelphia Union win series, 2-0

Game 1: Philadelphia Union 2, Chicago Fire 2 (Philadelphia won penalty shootout, 4-2)
Game 2: Philadelphia Union 3, Chicago Fire 0

FC Cincinnati vs. Columbus Crew

FC Cincinnati wins series, 2-1

Game 1: FC Cincinnati 1, Columbus Crew 0
Game 2: Columbus Crew 4, FC Cincinnati 0
Game 3: FC Cincinnati 2, Columbus Crew 1

Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC

Inter Miami wins series, 2-1

Game 1: Inter Miami 3, Nashville SC 1
Game 2: Nashville SC 2, Inter Miami 1
Game 3: Inter Miami 4, Nashville SC 0

Charlotte FC vs. New York City FC

NYCFC wins series, 2-1

Game 1: New York City FC 1, Charlotte FC 0
Game 2: Charlotte FC 0, New York City FC 0 (Charlotte won penalty shootout, 7-6)
Game 3: New York City FC 3, Charlotte FC 1

San Diego FC vs. Portland Timbers

San Diego FC wins series, 2-1

Game 1: San Diego FC 2, Portland Timbers 1
Game 2: Portland Timbers 2, San Diego FC 2 (Portland won penalty shootout, 3-2)
Game 3: San Diego FC 4, Portland Timbers 0

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. FC Dallas

Vancouver Whitecaps win series, 2-0

Game 1: Vancouver Whitecaps 3, FC Dallas 0
Game 2: Vancouver Whitecaps 1, FC Dallas 1 (Vancouver won penalty shootout, 4-2)

Los Angeles FC vs. Austin FC

LAFC wins series, 2-1

Game 1: Los Angeles FC 2, Austin FC 1
Game 2: Los Angeles FC 4, Austin FC 1

Minnesota United vs. Seattle Sounders

Minnesota United wins series, 2-1

Game 1: Minnesota United 0, Seattle Sounders 0 (Minnesota won penalty shootout, 3-2)
Game 2: Seattle Sounders 4, Minnesota United 2
Game 3: Minnesota United 3, Seattle Sounders 3 (Minnesota won penalty shootout, 7-6)

WILD-CARD ROUND

Chicago Fire FC 3, Orlando City SC 1
Portland Timbers 3, Real Salt Lake 1

2025 MLS playoff schedule

Oct. 22: Wild-card matches (single-elimination matches)
Oct. 24-Nov. 9: Round 1 (best-of-three series)
Nov. 22-24: Conference semifinals (single-elimination matches)
Nov. 29-30: Conference finals (single-elimination matches)
Dec. 6: MLS Cup (single winner-take-all match)

MLS Cup: Results of every championship game since 1996

2024: Los Angeles Galaxy over New York Red Bulls (Dignity Health Sports Park), 2-1.
2023: Columbus Crew over Los Angeles FC (Lower.com Field), 2-1
2022: Los Angeles FC over Philadelphia Union (Banc of California Stadium), 3-3 (LAFC won penalty shootout, 3-0)
2021: New York City FC over Portland Timbers (Providence Park), 1-1 (NYCFC won penalty shootout, 4-2)
2020: Columbus Crew over Seattle Sounders FC (Mapfre Stadium), 3-0
2019: Seattle Sounders FC over Toronto FC (CenturyLink Field), 3-1
2018: Atlanta United over Portland Timbers (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), 2-0
2017: Toronto FC over Seattle Sounders FC (BMO Field), 2-0
2016: Seattle Sounders FC over Toronto FC (BMO Field), 0-0 (Sounders won penalty shootout, 5-4)
2015: Portland Timbers over Columbus Crew (Mapfre Stadium), 2-1
2014: Los Angeles Galaxy over New England Revolution (StubHub Center), 2-1 (extra time)
2013: Sporting Kansas City over Real Salt Lake (Sporting Park), 1-1 (SKC won penalty shootout, 7-6)
2012: Los Angeles Galaxy over Houston Dynamo (Home Depot Center), 3-1
2011: Los Angeles Galaxy over Houston Dynamo (Home Depot Center), 1-0
2010: Colorado Rapids over FC Dallas (BMO Field), 2-1 (extra time)
2009: Real Salt Lake over Los Angeles Galaxy (Qwest Field), 1-1 (RSL won penalty shootout, 5-4)
2008: Columbus Crew over New York Red Bulls (Home Depot Center), 3-1
2007: Houston Dynamo over New England Revolution (RFK Stadium), 2-1
2006: Houston Dynamo over New England Revolution (Pizza Hut Park), 1-1 (Dynamo won penalty shootout, 4-3)
2005: Los Angeles Galaxy over New England Revolution (Pizza Hut Park), 1-0 (extra time)
2004: D.C. United over Kansas City Wizards (Home Depot Center), 3-2
2003: San Jose Earthquakes over Chicago Fire (Home Depot Center), 4-2
2002: Los Angeles Galaxy over New England Revolution (Gillette Stadium), 1-0 (extra time)
2001: San Jose Earthquakes over Los Angeles Galaxy (Crew Stadium), 2-1 (extra time)
2000: Kansas City Wizards over Chicago Fire (RFK Stadium), 1-0
1999: D.C. United over Los Angeles Galaxy (Foxboro Stadium), 2-0
1998: Chicago Fire over D.C. United (Rose Bowl), 2-0
1997: D.C. United over Colorado Rapids (RFK Stadium), 2-1
1996: D.C. United over Los Angeles Galaxy (Foxboro Stadium), 3-2 (extra time)

USA TODAY Sports’ 48-page special edition commemorates 30 years of Major League Soccer, from its best players to key milestones and championship dynasties to what exciting steps are next with the World Cup ahead. Order your copy today!

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Blockbuster trade didn’t solve AFC contender’s actual glaring problem

Despite Gardner’s debut, the Colts narrowly defeated the Atlanta Falcons 31-25 in overtime, relying on running back Jonathan Taylor.
The trade signals the Colts are betting on their current roster, which may lead to a large contract extension for quarterback Daniel Jones.
History suggests a lockdown cornerback alone is not enough to guarantee Super Bowl success, which typically depends on elite quarterback play.

Having a lockdown cornerback in the NFL is basically the same as having a lockdown left tackle – awfully nice but hardly predictive of Super Bowl success.

Maybe the Indianapolis Colts, who forked over two first-round draft picks to the New York Jets for corner Sauce Gardner ahead of the league’s Nov. 4 trade deadline can disprove that. But Sunday’s (very) early returns suggest otherwise.

The Colts are now 8-2 and back atop the overall AFC standings after escaping the Atlanta Falcons 31-25 in overtime in the first-ever regular-season game staged in Berlin. After a crash course into his new playbook, Gardner, who hasn’t exactly been airtight in coverage after earning All-Pro honors in 2022 and ’23, seemed to do fine in his Indy debut.

He was regularly deployed to guard Drake London, Atlanta’s top receiver and a guy coming off a three-touchdown performance at New England in Week 9. London wound up with six catches for 104 yards Sunday. However, per Next Gen Stats, he only secured two of four targets for 26 yards against Gardner, who nearly registered his first pick of 2025 while covering him. London did snare a TD on a play that Gardner was either schemed out of or made a bad decision on.

“I mean, man, I’m going to be honest; it was like a tough week for me, like mentally, just trying to learn all the plays,” said Gardner.

“I started watching tape on Cleveland, then already had to switch and watch tape on Atlanta, and that’s besides having to hurry up and fly to Indy and then hurry up and fly to Berlin.”

London also beat Gardner, who slipped, on a two-point conversion inside of two minutes to go that gave Atlanta a three-point lead before Indianapolis tied the game in the final minute of regulation.

“I was sick after that,” said Gardner, who vowed to tighten things up in overtime, when the Falcons had -8 yards on five plays.

But that’s really the rub.

Gardner couldn’t much help a team that was so often abysmal in gotta-have-it situations, the Colts 4-for-16 combined on third and fourth downs. He couldn’t bolster the blocking of an offensive line that struggled in key spots and surrendered seven sacks. He wasn’t able to limit the mistakes of quarterback Daniel Jones, who turned the ball over twice – giving him seven giveaways over the past two games (after committing three in the first eight) in a frightening reversion to the version of himself whom New York Giants fans were so familiar with. Defensively, the Colts seemed to miss injured defensive tackle DeForest Buckner much more than they needed whatever Gardner gave them Sunday.

Ultimately, running back Jonathan Taylor, a legit MVP candidate, saved the day with 244 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including an 83-yarder in the fourth quarter and the decisive score from 8 yards out in overtime.

“They go as Jonathan Taylor goes,’ said NFL Network analyst and former Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy.

‘You take away JT, you put it in Daniel Jones’ hands – we don’t know what’ll happen.”

Yup.

As pleasant a surprise as the conference-leading Colts have generally been this season – I certainly didn’t foresee this level of success unfolding – general manager Chris Ballard has now made a bed with what could be a mattress on a short shelf life. By acquiring Gardner for the hefty price he paid, Ballard has bet big on his team – and GMs should do that when they feel like their roster is Super Bowl-caliber or close to it. Gardner is a player who would need to earn his stripes in the playoffs against quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson – but he’s likely not going to make that much of a difference immediately in what’s typically an eminently winnable AFC South.

By extension, Ballard is also obligated to re-sign Jones, who’s playing on a one-year deal, to a sizable contract extension – the same mistake the Giants made after the 2022 season and ultimately regretted. Yet given Ballard’s next Round 1 selection is scheduled for the 2028 draft and 2023 first-rounder Anthony Richardson is just about relegated to bust status (at least in Indianapolis), the GM now has little recourse but to hope Jones’ marriage with head coach Shane Steichen is built to last in a way the union to Brian Daboll wasn’t.

The Colts – their losses this season have come against the division-leading Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers – have fattened their record this season against the likes of the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans (twice) and now the Jekyll-and-Hyde Falcons, who fell to 3-6 Sunday and have been manhandled this season by the Dolphins and the Carolina Panthers.

Moving forward, with potential future battles against Mahomes, Jackson, Allen, et al. looming, the Colts are banking that Jones can be a rarity – a largely ordinary QB1 like Nick Foles or Joe Flacco who can break through with a postseason hot streak that leads to Lombardi glory. If that happens, then Gardner will join a list that includes Stephon Gilmore, Darrelle Revis, Jalen Ramsey and even the incomparable Deion Sanders – topflight corners who couldn’t lead their original teams to success but subsequently won rings with squads largely propelled by Hall of Fame-caliber quarterbacks.

Barring that?

After betting the farm on Gardner and eventually Jones, Ballard’s years-long quarterback conundrum could ultimately be his undoing … perhaps thanks in part to his new cornerback.

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Donald Trump joins Fox broadcast during Commanders-Lions game

President Donald Trump became the first sitting president to attend a NFL regular-season game since 1978 when he showed up to the Detroit Lions’ drubbing of the Washington Commanders in Landover, Maryland on Sunday, Nov. 9.

The crowd let the 45th president know how they felt by booing him (with a smattering of cheers) while being shown on the video board at Northwest Stadium and during a halftime military swearing-in ceremony, which Trump led.

Trump also spent a few minutes of the third quarter being interviewed by the FOX broadcast team of Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma.

‘It’s a microcosm of life,’ Trump answered when Albert asked him why he loved sports. ‘It’s sort of like life: the good, the bad, the ugly.

‘You have the triumph. You have the problems. You got to get through the problems to hit the triumphs. You can never quit. You can never give up.’

Standing between the two broadcasters, Trump complimented injured Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and praised backup Marcus Mariota – without mentioning their names and referring to them as ‘second-string’ and ‘first-string.’ He alluded to the Lions’ trade of Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff and said it worked out for both sides.

The broadcast showed a team photo from Trump’s football-playing days, uniform No. 85, at New York Military Academy. Trump admitted he never scored a touchdown.

‘I actually loved playing football … at least you realize that I never tell a lie,’ Trump said.

It seems Trump has strayed from his New York allegiances as a fan of both the Giants and Jets. There was praise of one of Vilma’s teammates with the New Orleans Saints, quarterback Drew Brees. As far as his game analysis, Trump harped on the importance of the Commanders’ drive as they trailed 32-10.

Vilma asked him about the general health of the nation. The stock market hit an all-time high, Trump said, along with his claim that ‘prices are coming down.’

‘We’re doing great,’ Trump said. ‘Just how (the Commanders) are doing right now.’

Mariota hit Deebo Samuel for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 32-16 after he said that.

‘I love ratings,’ Trump later said. ‘But you guys have the ratings.’

Trump went on to wax poetic about Washington coaches of the past and name-dropped George Allen and Joe Gibbs.

When Albert gave Trump the opening to exit stage left, Trump replied, ‘I’d love to have your job.’

Trump is no stranger to sporting events. He attended Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans in February shortly after beginning his second term. He was also on hand for the first day of play at the Ryder Cup in New York, the Major League Baseball playoffs and the men’s final of the US Open.

Trump attempted to purchase the Buffalo Bills in 2014 and his relationship with the league while in office is a complicated one, from his bashing of the protests that took place during the national anthem during his first term to standing in the Oval Office with commissioner Roger Goodell earlier this year to announce that the 2027 NFL draft will be held in Washington D.C. ESPN reported Nov. 8 that Trump wants the Commanders’ new stadium, at the former RFK Stadium site in Washington, to be named after him.

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In a SNAP, Trump blamed for blocking food assistance to low-income families

Let’s put politics aside, as if that were possible, and look at how the craziness of the last few days is affecting people.

A week ago, President Donald Trump announced that the 42 million Americans on the SNAP nutrition program would not be getting their benefits — this against the backdrop of a government shutdown that has now reached its 40th day.

This against the backdrop of millions of federal workers who have not been paid while the shutdown drags on — and many of whom live paycheck to paycheck.

This against the backdrop of Trump throwing a lavish, Great Gatsby-themed Mar-a-Lago bash where guests in formal wear watched opera and feasted on blue cheese mousse, sliced beef filet, seared scallops and Trump chocolate cake.

Meanwhile, a federal judge ordered the administration to resume SNAP benefits, which cost $8.5 billion a month, but the Supreme Court gave Trump time to appeal.

And when at least nine states said they would pay for SNAP benefits during the crisis, Trump ordered them to ‘immediately undo’ any effort to provide food stamps to lower-income families — or face financial penalties.

Let’s see: how does this make the president look?

I hate this word, but what are the optics of this determined effort to stop these benefits from reaching hungry families?

After all, when a wealthy donor pal, Timothy Mellon, a banking and railroad heir, offered $130 million to ensure that American troops get paid during the shutdown, Trump seized the opportunity.

After all, the Trump tax cut was tilted toward the wealthy.

After all, Trump has further cut capital gains taxes on home sales that will mostly benefit the affluent and wealthy, enabling many to pay zero, or a reduced rate, on these sales. If you are totally unaware of this, you probably don’t qualify.

After all — this may have been the weirdest thing — Trump said Obamacare is so terrible that he wants to send people $2,000 checks so they can buy their own insurance.

But, where would they buy it, if not from an insurance company? And what would they do if the stock market plunged? There’s a reason that privatization of health insurance has never gone anywhere.

So to come back to politics (inevitably), how does any of this help Trump?

I get the notion that he’s trying to boost the pain level so that Democrats will end the shutdown on his terms.

The Democrats, who have made soaring Obamacare premiums a central part of their pitch — and fear millions will lose coverage unless expiring subsidies are extended — have hung on longer than anyone expected.

For what it’s worth, both sides deserve a ton of blame for failing to keep the lights on during this endless blame game, rather than work out a compromise, which is what we pay them to do.

But don’t Trump and JD Vance, who called the judge’s order ‘absurd,’ look like they don’t particularly care if millions of families go hungry, or are taking food from dumpsters?

Seriously, is there an alternative explanation?

Blaming the other side is fine for the usual political fun and games. But doing it during this kind of self-inflicted crisis?

With the opposition throwing out charges of cruelty, is there some nine — dimensional chess level on which this helps Trump?

Trump says former President Joe Biden ‘went totally crazy’ and handed out food stamps to ‘anybody that would ask.’ So is this liberalism gone wild? I decided to do a little digging.

Turns out there are income limits, and those in the program must meet work requirements. What’s more, the oft-repeated charge that illegal immigrants are getting SNAP benefits is simply untrue, though there are exemptions for children and refugees. (Obviously, you can never completely rule out instances of fraud.)

During the pandemic, when unemployment soared, Congress passed an emergency measure that temporarily suspended a work requirement for adults without dependents who were capable of holding jobs. This happened under … President Trump, in his first term, in 2020.

Under a deal with Republicans in 2023, work requirements for SNAP were increased. That happened under … Biden. Some Republicans, meanwhile, said the measure didn’t go far enough.

By the way, SNAP participation peaked in the fall of 2017, under Trump, which was related to hurricane emergencies.

Sorry for the green-eyeshade stuff, but I thought it was worth more research.

Most people don’t have the time or interest in excavating the details. They just know they aren’t getting the food aid they expected and that neither are millions of other lower-income families. And especially with his dogged determination to block the states from helping out, many are holding Trump accountable.

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Trump pardons Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, Sidney Powell, others involved in 2020 election interference saga

President Donald Trump has granted ‘full, complete and unconditional’ pardons to several key allies accused of attempting to overturn the 2020 election, U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin announced Sunday night.

In a post on X, Martin shared Trump’s proclamation granting pardons for dozens of people, including notable figures like Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows and Sidney Powell.

The pardon proclamation was posted in response to a message Martin shared on X on May 26, 2025, that said, ‘No MAGA left behind.’

‘This proclamation ends a grave national injustice perpetrated upon the American people following the 2020 Presidential Election and continues the process of national reconciliation,’ the document reads.

Trump wrote in that proclamation that he did not include himself in the pardons.

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NWSL No. 1 seed bounced in shocking upset; schedule set for semifinals

The NWSL quarterfinals are behind us. Only four teams remain in the hunt for the 2025 championship.

Regardless of the sport, the playoffs always bring unexpected results and this year’s NWSL playoffs were no different. After a dominant regular season, the Kansas City Current (21-3-2) were knocked out in the first round by No. 8 seed Gotham FC (9-8-9) in a shocking upset. Gotham’s win made them the first No. 8 seed to win in a match in the NWSL playoffs.

Despite the unexpected result though, the games themselves were absolutely thrilling, with only one quarterfinals match resulting in a two-score differential. Two games even went into extra time. If the quarterfinals were any indication, this year’s postseason is going to be one for the ages.

Here’s everything to know for the remainder of the NWSL playoffs:

2025 NWSL playoffs bracket

Quarterfinals

No. 8 Gotham FC 2, No. 1 Kansas City Current 1 (extra time)
No. 4 Orlando Pride 2, No. 5 Seattle Reign FC 0
No. 2 Washington Spirit 1, No. 7 Racing Louisville FC 1 (Washington won 3-1 in penalties)
No. 3 Portland Thorns FC 1, No. 6 San Diego Wave FC 0 (extra time)

Semifinals

All times Eastern

Game 5, Nov. 15: No. 2 Washington Spirit vs. No. 3 Portland Thorns FC, 12 p.m. | CBS
Game 6, Nov. 16: No. 4 Orlando Pride vs. No. 8 Gotham FC , 3 p.m. | ABC

Championship final

At PayPal Park in San Jose, California

Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6, 8 p.m. | CBS

All games will be available for viewing with NWSL+. The championship game will also be available to watch on Paramount+.

Stream the 2025 NWSL championship game with Paramount+

2025 NWSL schedule

The NWSL semifinals will take place on Saturday, Nov. 15 and Sunday, 16. The first game will feature the No. 2 Washington Spirit hosting No. 3 Portland Thorns FC Saturday at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. at Noon ET. The game will be televised by CBS.

On Sunday, No. 4 Orlando Pride will host No. 8 Gotham FC – a shocking second home game for Orlando as very few people expected Gotham to defeat the top-seeded Kansas City Current. That game will start at 3 p.m. ET at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando Florda. The game will air on ABC.

The championship game will take place on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be played at PayPal Park in San Jose, California, and will air on CBS while streaming on Paramount+.

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Commanders defender ejected for striking Lions star

The Washington Commanders’ trying day against the Detroit Lions got even more difficult early in the second quarter on Sunday.

Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne was ejected for the remainder of the game for striking Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown after a touchdown.

After hitting the side of St. Brown’s helmet, Payne was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and sent off.

It was not immediately clear what provoked Payne’s response.

The Lions extended their lead after running back Jahmyr Gibbs ran 13 yards for a touchdown on the previous play. Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu and cornerback Trey Amos were both injured on the play. After a two-point conversion, Detroit went up 22-3.

Payne, 28, is a former Pro Bowl selection (2022) who is Washington’s highest-paid defensive player.

The Commanders entered the contest on a four-game losing skid, with the last three defeats all coming by 21 points or more.

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Senate Democrats cave, open path to reopening government

The Senate took a massive step forward on its way to reopening the government on Sunday, with a group of Senate Democrats caving and joining Republicans in their bid to pass a revamped plan to end the shutdown.

Signs that the shutdown, which entered its 40th day, could be ending became more and more clear as the day went on, particularly with the unveiling of a bipartisan package of spending bills that lawmakers hope to attach to a modified bill to reopen the government.

Eight Senate Democrats crossed the aisle to mark the first step in the GOP’s quest to end the shutdown. Many of the lawmakers that splintered from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., were among those engaged in bipartisan talks over the last several weeks.

Among the defectors were Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, John Fetterman, D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Jacky Rosen, D-N.M., Tim Kaine, D-Va., and the number two Democrat in the Senate, Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

‘The question was, does the shutdown further the goal of achieving some needed support for the extension of the tax credits? Our judgment was that it will not,’ King said. ‘It would not produce that result. And the evidence for that is almost seven weeks of fruitless attempts to make that happen.’

Schumer and Senate Democrats long stayed the course that they would only vote to reopen the government in exchange for a solid deal on extending expiring Obamacare subsidies.

But the solution developed over the last several days included nothing of the sort. While there were some wins in the updated continuing resolution (CR), like reversals of some of the firings of furloughed workers undertaken by the Trump administration and guaranteeing back pay for furloughed workers, there was no guaranteed victory in sight on the Obamacare issue.

That means that Senate Democrats effectively caved with little to show for their healthcare push, save for the guarantee of a vote on the subsidies from Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., which was reflected in the updated CR. 

Schumer panned the compromise deal, and charged that when Republicans rejected Democrats’ own counter-proposal that would have extended the expiring subsidies for a year, ‘They showed that they are against any health care reform.’

‘This healthcare crisis is so severe, so urgent, so devastating for families back home that I cannot, in good faith, support this CR that fails to address the healthcare crisis,’ Schumer said. 

Thune was optimistic that the plan would work, and reiterated his promise of a vote on the expiring subsidies. However, whatever legislation is produced to address the Obamacare issue is likely to fail. 

‘Regardless, as I have said for weeks to my Democrat friends, I will schedule a vote on their proposal, and I’ve committed to having that vote no later than second week in December,’ he said. 

Progressives in the caucus were unhappy with the developments, too.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, charged that it would be a ‘horrific mistake’ for Democrats to cave now without an Obamacare deal.

‘If Democrats cave on this issue, what it will say to Donald Trump is that he has a green light to go forward toward authoritarianism,’ Sanders said. ‘And I think that would be a tragedy for this country.’

Still, there is a long way to go before the government officially reopens.

Sunday’s vote was the first in a series needed in the Senate to modify the original House-passed continuing resolution and combine it with the three-bill spending package and updated CR, which, if passed, would reopen the government until Jan. 30, 2026.

Lawmakers hope that if given the extra time, they could finish funding the government with spending bills rather than turning to another CR or colossal omnibus spending package, which crams all 12 government funding bills into one piece of legislation.

‘If we blow this window, we’re going to get stuck with a yearlong CR,’ Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said.

And the shutdown won’t end in the Senate, given that the changes to the legislation will need to be greenlit by the House before making it to President Donald Trump’s desk.

Democrats could still extract pain through procedural hurdles unless there is unanimous agreement from all 100 senators to move forward with the remaining votes.

The Obamacare issue is still bubbling on both sides of the aisle, however. Senate Republicans slammed the state of healthcare throughout Saturday, particularly over how the subsidies funneled money to insurance companies.

Democrats still remained skeptical if their frustration, and desire to make changes to take on insurance companies, was legitimate.

‘The point, I think that’s really relevant here, is if they’re serious, and I really question whether that’s the case,’ Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said.

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Flight reductions likely to continue — or worsen — if shutdown persists, experts warn

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) started reducing air traffic across 40 airports Friday due to air traffic controller staffing issues stemming from the government shutdown.

As the government shutdown has hit 40 days, more air traffic control workers have refused to come to work as they’re about to miss a second paycheck next week — prompting the FAA to make cuts to ensure no safety issues arise.

But these flight reductions will likely continue if the shutdown does — or worsen — and could impact thousands of flights daily, according to Marc Scribner, a senior transportation policy analyst at the libertarian Reason Foundation think tank.

‘This would affect thousands of flights per day, and tens of thousands of passengers potentially seeing their flights canceled — a major disruption,’ Scribner told Fox News Digital Thursday.

As of Sunday, there are now enough Senate Democrats willing to back a revamped plan to reopen the government. But if the shutdown doesn’t end, air travel disruptions are at risk. 

‘I don’t think we would expect, if the shutdown continues, for staffing levels to improve over what they are right now,’ Scribner said. ‘If anything, they will continue to deteriorate as controllers call out sick or perhaps even resign. So I would expect it would not get better as long as the shutdown continues.’

Scribner said that travelers shouldn’t be concerned that the reduction in flights would translate to a lapse in safety, but said they should be aware that their travel schedules will likely take a hit as a result.

‘They’re not going to allow unsafe flights. So whatever that means in terms of staffing capability and workflow, they are going to reduce the flights in order to maintain that very high level of safety that’s demanded of that,’ Scribner said. ‘Travelers shouldn’t be concerned about safety in this, but they should be concerned about their travel schedules, which are likely to be impacted.’

Richard Stern, director of the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget at conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, also said he expects this reduction to continue until the shutdown ends. 

‘Unfortunately, I think it’s going to have to continue until the shutdown ends, because they’re running through resources that they don’t have until this funding again,’ Stern told Fox News Digital Thursday. 

Stern said the government has been entering into uncharted territory now with what minimum services the government is required to provide, despite the fact that funding has expired. 

‘No one really knows exactly what the next steps are after this,’ Stern said. 

No clarity has been provided regarding how long this reduction in flights is expected to continue. The Department of Transportation, which oversees the FAA, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

The FAA said Friday that air traffic will be cut by 10% in the coming days across 40 ‘high-volume’ markets, including those in major cities like Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando, Miami and San Francisco, according to a list of airports obtained by The Associated Press. Major metropolitan areas with several airports like New York and Chicago will have outages at multiple locations.

Reducing air traffic in response to the lapse in funding from the government shutdown is unprecedented, according to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.

‘I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,’ Bedford said at a news conference Wednesday.

Air traffic controllers have been working without pay since the shutdown kicked off Oct. 1, and often are required to work six days a week in addition to mandatory overtime.

Bedford said that the decision to reduce air traffic was made in order to prevent a crisis from emerging, amid increased staffing pressures and voluntary safety reports from pilots suggesting that air traffic controllers were facing heightened levels of fatigue.

‘We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating,’ Bedford said. ‘The system is extremely safe today and will be extremely safe tomorrow. If the pressures continue to build even after we take these measures, we’ll come back and take additional measures.’

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Oklahoma, Texas join top 10 of coaches poll rankings after Week 11

The Week 11 slate in college football nearly produced a whole lot of chaos. But in the end, the teams near the top of the US LBM Coaches Poll managed to survive, leaving the first seven positions unchanged.

Ohio State did not experience one of the close calls, as the Buckeyes took care of business against Purdue and easily retains the No. 1 ranking with 59 of 63 first-place votes. Indiana, which had an escape for the ages at Penn State, remains No. 2, though the Hoosiers weren’t voted first on any ballots this week. It was No. 3 Texas A&M that claimed the remaining four No. 1 nods after a victory at Missouri. Alabama and Georgia continue to round out the top five, and Oregon holds at No. 6 after surviving via a last-minute field goal at Iowa. Mississippi stays at No. 7.

Texas Tech climbs a notch to No. 8 following a decisive takedown of Brigham Young, as the Cougars slip to a tie for No. 12 with Georgia Tech. Notre Dame also gains a spot to No. 9 after rolling past Navy. Oklahoma and Texas both move into the top 10 with a tie in points ahead of each facing huge road tests in the SEC in the coming week against Alabama and Georgia, respectively.

TOP 25: Complete US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 11

Utah moves up four positions to No. 15, taking advantage of a rough weekend for ranked ACC teams. Virginia falls eight spots to No. 19, and Louisville tumbles six places to No. 21.

It wasn’t all bad for the conference, however, as Pittsburgh moves into the poll for the first time this season at No. 23. Also joining the rankings is No. 25 James Madison.

Missouri hangs on to the No. 24 spot in the poll after a seven-place tumble, while Iowa and Memphis drop out.

This story was updated to change a video.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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