The government shutdown was avoided. Infrastructure negotiations continue: 5 Things podcast

On today's episode of 5 Things: The bill passed by Congress and signed by the president extends funding through Dec. 3. Plus, negotiations continue on infrastructure, a federal judge holds a hearing on the Texas abortion ban, it's LGBTQ History Month and Disney World celebrates 50 years.

Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

Taylor Wilson:

Good morning, I'm Taylor Wilson, and this is Five Things You Need to Know Friday, the first of October 2021. Today a government shutdown avoided. Plus, it's LGBTQ history month and more.

Taylor Wilson:

Here are some of the top headlines.

1. More than half of police killings in the United States are not reported in official government data. That's according to a new peer reviewed study in the Lancet out yesterday. The study also found that Black Americans are most likely to be killed by police.

2. A fire in a Romanian hospital has killed nine people. The country has had two other deadly hospital fires over the past year.

3. And you can expect slower mail delivery from the USPS on some orders starting today. New policies will slowdown time for mail in transit over long distances, like from New York to California.

Taylor Wilson:

Congress and President Joe Biden have avoided a government shutdown. Just hours before a Thursday midnight deadline, Biden signed a bill passed by Congress earlier in the day. The Senate voted 65 to 35 and the House followed 254 to 175 to approve the bill. A vote on funding came down to the wire, in part, because Republicans and Democrats feuded over whether to include in the legislation a piece to raise the country's limit on borrowing. Congress must do so by October 18th or risk a default that economists warn would be an economic catastrophe. Republicans pushed Democrats to work on that separately and funding approval came quickly after Democrats abandoned their attempt to link the funding measure to the debt limit. A shutdown would have furloughed hundreds of thousands of non-essential federal employees, forcing them to take time off without pay. Essential functions, like the military, law enforcement and air traffic control would have continued, but agencies like the National Park Service would have closed. A Congressional Budget Office report found that a shutdown in 2019 cost the economy $11 billion, or more than $31 million a day.

Taylor Wilson:

Negotiations continue on that $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. Talks lasted into the night yesterday, ultimately delaying the legislation. Its pause comes as lawmakers also keep working to nudge one another on a broader $3.5 trillion deal on human infrastructure, including things like universal community college. Dozens of progressive Democrats in the House have threatened to vote against the infrastructure bill, if the social welfare package doesn't also advance. But two moderate Democrats in the Senate continue to hold that up, Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin. Manchin said there was progress in talks last night, but he still mentioned that he wants a $1.5 trillion price tag, not 3.5.

Senator Joe Manchin:

It was a very productive meeting, very good meeting.

Reporter:

Was it easy for you to come to any-

Senator Joe Manchin:

Hold on, hold on.

Reporter:

-agreement, any framework?

Senator Joe Manchin:

We need a little bit more time. We're getting that time in order to do it. We're going to come to an agreement. I'm trying to make sure they understand I'm at 1.5 trillion. I think 1.5 trillion does exactly the necessary things we need to do to take care of our children, to take care of our people at the end of life, our seniors, and we're working hard on that. I'm still at one five, guys. I've been at one five and I'm going to make sure that people understand it.

Taylor Wilson:

Republicans in the Senate are also expected to unite against the measure.

Taylor Wilson:

A federal judge in Texas will hold a hearing today on a justice department request to temporarily stop enforcement of the Texas six-week abortion ban. A narrow five to four majority in the Supreme Court declined to block the law last month, though the ruling did not rule whether the law is constitutional or not. The move sparked criticisms by reproductive rights advocates, who say the ban conflicted with the high court's abortion precedence over the past few generations. And abortion rights groups brought a new challenge to the Supreme Court last week to try and stop the law's enforcement. The Texas law bans abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually at around six weeks. For many, that gives as little as two weeks of time after even finding out they're pregnant. The law has no exceptions for rape or incest. The Senate examined the recent Supreme Court decision earlier this week. Democrat Dick Durbin and Republican Chuck Grassley.

Senator Dick Durbin:

First with SB8, Texas has created a model to undermine constitutional rights by using bounty hunter enforcement schemes. We are already seeing lawmakers in other states racing to copy that model. That should trouble anyone who cares about constitutional rights and orderly enforcement. Second, the Supreme Court has now shown that it's willing to allow even facially unconstitutional laws to take affect, when the law is aligned with certain ideological preferences.

Senator Chuck Grassley:

We're having a hearing, because the Supreme Court did not do something extraordinary. It declined to intervene on exceedingly expedited basis while reserving judgment on complex legal issues.

Taylor Wilson:

Yesterday, members of Congress shared their own abortion stories, as a congressional committee looked at how to respond to states' recent abortion laws. Congresswoman Cori Bush.

Congresswoman Cori Bush:

Choosing to have an abortion was the hardest decision I had ever made, but at 18 years old, I knew it was the right decision for me. It was freeing knowing I had options. Even still, it took long for me to feel like me again, until most recently, when I decided to give this speech. So, to all the black women and girls who have had abortions and will have abortions, we have nothing to be ashamed of.

Taylor Wilson:

The Supreme Court, on December 1st, will hear arguments in a separate case challenging Mississippi's ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Nearly 50 years ago, the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that people have a right to an abortion during the first or second trimesters, but that states can impose restrictions in the second trimester. Than years later, the court allowed states to ban most abortions at what's called viability, the point when a fetus can survive outside the womb at about six months.

Taylor Wilson:

October is LGBTQ history month. It was first celebrated in 1994 and created by Missouri high school teacher, Rodney Wilson, the first openly gay public school teacher in the state. The month aims to toast achievements by key LGBTQ figures throughout history, people like Susan B. Anthony, a legendary fighter for women's right to vote, and Stacey Milbern, whose work for disability justice has lifted up the lives of many without a voice. Every day this month the civil rights group, The Equality Forum, will highlight different honorees. Cathy Renna, Communications Director for the National LGBTQ Task Force, said, "Our history is a part of American history, world history. LGBTQ people aren't born into their community. We don't have those representations and stories from when we are very young." But relaying that history to young people can be a challenge. Only six states have passed bills requiring LGBTQ inclusive curriculum for grades K through 12, one of them is New Jersey. There, Christian Fuscarino, Executive Director of Garden State Equality, an LGBTQ advocacy and education organization, said the curriculums are paying off. He said, "When LGBTQ youths see themselves reflected in the classrooms, they develop stronger confidence. When non-LGBTQ youths see LGBTQ people reflected in lessons, they understand that the one gay kid in their class isn't as strange as they initially thought."

Taylor Wilson:

Disney World turns 50. The famous theme park opened on October 1st, 1971, when Mickey Mouse led the first visitors, a local family, into the Magic Kingdom while well-known characters sang and danced. To open things up, Maestro Arthur Fiedler conducted the 60 nation World Symphony Orchestra, Hollywood star, Bob Hope, led a dedication, and Music Man, Meredith Willson, conducted the grand opening parade's marching band. To ring in 50 years today, Cinderella's Castle got a fresh coat of paint. There will be golden character statutes scattered throughout the four parks, and there will be two new fireworks shows.

Taylor Wilson:

Thanks for listening to Five Things. You can find us wherever you're listening right now seven days a week. Thanks, as always, to Shannon Green and Claire Thornton for the great work on the show. And I'll be back tomorrow with another edition of Five Things from the USA Today Network.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Government avoids shutdown, extends funding through Dec. 3