By  MARY CLARE JALONICK and LISA MASCARO

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate took the first step to end the government shutdown on Sunday after a group of moderate Democrats agreed to proceed without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, angering many in their caucus who say Americans want them to continue the fight.

In a test vote that is the first in a series of required procedural maneuvers, the Senate voted 60-40 to move toward passing compromise legislation to fund the government and hold a later vote on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire Jan. 1. Final passage could be several days away if Democrats object and delay the process.

The agreement does not guarantee the health care subsidies will be extended, as Democrats have demanded for almost six weeks. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York voted against moving ahead with the package, along with all but eight of his Democratic colleagues.

A group of three former governors — New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — broke the six-week stalemate on Sunday when they agreed to vote to advance three bipartisan annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January in exchange for a mid-December vote on extending the health care tax credits.

The agreement also includes a reversal of the mass firings of federal workers by the Trump administration since the shutdown began on Oct. 1 and would ensure that federal workers receive back pay.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune quickly endorsed the deal and called an immediate vote to begin the process of approving it as the shutdown continued to disrupt flights nationwide, threaten food assistance for millions of Americans and leave federal workers without pay.

“The time to act is now,” Thune said.

Returning to the White House on Sunday evening after attending a football game, President Donald Trump did not say whether he endorsed the deal. But he said, “It looks like we’re getting close to the shutdown ending.”

Five Democrats Switch Votes

In addition to Shaheen, King and Hassan, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, home to tens of thousands of federal workers, also voted in favor of moving forward on the agreement. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen also voted yes.

The moderates had expected a larger number of Democrats to vote with them as 10-12 Democratic senators had been part of the negotiations. But in the end, only five Democrats switched their votes — the exact number that Republicans needed. King, Cortez Masto and Fetterman had already been voting to open the government since Oct. 1.

The vote was temporarily delayed on Sunday evening as three conservatives who often criticize spending bills, Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, withheld their votes and huddled with Thune at the back of the chamber. They eventually voted yes after speaking to Trump, Lee said.

Another Republican, Sen John Cornyn of Texas, had to fly back from Texas to deliver the crucial 60th vote.

Schumer Votes No

After Democrats met for over two hours to discuss the proposal, Schumer said he could not “in good faith” support it.

Schumer, who received blowback from his party in March when he voted to keep the government open, said that Democrats have now “sounded the alarm” on health care.

“We will not give up the fight,” he said.

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with the Democrats, said giving up the fight was a “horrific mistake.”

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., agreed, saying that in last week’s elections people voted overwhelmingly Democratic “to urge Democrats to hold firm.”

A Bipartisan Agreement

Democrats had voted 14 times not to reopen the government as they demanded the extension of tax credits that make coverage more affordable under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans said they would not negotiate on health care, but GOP leaders have been quietly working with the group of moderates as the contours of an agreement began to emerge.

The agreement includes bipartisan bills worked out by the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund parts of government — food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things. All other funding would be extended until the end of January, giving lawmakers more than two months to finish additional spending bills.

The deal would reinstate federal workers who had received reduction in force, or layoff, notices and reimburse states that spent their own funds to keep federal programs running during the shutdown. It would also protect against future reductions in force through January and guarantee federal workers would be paid once the shutdown is over.

House Democrats Push Back

House Democrats swiftly criticized the Senate.

Texas Rep. Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said a deal that doesn’t reduce health care costs is a “betrayal” of millions of Americans who are counting on Democrats to fight.

“Accepting nothing but a pinky promise from Republicans isn’t a compromise — it’s capitulation,” Casar said in a post on X. “Millions of families would pay the price.”

Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota posted that “if people believe this is a ‘deal,’ I have a bridge to sell you.”

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries blamed Republicans and said Democrats will continue to fight.

“Donald Trump and the Republican Party own the toxic mess they have created in our country and the American people know it,” Jeffries said.

Health Care Debate Ahead

It’s unclear whether the two parties would be able to find any common ground on the health care subsidies before a promised December vote in the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he will not commit to bring it up in his chamber.

Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19-era tax credits as premiums could skyrocket for millions of people, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies and argue that the tax dollars for the plans should be routed through individuals.

Other Republicans, including Trump, have used the debate to renew their yearslong criticism of the law and called for it to be scrapped or overhauled.

Shutdown Effects Worsen

Meanwhile, the consequences of the shutdown have been compounding. U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights on Sunday for the first time since the shutdown began, and there were more than 7,000 flight delays, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.

Treasury Secretary Sean Duffy said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that air travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday will be “reduced to a trickle” if the government doesn’t reopen.

At the same time, food aid was delayed for tens of millions of people as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits were caught up in legal battles related to the shutdown.

And in Washington, home to tens of thousands of federal workers who have gone unpaid, the Capital Area Food Bank said it is providing 8 million more meals ahead of the holidays than it had prepared for this budget year — a nearly 20 percent increase.

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Associated Press writers Stephen Groves and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

By Sholnn Z. Freeman
howard.edu

Howard University College of Medicine professor Stanley Andrisse, Ph.D., has achieved what was once unimaginable, rising from a maximum-security prison to tenured faculty at the nation’s only R1-designated HBCU. His journey stands as a powerful testament to hope, second chances, and the transformative impact of higher education.

Q: You’ve gone from a maximum-security prison to becoming a tenured professor at Howard University. What does that milestone represent to you personally?

A: My story represents both possibility and responsibility, and it’s the culmination of years of faith, mentorship, and resilience. But it’s bigger than me. It’s proof that redemption is real — that someone who was once written off as a “career criminal” can stand in front of classrooms, lead research, and shape the next generation of scientists. To my knowledge, I’m the first formerly incarcerated Black man in U.S. history to earn tenure at a medical school.

Q: You’ve spoken about growing up in Ferguson, Missouri, and being labeled a “career criminal” before age 21. How do you think those early experiences shaped the kind of educator and mentor you became?

A: Those early experiences gave me a deep sense of empathy and urgency. I know what it feels like to be dismissed, underestimated, and denied opportunity. As a mentor, I try to be the voice I needed back then. I try to be someone who believes in potential, not perfection. Many of my students are first-generation or underrepresented in science. I say to them: your background isn’t a barrier; it’s your foundation.

Q: What was the moment — or series of moments — that shifted your mindset while you were incarcerated?

A: The biggest turning point was losing my father to his battle with Type 2 diabetes. He slipped into a diabetic coma while I was incarcerated, and I never truly got to say goodbye. That loss broke me open. His battles with diabetes motivated me to read my first scientific article about diabetes. Something clicked. Even though I was physically caged, my mind was free, roaming inside the human cell, trying to understand disease. That spark became my purpose. I decided to live differently and honor my father’s life by pursuing science.

Q: How did pursuing a Ph.D. become part of your pathway out of the criminal justice system?

A: Education gave me access — access to rebuild, to contribute, and to redefine myself. Near the end of my sentence, I applied to six graduate schools. Five rejected me outright. The one that accepted me, Saint Louis University, did so because a mentor vouched for me. That one “yes” changed everything. I earned my Ph.D. in physiology and an MBA in finance, finishing in four years at the top of my class. Education didn’t just change my circumstances; it transformed my sense of self-worth.

Q: You often emphasize that “people are more than their worst mistake.” How did education help you live out that philosophy?

A: Education humanized me again. It helped me see myself not as a number or a case file, but as a thinker, a scientist, and a contributor. It’s what I now try to pass on through my teaching and through From Prison Cells to Ph.D. (P2P), a nonprofit that I co-founded — showing others that redemption is not abstract. It’s something you can live, build, and share.

Q: You founded From Prison Cells to Ph.D. What gap did you see that made you start this organization?

A: When I was released, there was no clear roadmap for someone with my background to enter higher education. Every door came with a lock and a label. I founded P2P to make sure others don’t have to navigate those barriers alone. Since then, we’ve supported more than a thousand justice-impacted scholars nationwide. The goal is simply to move people from conviction to contribution.

Q: You’ve argued that higher education should rethink how it evaluates applicants with criminal records. What do most universities get wrong about “second chances”?

A: Most institutions treat a criminal record as a permanent reflection of character rather than a snapshot of circumstance. They focus on who a person was, not who they’ve become. But overcoming incarceration requires resilience, grit, and focus — the very traits we claim to value in academia. Second chances aren’t charity. They’re smart investments in human potential.

Q: How do you respond to people who still view incarceration as a permanent marker of character rather than circumstance?

A: I tell them that accountability matters, but so does access. You can’t rebuild what you’re never allowed to touch. I don’t excuse my past. I own it. But redemption isn’t about erasing mistakes; it’s about learning from them and using that experience to make a difference. The question shouldn’t be “What did you do?” but “What are you doing now?”

Q: How do your two worlds — scientific research and criminal justice reform — intersect in your work today?

A: They intersect at the point of healing. My lab studies the molecular mechanisms of disease, especially diabetes, while my advocacy work tackles the social mechanisms of inequality. Both are about restoration — of the body and of opportunity. My lived experience makes me a more compassionate scientist, a more grounded educator, and a more relentless advocate. I’m living proof that science and justice can inform one another, that data and dignity can coexist.

By Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

The first Black Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy has died.

Officials on Thursday announced the death of Sgt. Louie E. Smoke.

Hired by Sheriff Mel Bailey, Smoke served under three sheriffs before retiring as a sergeant in 2002.

He spent 34 years with the sheriff’s office and built a reputation for doing his job with dignity and professionalism.

The sheriff’s office honored him earlier this year during Black History Month, and Smoke said then it was the first he had been recognized.

“We are grateful to have had the opportunity to honor him during his lifetime, recognizing his monumental contributions to our community and the department.”