The Associated Press

U.S. airlines began canceling hundreds of flights Thursday due to the Federal Aviation Administration’s order to reduce traffic at the country’s busiest airports starting Friday because of the government shutdown. That appears to include Birmingham/Shuttlesworth International Airport, but not at the rates seen in larger airline hubs.

Some of the first wintry weather of the season is on the way. Huntsville is forecast to see a low of twenty two degrees Monday night, Tuscaloosa and Selma are facing twenty three, and Mobile at thirty one. It’s going to be cold for much of the U.S. in the coming days, including potentially record low temperatures for parts of the South and snow in the Northern Plains.

Number four ranked Alabama stumbled last November with a College Football Playoff spot within reach. The Crimson Tide lost at unranked Oklahoma and got left out of the postseason bracket. The setback still resonates with this year's team heading into Saturday's home game against regrouping LSU.

Alabama singer and songwriter Jason Isbell talked on “APR Notebook” about his new album, “Foxes in the Snow.” That compilation of original songs has led to his latest three Grammy nominations. Isbell will be considered in the category of “Best Folk Album.” The title track is also up for “Best American Roots Song,” and another number from the album, “Crimson and Clay," will compete for “Best American Roots Performance.”

Woodrow Lowe, a three-time All-American linebacker at Alabama and an 11-year starter for the NFL's San Diego Chargers, has died. He was 71. Lowe died at his home in Collierville, Tennessee, on Thursday, according to the National Football Foundation.

Hundreds of flights set for Friday are already being cut at major U.S. airports as part of the Federal Aviation Administration's effort to phase in 10% reductions because of the government shutdown. The Federal Aviation Administration is imposing the reductions to take pressure off air traffic controllers, who are federal employees and have been working without pay during the shutdown. Birmingham/Shuttlesworth International Airport isn’t on the list for cutbacks, but Atlanta is and that could mean problems.

The New York Jets are making what’s considered to be twin blockbuster trades. One of which involves a former tackle for Alabama, who made two key plays in the Crimson Tide’s defeat of Georgia to win the 2018 national championship at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Governor Kay Ivey announced she is releasing $2 million dollars in state emergency funds to shore up towards eight food banks. The move follows the federal cut off of funding for the SNAP food assistance program on November first. The Trump White House followed up by pledging to use USDA contingency dollars to provide partial funding for the program also known as Food Stamps. The website USA Facts says over 700,000 Alabamians use SNAP benefits to afford groceries.

President Donald Trump’s administration said that it will partially fund SNAP after two judges issued rulings requiring it to keep the nation's largest food aid program running. The website USA Facts says 750,000 Alabamians depend on SNAP to afford groceries. How soon and how much remain unanswered questions on partially restoring that funding.

The government shutdown is triggering a wave of closures of Head Start centers, leaving working parents scrambling for child care and shutting some of the nation's neediest children out of preschool. The impact may include head start centers in Alabama.