Hey, Steve, how's Kentucky?
Oh, it's lovely.
It's lovely.
We've had a nice time, beautiful weather.
We've driven around, talked to people, hung out with a governor, had some bourbon.
Have you been doing all right without me?
It's been tough.
Yeah, I know.
Yeah, we gotta come back.
The White House plans to punish Democrats during the shutdown by slashing funding to blue states and also implementing mass layoffs.
Will the threats force Democrats to succumb to the president's will?
I'm Stephen Skeep with Leila Faddle, and this is up first from NPR News.
Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are already furloughed or working without pay.
In the short term, it doesn't have to mean anything.
But anything beyond that, there is a ripple effect that can create quite a bit of challenge.
Which government programs are most effective?
And despite a peace plan on the table that Hamas is now weighing,
Israel has issued what it calls a final warning to Gaza City residents,
leave now or be treated as militants.
Those who remain include the elderly and people in hospitals.