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In today’s issue:
• Senate tees up next funding votes
• Johnson says ‘no’ to Jeffries debate challenge
• Supreme Court rejects Ghislaine Maxwell appeal
• Illinois sues Trump over deployment
• Israel, Hamas meet to negotiate peace plan
⛔ SHUTDOWN
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again and hope for a different outcome:
The Senate is back in town today with another chance teed up to end the government shutdown. Government funding votes are lined up for this afternoon, but no one expects a different outcome from last week.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told House lawmakers to stay home for another week, knowing the stalemate will continue. Though, Johnson also told House Republicans they would get a 48-hour heads-up if they need to return earlier. “The House did its job,” Johnson argued on Sunday because it passed a government extension, directing the blame to the Senate.
A sign this could drag out for quite some time: President Trump is staying out of it. However, The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports that “Trump may come under more pressure to negotiate with Democrats if the shutdown drags beyond Oct. 15, the date when members of the military will miss their first paycheck due to the fight in Washington.”
Read more: ‘Trump’s actions leave lawmakers skeptical shutdown will end anytime soon’
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is holding a 1 p.m. press conference. Keep an eye out for any hints of pressure hitting the Trump administration. 💻 Watch it live
How does this ultimately end?: The most-likely way this ends is if Republicans can convince five more Senate Democrats to vote to reopen the government. The Hill’s Al Weaver reports there are five Democratic senators whom Republicans are hoping to flip: Sens. Gary Peters (Mich.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.) and Jon Ossoff (Ga.) and Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.).
Has Johnson been chatting with Democrats about switching their votes?: “They haven’t exactly been ringing my phone off the hook,” Johnson said this morning when asked whether he’s been negotiating with Democrats. 💻Watch Johnson’s presser this morning
Who’s getting the blame — we have some early data: More Americans disapprove of how Republicans and President Trump are handling the government shutdown than Democrats, according to a new CBS News survey.
➤ NEW — A MODERN-DAY DUEL?:
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) challenged Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to a live, prime-time debate on the House floor, arguing it would give Johnson “an opportunity to explain your my way or the highway approach to shutting the government down.”
Johnson has already said no: Johnson called it a “desperate plea.” “I’m not going to let Hakeem try to pretend for these theatrics,” Johnson said this morning. “I mean, this is a Chuck Schumer decision. The ball is in the Senate’s court now. The House has done this. We don’t need to waste time on that nonsense, those debates have been had.”
🪖 STATE WATCH
Portland and Chicago are fighting back:
President Trump’s efforts to send hundreds of National Guard troops to Portland, Ore., against state and local officials’ wishes hit a major snag late last night.
Let me start from the beginning: U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, who Trump appointed during his first term,blocked the Trump administration on Saturday from sending federal troops to Portland.
The Trump team then tried to send out-of-state troops from Texas to Portland. Immergut then blocked the administration for the second time in two days — and this time, she strongly rebuked Trump as being “in direct contravention” of her order.
Why does Trump think federal troops are necessary?: To quell the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests.
Chicago is also fighting back today: This morning, Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit to block Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago. Read more
💡 For context on the National Guard: “National Guard forces — largely part-time troops who typically work in civilian jobs full time — are normally under the control of the states, with governors serving as commanders. The troops are often deployed to help after natural disasters or when civil disorder overwhelms local law enforcement authorities, but in some circumstances federal law allows the president to take control of them.” (NYT)
🏛️ OTHER NEWS
The court won’t hear Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal:
The Supreme Court just declined to hear Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal of her sex-trafficking conviction.
Remember: Maxwell, who was the longtime associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring with and aiding Epstein in his sexual abuse of underage girls. She’s been back in the spotlight over the pressure for the Trump administration to release the Epstein files.
They’ve got 39 problems:
The Supreme Court’s next term is beginning today — and has 39 cases already on the docket. The Hill’s Ella Lee wrote a helpful primer of the biggest cases to watch:
Trump’s presidential powers: The court will weigh in on whether Trump’s emergency powers can justify the global tariffs he instated. It will also decide whether Trump can fire Federal Trade Commission (FTC) member Rebecca Slaughter and Federal Reserve board of governors member Lisa Cook.
LGBTQ: The court will hear several LGBTQ issues, including two transgender student-athlete bans and a “conversion therapy” case in Colorado. The court will also weigh in on Trump’s policy blocking transgender Americans from listing the sex on their passports matching their gender identity.
Elections: The Supreme Court will take a look at three election law cases.
The death penalty: The court will weigh in on a death penalty case for a man who says he is intellectually disabled. The case involves IQ metrics.
Other hot-button issues: The court will hear cases related to abortion, racial discrimination and religion.
Read Lee’s preview of the Supreme Court’s new term
➤ QUICK HITS:
Israel and Hamas met in Egypt today for negotiation to end the war in Gaza.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is doubling down on his new Pentagon press restrictions, arguing they will not change despite journalists’ complaints.
Trump revealed that the hyped UFC fight that he’s hosting on the White House lawn will happen on his 80th birthday.
➤ MORE READS:
The Atlantic: Democrats Still Have No Idea What Went Wrong: The party’s progressives seem to think the problem is not with their platform but with voters.
The Wall Street Journal: Elon Musk Gambles Billions in Memphis to Catch Up on AI
The Washington Post: How some veterans exploit $193 billion VA program, due to lax controls
The New York Times: We Asked 50 Legal Experts About the Trump Presidency
Politico: Trump looms large in Chief Justice John Roberts’ legacy
COMING UP
The House is out for another week. The Senate is in. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EST)
1 p.m. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream
5:30 p.m. Three Senate votes. 📆Today’s agenda
Thursday: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visits the White House.
7 p.m. Friday: C-SPAN’s “Ceasefire” will debut. Former Vice President Mike Pence and former Obama aide Rahm Emanual will be the first guests.
Oct. 14: When the House is scheduled to return.
🐝 INTERNET BUZZ
🍷 Celebrate: Today is National Orange Wine Day and National Noodle Day!
✋ Raise your hand if you’re scared: OpenAI’s new app, Sora 2, is a video app comprised of all AI-generated content. Users can upload a photo and then make videos using the image. I keep hearing how eerily-accurate some of the AI videos are. Read more about Sora 2
👋 AND FINALLY…
Because it’s always my goal to leave you with a smile, watch this adorable moment between a dolphin and a service dog.
