Senator Jeff Flake spoke directly to other members of the Republican party during his announcement that he would not seek reelection in 2018. He addressed other members' "unquestionable loyalty" to the President despite his unprecedented behavior and actions.
"The notion that we shouldn't say or do nothing in the face of such mercurial behavioral is a-historic, and I believe, profoundly misguided."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel and President Trump arrives at the U.S. Capitol in March. Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images
President Trump signed a bill to extend current levels of government funding after funding expired briefly, White House spokesperson Judd Deere confirmed early Thursday.
Why it matters: The move averts a government shutdown before the Nov. 3 election. The Senate on Wednesday passed the legislation to fund the federal government through Dec. 11, by a vote of 84-10.
Of note: While the previous measure lapse before Trump signed the bill, the Office of Management and Budget had instructed federal agencies "to not engage in orderly shutdown activities," a senior administration official told the New York Times, because of the OMB was confident the president would sign the measure on Thursday.
Editor's note: This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
The Shady Fire ravages a home as it approaches Santa Rosa in Napa County, California, on Sept. 28. The blaze is part of the massive Glass Fire Complex, which has razed over 51,620 acres at 2% containment. Photo: Samuel Corum/Agence France-Presse/AFP via Getty Images
More than 1700 firefighters are battling 26 major blazes across California, including in the heart of the wine country, where one mega-blaze claimed the lives of three people and forced thousands of others to evacuate this week.
The big picture: More than 8,100 wildfires have burned across a record 39 million-plus acres, killing 29 people and razing almost 7,900 structures in California this year, per Cal Fire. Just like the deadly blazes of 2017, the wine country has become a wildfires epicenter. Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Napa, Sonoma, and Shasta counties.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios