Today in one sentence: The Senate failed to pass funding bill for the ninth time as the shutdown entered its third week; a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing more than 4,000 federal workers during the government shutdown; the Trump administration blamed the ongoing government shutdown on Saturday’s “No Kings” protests; the Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared ready to limit the Voting Rights Act; Trump authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela; House Speaker Mike Johnson called Portland’s naked bike protest “the most threatening thing I’ve seen yet”; and JD Vance brushed off the leaked Young Republican chats that praised Hitler and used racist and violent language, saying “kids do stupid things."

1/ The Senate failed to pass funding bill for the ninth time as the shutdown entered its third week. Republicans continue to push for a “clean” continuing resolution to reopen the government until at least Nov. 21, while Democrats insist that any deal extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year. (Politico / CNBC / The Guardian)

2/ A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing more than 4,000 federal workers during the government shutdown. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said the administration had “taken advantage of the lapse in government spending […] to assume that all bets are off, the laws don’t apply to them anymore,” calling its actions “contrary to the laws.” She added that the government’s approach was “ready, fire, aim” and carried “a human cost that cannot be tolerated.” The order takes effect immediately and bars the government from issuing new layoff notices or enforcing ongoing ones while the case continues. Before the ruling, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said layoffs could grow “north of 10,000.” (NBC News / Associated Press / Washington Post / Politico / NPR / New York Times / Axios / CNN / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / CNBC)

3/ The Trump administration blamed the ongoing government shutdown on Saturday’s “No Kings” protests, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying, “No Kings equals no paychecks.” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson claimed Democrats “are controlled by their radical left base,” and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett suggested the government could reopen “on the 19th.” Despite Republicans controlling Congress and the White House, House Speaker Mike Johnson kept the House out of session and said he “wouldn’t negotiate.” Organizers, however, announced the Oct. 18 protest date in Sept., before the Oct. 1 shutdown. Saturday’s nonviolent marches and rallies, planned in more than 2,500 locations nationwide, are expected to be the largest single day of protest in U.S. history – larger than the first “No Kings” rallies in June, which drew over five million people. (Axios / The Hill / NBC News / Media Matters for America / Time)

4/ The Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared ready to limit the Voting Rights Act, questioning whether any use of race in drawing election maps is constitutional. During arguments in Louisiana v. Callais, several justices, including Brett Kavanaugh and John Roberts, questioned whether race-based remedies under Section 2 of the 1965 law should continue indefinitely. Since the Court ended federal preclearance in 2013, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act has been the main legal basis for challenging racial bias in maps and for creating majority-minority districts across the South. Louisiana and the Trump administration nevertheless argued that creating a second majority-Black congressional district in the state violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause, while civil rights lawyers warned that the law remains necessary to prevent vote dilution. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the administration’s stance would “just get rid of Section 2,” which would shift power over voting maps to state legislatures and weaken one of the last federal checks on racial bias in elections. (Associated Press / New York Times / Politico / NPR / Washington Post / ABC News / NBC News)

5/ Trump authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, giving the agency authority to carry out lethal operations against Nicolás Maduro’s government. The order follows at least five U.S. strikes on boats the Trump administration said were smuggling drugs from Venezuela, killing 27 people, including one strike that hit a Colombian vessel. Lawmakers from both parties said they have received little information about the intelligence, targets, or legal basis for the attacks. (New York Times / NBC News / CNN)

6/ House Speaker Mike Johnson called Portland’s naked bike protest “the most threatening thing I’ve seen yet,” saying the riders showed “abuse of law enforcement by radical leftist activists.” Johnson argued that the protest of nude cyclists reflected how “it’s getting really ugly.” The event drew over a thousand participants and was described by local outlets as peaceful, with no arrests reported. The protest was organized against Trump’s plan to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which is currently blocked by a federal restraining order. (The Oregonian / KGW-TV / Axios / Portland Tribune)

  • Los Angeles County declared a state of emergency over ICE raids, authorizing about $30 million in rent relief, legal aid, and a possible eviction moratorium. Officials cited families skipping work and lost income tied to ICE actions. (Los Angeles Times / New York Times / ABC News)

7/ JD Vance brushed off the leaked Young Republican chats that praised Hitler and used racist and violent language, calling the reaction “pearl clutching.” Rather than condemn the messages, Vance said they were “edgy, offensive jokes” and that “kids do stupid things, especially young boys.” Vance deflected to an unrelated controversy, saying that Democratic candidate Jay Jones’s 2022 texts about shooting a Republican rival were “far worse than anything said in a college group chat.” The Young Republican National Federation, meanwhile, said it was “appalled” and demanded that all involved “immediately resign.” (Politico / Axios / Politico / The Hill / Mediaite / Salon)

⏭️ Notably Next: Your government has been shut down for 15 days; “No Kings Day” is Oct. 18; the 2026 midterms are in 384 days.

Four years ago today: Day 269: "Just looking out!"
Six years ago today: Day 999: An abomination.
Seven years ago today: Day 634: Who cares.