If a financing bill is not passed by today, the government will shut down at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. Families can find out what happened to their loved ones through an NBC News investigation. And it’s a fresh start for the NFL’s laughingstock.
What to know today is as follows.
Congress scrambles to avert shutdown after Trump and Musk inject chaos into funding fight
To prevent a shutdown before the holidays, Congress has until midnight to approve a budget bill. It is uncertain if it will occur.
Legislators were forced to resume negotiations after the House rejected a bill yesterday by a vote of 174-235, far less than the two-thirds majority required.
President-elect Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk’s outspoken opposition to a 1,500-page bipartisan bill earlier this week caused a sudden hiccup in discussions, leading to the hurried creation of yesterday’s 116-page bill. Trump and Musk backed the newer version, which would have extended the nation’s debt ceiling until January 30, 2027, and financed the government through March 14. Trump has actually called for doing away with the debt ceiling completely. He told NBC News over the phone that it would be the best thing Congress could do. The package lacked provisions from the last bill, such as cost-of-living raises for politicians, but it did include millions of dollars in disaster relief and an extension of the agriculture bill.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson responded, “We’ll see,” when reporters asked him last night if a new budget plan will be unveiled today. Meanwhile, an invitation acquired by NBC News indicates that House Democrats will gather this morning.
Before the shutdown deadline, the Senate must still approve any agreement that passes the House and deliver it to President Joe Biden’s desk.
In any case, new political realities have been cemented by this week’s budget accord negotiations.Biden has given Trump the opportunity to establish himself as a second president by being utterly mute during the negotiations. Johnson’s continued employment as speaker depends on Trump’s approval. Furthermore, Musk’s function as the financial and political power of the fledgling Trump government is no longer merely speculative.
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More government shutdown coverage
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Here s what happens
if the government shuts down right before the holidays.
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A review of historical polling data shows that lawmakers
have not paid a steep political price
for past government shutdowns.
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In the event of a shutdown,
Social Security benefits would still go out
, but those seeking assistance are likely to face long wait times.
Trump rethinks firing Joint Chiefs chairman, sources say
Two sources with knowledge of the conversation speculate that Trump’s plans to fire Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, may have been postponed because of a meeting between the president-elect and Brown. During the Army-Navy football game last weekend, the two spoke one-on-one, and Brown expressed his readiness to collaborate with the president while congratulating him on his win.
Trump and his allies have been vowing for months to replace American military commanders who they believe are overly preoccupied with diversity initiatives, frequently mentioning Brown in particular. However, given that Trump’s choice for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is battling for confirmation, a number of Republican congressmen and former generals have been pleading with Trump not to remove Brown, arguing that it might be disruptive and send the wrong message to military personnel. Following their conversation, the two individuals stated that Trump’s stance on Brown is shifting.
How an NBC News investigation helped families find answers
Some were aware that their loved ones had passed away, but they were unaware of what had happened to their bodies. Others looked for years before learning that their loved ones had passed away alone, without any family members present. Almost everyone stated that if they had known, they would have given funerals to the deceased.
According to NBC News’s year-long investigation, these mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters were incensed to discover that their loved ones’ bodies had been donated to the University of North Texas Health Science Center for analysis and dissection. Six of these families discovered their relatives’ identities on a list released by the news organizations in October, and almost a dozen of these families were given the gruesome and graphic truth by NBC News and Noticias Telemundo rather than by a medical examiner, hospital, or police officer.
Denzil Dale Leggett was one of the deceased. According to his relatives, he was a kind person with a dry sense of humor, but he was also very private and shunned most social events. When Leggett passed away in May 2023, his family was not notified, and his younger brother was taken aback to see his sibling’s name on the NBCNews.com list.
Dale’s intense distrust of the government and the medical establishment was one factor contributing to his extreme privacy.
Go through more of their tales.
Read All About It
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Luigi Mangione, the suspect indicted in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was flown to New York and
hit with new federal charges
.
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Senior U.S. officials
arrived in Damascus
for the first diplomatic mission to the Syrian capital since the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad.
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After Oklahoma carried out the nation s final execution of the year, advocates against the death penalty are
watching to see if President Joe Biden commutes the sentences
of dozens of other death row inmates before leaving office.
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Discount furniture and home d cor retailer Big Lots
will initiate going-out-of-business sales
at its remaining locations after a deal to find a purchaser fell through.
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A major report released this week further muddied an answer to the question:
Is drinking in moderation healthy or dangerous?
Staff Pick:
The NFL s laughingstock has suddenly started winning
It’s likely that you haven’t enjoyed your time as a younger fan of Washington’s NFL team. The franchise has had three name changes since former owner Dan Snyder took over in 1999, more than it has playoff victories. Ten head coaches and 27 different starting quarterbacks have been used. However, with a new ownership group, general manager, coach, and signal-caller, the team’s fortunes began to change in 2023. With a 9-5 record this season—their best start since 1992—the Commanders are guaranteed a postseason berth. Actor Jeffrey Wright and other fans are finally enjoying the benefits. A new era was marked with Jayden Daniels’ Hail Mary score earlier this season, according to the Golden Globe winner.Sports editor Greg Rosenstein
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Costco offers a wealth of name-brand goods at affordable prices, but it’s also a wonderful place to stock up on pantry staples and household necessities.Here’s what to buy in areas including technology, kitchenware, and wellness and beauty.
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