A Government Shutdown Is Looming

In back-to-back votes this afternoon, Senate Republicans and Democrats each blocked the other side’s plan to keep federal funding flowing past the end of this month. Without a deal, the government is on track to shut down in less than two weeks.

The Republican plan, which narrowly passed the House earlier today, would keep federal spending mostly at current levels through Nov. 21 and provide $88 million in emergency funding to bolster security for members of the government in the wake of the assassination of the right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Forty-three Republicans and one Democrat, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, voted for the plan — well short of the Senate’s 60-vote threshold to advance bills.

Democrats offered an alternative that would extend federal funding for one month and add more than $1 trillion to extend Obamacare subsidies and roll back health program cuts from President Trump’s signature policy bill earlier this year. That bill failed in a 47-to-45 vote.

The last time Congress faced a similar funding deadline, Democrats agreed to advance a Republican plan to avert a shutdown. This time, Democrats insist that they would refuse to go along with the Republican proposal. John Thune, the Senate majority leader, said that he would call it up for another vote when senators returned to Washington on Sept. 29.

Trump officials fought over the fate of a veteran U.S. attorney

Erik Siebert, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, was recently informed by officials in the Trump administration that he was likely to be fired. He had been investigating two of the president’s adversaries — Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, and James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director — and allies of Trump had criticized him for failing to move the cases forward.

Siebert had recently told senior Justice Department officials that investigators found insufficient evidence to bring charges against James and had also raised concerns about a potential case against Comey. But there appeared to be a last-ditch effort by some in the department to protect Siebert, a career prosecutor who is well liked by many Trump administration officials. Here’s the latest.

Vaccine committee raised hurdles to Covid shots

In a meeting filled with sudden reversals and last-minute twists, raised voices and sharp-toned remarks, the federal vaccine committee appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered votes today that furthered his mission to limit access to Covid vaccines.

The panel voted unanimously to recommend that adults 65 and older receive the vaccines only after a discussion with a health care provider about the potential benefits and risks. The committee stopped short of approving a recommendation that would also have required Americans to have a prescription for the vaccines.

Farm Aid returns to crisis mode

Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and other stars will perform tomorrow at Farm Aid’s 40th anniversary benefit concert. The event, which was intended as a one-off in 1985, will air on TV for the first time in years.

It comes at an auspicious time. American farmers are now facing perhaps the bleakest economic conditions since the 1980s farm crisis that spurred the first Farm Aid. Many growers will lose money on each acre they harvest this fall, and farm bankruptcies are beginning to rise.

More top news

• NATO: Three Russian fighter jets violated Estonia’s airspace for an unusually long period, around 12 minutes, and the alliance responded to intercept them.

• Europe: The E.U. announced new sanctions on Russia, including a plan to phase out purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas by the start of 2027.

• Jimmy Kimmel: Read how a proposed TV merger raised pressure on ABC to suspend the host, and how influencers turned a muted reaction into outrage against him.

• Middle East: Hamas has transformed itself from an organized army into scattered groups of fighters, focused on digging in and surviving the war.

• Education: Mark Welsh, the president of Texas A&M — one of the country’s largest public universities — stepped down under pressure over his handling of a “gender ideology” controversy.

• Politics: The family of the financier George Soros donated $10 million to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to redraw California’s congressional districts.

• Sudan: Dozens of people were killed in the besieged city of El Fasher when paramilitary forces fired a missile into a mosque during morning prayers.

• Space: Earth has a new “quasi moon,” an asteroid shorter than a bowling lane that is sharing our trajectory around the sun for a while.

The books that Times readers are most excited about

Several months ago, we added a new feature to our book lists and editor recommendations that allowed readers to curate their own reading lists. Thousands of you have used the tool, and now we want to share which new and upcoming books interested Times readers the most.

The top novel on the list is Dan Brown’s “The Secret of Secrets,” in which the hero of “The Da Vinci Code” returns for another adventure. See the rest of the list here.

For more: A children’s book author offered recommendations for fans of Dav Pilkey’s books.

An informal creative club united by modernist homes

Orient, N.Y., is a sparsely populated hamlet at the tip of Long Island’s North Fork. It is populated by many artists, designers and creators seeking a quiet refuge.

It is also where the architect William Ryall has focused much of his attention, designing and renovating modernist gems over the last quarter-century. Check out what he has built.

A stroll through Jane Austen’s England

Each year for decades, fans of the great British novelist Jane Austen have gathered for a festival in Bath, England, where she lived in her late 20s. They sip tea, talk about her books and play croquet.

This year’s event was particularly merry because they were celebrating the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth. During the marquee promenade through the heart of town, the city was taken over by the fashion of Austen’s era: A-line dresses, Spencer jackets and bonnets for ladies; breeches, waistcoats, jackets, cravats and top hats for gentlemen. Take a look.

Have an elegant weekend.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back on Monday. — Matthew

Sean Kawasaki-Culligan was our photo editor.

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