Speaker Johnson unveils stopgap funding bill to avoid government shutdown

WITH JUST ABOUT A WEEK TO SPARE — CONGRESS HAS REACHED A DEAL TO AVOID A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. 

HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON SAID SUNDAY THE HOUSE WILL VOTE **THIS WEEK** ON A THREE-MONTH STOPGAP FUNDING BILL THAT WILL KEEP THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OPEN UNTIL DECEMBER 20-TH. 

IN A LETTER TO HOUSE MEMBERS — JOHNSON SAID THE BILL IS QUOTE “BARE BONES” AND ONLY INCLUDES “THE EXTENSIONS THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY” –  UNLIKE A PREVIOUS VERSION — THIS BILL DOES NOT INCLUDE LEGISLATION CONCERNING PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP TO REGISTER VOTE — BUT IT DOES INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 230-MILLION DOLLARS FOR SECRET SERVICE FUNDING. 

THE RULES COMMITTEE IS SET TO REVIEW THE SPENDING BILL THIS AFTERNOON.   HOUSE G-O-P LEADERS SAY LAWMAKERS WILL LIKELY VOTE ON IT,  ON WEDNESDAY. 

IF THIS BILL DOES NOT PASS — GOVERNMENT FUNDING IS SLATED TO RUN OUT NEXT MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30-TH.

WITH 43 DAYS TO GO UNTIL ELECTION DAY – A NEW POLL IS SHOWING JUST HOW CLOSE THIS RACE IS BETWEEN VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AND FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. 

A CBS NEWS POLL RELEASED SUNDAY – FOUND HARRIS LEADING TRUMP 52 PERCENT TO 48 PERCENT AMONG LIKELY VOTERS. 

AS FOR THE FORMER PRESIDENT – TRUMP SAYS THIS RUN FOR THE PRESIDENCY WILL BE HIS LAST.  HE REVEALED THAT INFORMATION ON SUNDAY DURING AN INTERVIEW ON “FULL MEASURE” WITH SHARYL ATTKINSON” 

SHARLY ATTKINSON | ANCHOR, FULL MEASURE 

“And then if you’re not successful this time, do you see yourself running again in four years?” 

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP 

“No, I don’t. I don’t see that at all. Hopefully, we’re going to be successful.” 

ALSO OVER THE WEEKEND – THE VICE PRESIDENT SAYS SHE HAS AGREED TO ANOTHER DEBATE WITH THE FORMER PRESIDENT. HARRIS SAYING SHE WOULD DEBATE TRUMP ON CNN ON OCTOBER 23RD. IN RESPONSE — TRUMP TOLD SUPPORTERS AT A NORTH CAROLINA RALLY – THAT IT’S TOO LATE FOR ANOTHER DEBATE AS EARLY VOTING HAS ALREADY BEGUN IN SOME STATES.   

LOOKING AHEAD — DONALD TRUMP WILL BE CAMPAIGNING IN INDIANA TODAY WHILE KAMALA HARRIS IS EXPECTED TO RELEASE MORE ON HER ECONOMIC PLAN THIS WEEK

THE SEARCH FOR SUSPECTS CONTINUES THIS MORNING  AFTER A MASS SHOOTING IN ONE OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA’S MOST POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS LEFT FOUR DEAD AND MORE THAN A DOZEN OTHERS INJURED OVER THE WEEKEND. 

POLICE SAY THE SHOOTING HAPPENED JUST AFTER 11 SATURDAY NIGHT, LOCAL TIME. 

THEY BELIEVE IT WAS A TARGETED ATTACK — A PAID “HIT” — ON ONE SPECIFIC PERSON, WITH EVERYONE ELSE CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE.  WITNESSES SAY  MULTIPLE SUSPECTS PULLED UP IN A CAR, GOT OUT AND FIRED DOZENS OF GUNSHOTS, THEN QUICKLY TOOK OFF. 

THE BIRMINGHAM  MAYOR SAID THIS IS *NOT* THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR THE CITY HAS SEEN GUN VIOLENCE LIKE THIS. 

 DURING A NEWS CONFERENCE SUNDAY, HE CALLED IT A  “SOLVABLE PROBLEM.” 

MAYOR RANDALL WOODFIN | BIRMINGHAM, AL 

“We don’t have any interest in this whole debate about Second Amendment rights. We don’t have any interest in people who want to protect their homes, militia or whatever else you want to say. There’s a certain element in this city, there’s a certain element in this community who are too comfortable running around with semi-automatic weapons, automatic weapons, conversion switches and everything else, whose only intent, hell bent intent, is to harm people, shoot people, kill people.” 

INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY *DO* BELIEVE THE PERSON WHO WAS TARGETED *IS* AMONG THE PEOPLE  WHO DIED.

AND NOW WE TURN TO THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST – WHERE ISRAEL IS ATTACKING HEZBOLLAH TARGETS IN LEBANON AS PART OF ITS NEW ROUND OF “EXTENSIVE STRIKES.” 

THIS MORNING — THE ISRAELI MILITARY WARNING CIVILIANS TO VACATE THE AREAS WHERE IT SAYS  HEZBOLLAH IS STORING WEAPONS AHEAD OF FURTHER STRIKES. 

THE LEBANESE HEALTH MINISTRY SAYING ONE PERSON WAS KILLED AND SIX INJURED IN THE LATEST ATTACKS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE COUNTRY. 

THESE LATEST STRIKES COME AFTER LAST WEEK’S EXPLOSIONS TARGETING WALKIE-TALKIES AND PAGERS – AND FRIDAY’S ATTACK ON BEIRUT WHICH KILLED 45 PEOPLE INCLUDING A SENIOR HEZBOLLAH COMMANDER.   

WHEN ASKED IF THE LATEST ASSAULTS INDICATE AN IMMINENT GROUND INVASION – AN IDF SPOKESPERSON SAID ISRAEL IS RIGHT NOW FOCUSED ON ITS AERIAL CAMPAIGN.

LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD ARE IN NEW YORK CITY THIS WEEK FOR THE UNITED NATIONS’ ANNUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY — AND IT’S A BIG TEST FOR THE EMBATTLED SECRET SERVICE. 

THE AGENCY IS ALREADY FACING HEAVY CRITICISM AFTER TWO SEPARATE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS ON FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. 

NOW — IT’S TASKED WITH PROTECTING MORE THAN 140 WORLD LEADERS — INCLUDING THOSE FROM ISRAEL, PALESTINE, AND UKRAINE. 

THE U-N GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS CONSIDERED THE BIGGEST EVENT THAT THE SECRET SERVICE IS CHARGED WITH PROTECTING EACH YEAR — BIGGER THAN THE SUPER BOWL, WHICH IS ALSO CONSIDERED A MAJOR NATIONAL SECURITY EVENT. 

THE AGENCY IS WORKING WITH MULTIPLE OTHERS — FROM THE N-Y-P-D TO THE COAST GUARD — TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE, AND MAINTAINS, IT **IS CONFIDENT** THEY WILL DO JUST THAT.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – LAST WEEK, WE TOLD YOU ABOUT LOS ANGELES DODGERS’ STAR , OHTANI , MAKING HISTORY ON THE BASEBALL FIELD – NOW, THERE’S AN ENTIRE TEAM ENTERING THE HISTORY BOOKS  – BUT NOT THE KIND TO BE PROUD OF. 

THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX LOST THEIR 120TH GAME OF THE SEASON ON SUNDAY –  LOSING 4 TO 2 TO THE SAN DIEGO PADRES – AND TYING A MODERN-DAY MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL RECORD FOR FUTILITY. 

SINCE 1900 – ONLY THE 1962 NEW YORK METS HAVE LOST SO MANY GAMES IN A SEASON. 

THE WHITE SOX ALREADY SURPASSED THE 2003 DETROIT TIGERS FOR THE MOST LOSSES BY AN AMERICAN LEAGUE TEAM. 

AND WITH SIX GAMES TO GO IN THE REGULAR SEASON – IT’S LOOKING LIKE CHICAGO IS GOING TO SET ANOTHER RECORD. 

THE WHITE SOX’S NEXT GAME IS TUESDAY AGAINST THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS IN CHICAGO.