Month: September 2025

First Thing: Trump and Netanyahu tell Hamas to accept Gaza peace plan or face consequences

News, US news

The Israeli PM threatens to ‘finish the job’ if Hamas does not agree. Plus, do AI ‘actors’ pose an existential threat to their human counterparts?

Good morning.

President Donald Trump and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have given Hamas an ultimatum, warning the militant group to accept their 20-point peace plan or face the consequences.

What does the plan call for? A ceasefire, a swap of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas disarmament and a transitional government led by an international body.

Head to our live blog for the latest updates.

What healthcare provisions are Democrats demanding? An extension of subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans, which expire at the end of the year, and a reversal of Medicaid cuts.

How would a shutdown be received? 45% of voters would blame congressional Republicans for a shutdown, while 32% would blame Democrats, according to polling from Morning Consult.

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Centrists give up hope to prevent shutdown as Trump talks fizzle

News, Senate

Centrist senators are giving up hope of avoiding a government shutdown this week after a contentious meeting between President Trump and congressional leaders Monday failed to make progress on a short-term funding bill.

One Democratic senator who requested anonymity said it’s now highly unlikely that Trump and congressional leaders will reach any preliminary agreement to allow a funding bill to pass by Tuesday’s deadline.

The source said both GOP and Democratic le...

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House Democrats rally at Capitol in last-ditch effort to alter spending bill

News

House Democrats rallied in the Capitol on Monday evening in an 11th-hour strategy session with two distinct goals: To unify the party amid the partisan budget standoff and to compel GOP leaders back to the negotiating table on legislation to prevent a government shutdown.

Huddled behind closed doors in the basement of the Capitol, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and his leadership team used the rare recess gathering to mobilize the party’s opposition to the R...

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Shutdown odds rise as leaders leave White House without progress

News, Senate

Congressional leaders left a meeting with President Trump on Monday saying they'd made no progress toward a deal that would prevent a shutdown on Wednesday, increasing the odds the government's lights will turn off in less than 48 hours. 

Democrats have been pining for action to extend health care subsidies that are set to expire by year’s end, with Republicans adamant that their stopgap spending bill is a take-it-or-leave-it offer. 

Each side said littl...

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Shutdown looms as deal evades Congress 

Affordable Care Act, health care, News, obamacare
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Schumer says he will not support 7- or 10-day stopgap to avoid shutdown

News, Senate

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) said he would not support a weeklong or 10-day government funding measure to avoid a government shutdown on Wednesday and buy more time to negotiate with President Trump and GOP leaders.

Schumer said he felt that Monday’s meeting with Trump at the White House made some progress because it gave him and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) a chance to warn Trump directly about the possibility that thousands of Americans ...

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Schumer: Trump, GOP leaders are ‘divided’ over health insurance subsidies in funding bill

health care, News, Senate

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) said a rift is emerging between President Trump and GOP leaders in Congress about whether to use a short-term government funding bill to prevent health insurance premiums from soaring next year because of the expiration of enhanced subsidies at the end of this year.

“The particular focus was on health care. When we made these arguments it was clear there was a division or possible division between the president and the two Repub...

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Vance: US headed for shutdown ‘because the Democrats won’t do the right thing’

News, Senate

Vice President Vance warned that the government is heading for a shutdown, blaming Democrats for a potential government funding lapse after a meeting with President Trump and congressional leaders at the White House.

“The principle at stake here is very simple. We have disagreements about tax policy, you don’t shut that government down. We have disagreements about health care policy, but you don’t shut the government down," Vance told reporters after the meeting.

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When was the last government shutdown? A timeline 

News, Senate

Congress is barreling toward a government shutdown with both sides digging in two days before the Oct. 1 funding deadline.

Republicans are insisting on a "clean" continuing resolution that would fund the government until Nov. 21.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), the Democratic leaders in the Senate and House, are demanding concessions to protect health care, including reversing Medicaid cuts passed in the GOP's tax and spending megabill...

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