Daily Briefing: Nothing like a deadline

Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY
·5 min read
2

Congress has one working day left to cut through gridlock and agree on a federal funding plan. Also in the news: Maui fire victims called for accountability on Capitol Hill and winter is coming — and we have the snow predictions you need to know.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Happy National Coffee Day! Here's how to get your cup of Joe for free.

Here's the news to know this Friday.

Is a government shutdown really going to happen?

As lawmakers continue to fight on Capitol Hill, the country they serve is bracing for a government shutdown that would delay and disrupt American life.

Federal workers would be furloughed without pay while "essential" federal workers would work without pay − but the impact would stretch far beyond government employees to millions of homes across America.

  • Lawmakers must pass 12 appropriations bills in order to fund the government, or otherwise miss a 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1 deadline. Hard-right lawmakers have argued a vote on each bill would allow for more transparency in the spending process. But it is virtually impossible for Congress to pass all bills in time.

  • A shutdown would impact the country's largest food assistance programs, federally funded preschool, federal college grants and loans, food safety inspections, national parks and more.

  • Should federal contractors receive lost wages in a government shutdown? A bill by congressional Democrats seeks to protect thousands of low-wage federal contractors who would see a total loss of income.

Related: These teens tried to help the grown-ups and whether you should start worrying about your flights.

Gen Z protesters storm Speaker McCarthy's office
Gen Z protesters storm Speaker McCarthy's office

UAW to expand strike actions: 'Everything is on the table'

The UAW is planning to announce its next round of strike targets Friday morning on Facebook Live, and "everything is on the table," according to a union source familiar with the situation. UAW intends to confirm the next round of strikes by 10 a.m. Friday morning in a move meant to amp up pressure in the labor stoppage affecting dozens of General Motors and Stellantis distribution facilities. The union has linked its targeted so-called Stand Up Strike strategy to progress at the bargaining table. Read more

More news to know now

Thursday night football: Detroit Lions win against Green Bay Packers

The NFL Week 4 kicked off Thursday night with a divisional battle between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, who exited Lambeau Field with a mighty roar — Lions 34 Packers 20. The action continues early Sunday morning with the NFL's first international game of the season, scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. ET. That game will feature the Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars facing off at Wembley Stadium in London. Following that football brunch, two teams should break into the win column as the winless Carolina Panthers host the winless Minnesota Vikings, and the Denver Broncos (0-3) visit the equally hapless Chicago Bears (0-3). Read more

Detroit Lions defensive end John Cominsky (79) tackles Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) short of the goal line on a twopoint conversion attempt.
Detroit Lions defensive end John Cominsky (79) tackles Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) short of the goal line on a twopoint conversion attempt.

Maui fire victims seek answers, accountability at Washington hearing

Lawmakers didn't get a lot of concrete answers to their questions about the deadly wildfire that killed 97 people in Maui as national leaders look for causes - and possible repercussions. The blaze started from an unknown cause in the afternoon and was unrelated to a blaze earlier in the day sparked by downed power lines, the president of Hawaii's primary utility told the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in a hearing Thursday. Survivors and family members of people who died in the disaster attended the hearing Thursday and submitted written testimony as they were not invited to testify in person. Read more

Quick hits

Let it snow? Winter predictions start as El Niño strengthens

For those already pulling out sweaters and boots and hoping for a cold, snowy winter, the coming months could be disappointing, thanks to the influence of a strengthening El Niño. Much of the northern half of the country is forecast to see greater chances for warmer than normal temperatures, thanks to a combination of El Niño and ongoing patterns of above average heat in general. Experts say across the South and much of the Atlantic coast into southern New England, the forecast calls for greater chances of a wetter than normal winter. Read more

Photo of the day: Gabriela Hearst exits Chloé dancing

Fashion designer Gabriela Hearst marked her farewell from Chloé with a jubilant dance alongside Rio’s samba school Mangueira, showcasing a collection emphasizing modernity and femininity. Hearst leaves behind a green legacy at Chloé. Under her leadership, Chloé not only underwent a creative transformation but also embarked on a sustainable path. Click here for more photos from Paris Fashion Week.

Designer Gabriela Hearst (C) greets the audience at the end of the Chloe fashion show during the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024, in Paris on September 28, 2023.
Designer Gabriela Hearst (C) greets the audience at the end of the Chloe fashion show during the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024, in Paris on September 28, 2023.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Government shutdown, UAW strikes, NFL, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Maui, weather, fashion: Daily Briefing