Senate Republicans are scheduled to receive a briefing from the Senate sergeant-at-arms and the chief of the Capitol Police at their lunch tomorrow, September 16th, regarding security matters. This comes as Senator Rick Scott's steering committee circulates a letter urging leaders to permit senators to utilize official funds for security expenses. Separately, House Republicans declined to authorize an extension of President Trump's most recent D.C. emergency declaration concerning the police department, despite the mayor's stated willingness to cooperate with federal authorities. Senate Democrats remain opposed to such extensions. In other developments, the flag at the White House was returned to full staff last night, September 14th, following several days at half-staff in honor of Charlie Kirk. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson was also featured in an opinion piece discussing President Trump's plans for the agency, which include a refocus on exploration and competition with China. New information has emerged regarding Charlie Kirk, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claiming to have met Kirk in July 2001, stating they became "soul mates" at that time. Kirk would have been 7 years old in July 2001. The previous report mentioned that FBI Director Kash Patel had confirmed DNA evidence from the Charlie Kirk murder investigation matched Tyler Robinson and that President Trump is expected to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 19th to finalize a TikTok deal. The ongoing legislative effort to prevent a government shutdown by September 30th was also a focus, with House Republicans aiming for a continuing resolution through November 20th, facing internal opposition and a lack of substantive negotiation with Democrats, according to previous reports.
