Former President Donald Trump has urged Republican lawmakers to proceed with a funding bill without Democratic support as the September 30th deadline for a potential government shutdown approaches. Republicans are reportedly considering a 7-week continuing resolution (CR), while Democrats state that Republican negotiation is necessary for their votes. The specific demands of the Democrats remain unstated, and Republicans are prepared to challenge them on a potential filibuster, according to Sahil Kapur of NBC News. In a separate development, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer stated that Pam Bondi has "some explaining to do" regarding her handling of Epstein files. Comer expressed that Bondi has not handled the situation "in a perfect manner," citing an "odd series of events" where Bondi initially claimed to possess the Epstein list but later retracted the statement, indicating a need for answers from her. The Utah Supreme Court has denied the legislature's request to halt an order requiring new congressional maps by September 25th. This decision means that, barring further appeals, new district lines will be drawn for the 2026 midterms, as reported by Lindsay On Air. Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo officially launched his re-election campaign at Ranchos High School in Las Vegas, where he quipped, “I am not running for President. I am running for Governor,” as noted by Bella Tweetss. New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed anticipation for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, recalling a "warm welcome" received in Israel. MSNBC announced that Rachel Maddow will conduct her first news interview with Vice President Kamala Harris next Monday at 9 pm ET, according to Jesse Rodriguez. The Pentagon has conducted its first "Top Drone" school for operators to enhance their skills, as detailed by Defense News. A new roll call vote, logged as 519, has been recorded in the Senate concerning the appointment of Stephen Miran of New York to a position on the Board, according to CATargetBot. An analysis of political mapping has been described as a "massive advance," with one source noting it as the first publicly available precinct-level estimate of Presidential support by demographic on a national scale. In a previous report, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an effort by former President Donald Trump to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors. The ruling allows Cook to continue her role, with Judge Garcia issuing a concurring opinion and Judge Katsas dissenting, according to Anna Bower.
