Top Democrats ask for a meeting with Trump ahead of government shutdown
Top congressional Democrats are asking President Trump for a meeting before an impending government shutdown.
“We write to demand a meeting in connection with your decision to shut down the federal government,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York, wrote in a Saturday morning letter.
The pair say that GOP leaders have “repeatedly and publicly refused to engage in bipartisan negotiations to keep the government open.”
The House voted Friday to approve a short-term spending bill to fund the government though Nov. 21.
The spending bill failed in the Senate, as did a competing bill by Senate Democrats.
Congress must act by Sept. 30 to fund the government in order to avoid a shutdown.
Each party seems insistent that the other will “own” the effects of a government shutdown and shoulder the blame from the American public.
“Republicans will bear the responsibility for another painful government shutdown because of the refusal of GOP congressional leadership to even talk with Democrats,” Schumer and Jeffries said.
On Friday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was open to meeting with top Democrats but added “there isn’t much to discuss” since Democrats announced they wouldn’t stand with Republicans on a short-term stopgap bill.
“If they choose to vote against this clean, completely nonpartisan [spending bill], then they will be choosing to shut the government down and they’ll own the consequences,” Johnson told reporters.
Washington National Opera leaves Kennedy Center, joining slew of artist exits
The WNO is just the latest to say they will no longer perform at the Kennedy Center since Trump took over last year.
Ukrainian drones set fire to Russian oil depot after Moscow launches new hypersonic missile
The strike comes a day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, including a powerful new hypersonic missile that hit western Ukraine.
Opinion: Remembering Renee Good
Renee Good won a national prize six years ago for her poem "On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs," which muses on science and faith. Good was shot to death by an ICE agent this week in Minneapolis.
PHOTOS: Laundry is a chore but there’s a beauty and serenity in the way it hangs out
A new photo series from Filipino photographer Macy Castañeda Lee offers a visually striking view of the mundane task of doing laundry and the role it plays in a rural economy.
2026 looks ominous for media, from Hollywood to journalism
Critic at large Eric Deggans says that in 2026, audiences have more power than they realize to determine the future of news and entertainment.
Influencer, White House welfare fraud claims are distorted, but the system has risks
Federal officials are targeting Democratic-led states over alleged safety-net fraud. Critics worry a drumbeat of unfounded accusations could undermine public trust.
