The federal government shutdown has entered its 22nd day. Earlier this week, the federal judiciary ran out of funding to support the work of nearly 30,000 staffers and 94 district courts. Some of these courts are furloughing staff for the first time in three decades. It comes as several states are warning that they will be forced to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, benefits by November 1 if the shutdown continues, impacting an estimated 42 million people nationwide. Meanwhile, at a White House Rose Garden lunch for Republican senators yesterday, President Trump unveiled a new nickname for Russ Vought, the White House budget chief, who has been spearheading cuts to programs nationwide amid the shutdown.

President Donald Trump: “And I will say this, that we have Darth Vader. You know Darth Vader, right? Darth Vader is a man who I think is sitting right — is that Darth? Stand up, please, Darth Vader. Stand up. Does everybody know? This is — they call him Darth Vader. I call him a fine man. But he’s cutting Democrat priorities, and they’re never going to get them back.”