Trump, Musk, The Shutdown — And You

Will the government shut down this week? That's the big question rocking Washington right now. House Republicans floated a plan over the weekend that would boost funding for the Pentagon and deportations while cutting billions in non-defense spending. Democrats say they're a 'no' on that. But with slim margins in both the House and the Senate, some level of bipartisan support is necessary to keep the lights on. Nicholas Wu, who covers Congress for Politico, explains why there's a 50/50 chance the government stays open past Friday. And in headlines: The Trump administration cancels $400 million in federal grants for Columbia University, Syria sees its worst violence since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, and staff at the Health and Human Services Department have been offered up to $25,000 to resign from their jobs.

Om Podcasten

If you’re looking for hype, fake outrage, and groupthink, kindly keep moving. Our mission at What a Day is simple: to be your guide to what truly matters each morning (and the fun stuff you might have missed) in just 20 minutes. Host Jane Coaston brings you in-depth reporting and substantive analysis on the big stories shaping today and the creeping trends shaping tomorrow—and when she doesn’t know the answers, she asks someone even smarter to fill us all in. Radical, right? New episodes at 5:00 a.m. EST, Monday–Friday in your favorite podcast app and on YouTube. Being informed was never this easy.