Jan 19, 2018

Trump budget chief predicts deal soon

Mick Mulvaney. Photo: Mark Wilson / Getty Images

Mick Mulvaney, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, told reporters on Friday evening that there's "a really good chance" the government funding is fixed before Monday. Mulvaney said on CNN he thinks "there's a deal in the next 24 hours."

Why it matters: The Senate has less than six hours to vote on a package that will fund the government before it shuts down, which could cost the U.S. economy over $6 billion a week. The vote has been scheduled for 10 pm Eastern. President Trump met with Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer earlier today to try and hammer out a deal.

Update: Newly-elected Democrat Sen. Doug Jones is a "yes" on the House's bill, joining Sens. Heidi Heitkamp, Joe Donnelly, and Joe Manchin. Nine Democrats would have to join Republicans to pass the bill.

  • Sen. Lindsey Graham announced he is pushing for a 3-week continuing resolution through February 8: "After lengthy consultations with senators from both parties, I believe no one wants the government to shut down...February 8th provides us the time only if we have the will. I believe the will exists."

A breakdown of the most-likely Democratic backers from National Journal:

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Fadel Allassan
54 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Trump says he'll accept nomination at White House or Gettysburg

Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

President Trump tweeted Monday that he'll deliver his speech accepting the Republican nomination for president at either the Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania or at the White House.

The state of play: Republican National Convention planners are looking for a new venue for the president to deliver his acceptance speech after convention events were canceled in Jacksonville, Fla., due to coronavirus concerns.

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Dave Lawler
2 hours ago - World

Lebanon's prime minister resigns in wake of deadly explosion

Protests in Beirut. Photo: Maxim Grigoryev/TASS via Getty

Lebanon's prime minister and cabinet have resigned amid massive protests in the aftermath of a deadly explosion in Beirut that killed more than 160 people, injured 6,000 and left roughly 250,000 homeless.

Why it matters: Protesters blame the incompetence of the ruling elite — widely viewed as corrupt — for the disaster. The unstable and deeply distrusted government will remain in place in a caretaker capacity until a new prime minister is selected.

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Zachary Basu
Updated 3 hours ago - World

Protests erupt in Belarus after "Europe's last dictator" claims election win

Protesters and riot police clash in Minsk, Belarus, on Sunday during a demonstration against President Alexander Lukashenko's claim of a landslide victory. Photo: Misha Friedman/Getty Images)

Riot police clashed with protesters in Belarus overnight after a government exit poll predicted Sunday President Aleksander Lukashenko, an authoritarian who has ruled the Eastern European country since 1994, had overwhelmingly defeated a pro-democracy opposition candidate.

Why it matters: It's a precarious moment for the former Soviet republic, where decades of repression and a complete disregard for the coronavirus pandemic threaten to topple "Europe's last dictator." Rights groups said at least one protester was killed and dozens more wounded in a "police crackdown," per AP.

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