10 things you need to know today: October 1, 2023

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) during a press conference

The House of Representatives was able to come to a last-minute agreement on funding the government

(Image credit: Tom Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

published 1 October 2023

1. Government shutdown avoided as Congress passes temporary funding bill

The U.S. Senate voted 88-9 on Saturday night to pass a temporary funding bill, funding the government for the next 47 days and avoiding a federal shutdown. The bill had previously passed in the House earlier that day with bipartisan support. The bill's passage represents an about-face for negotiations, as a prior stopgap bill introduced by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Friday had been sunk by members of his own party, and a shutdown appeared inevitable. The new funding bill includes additional support for natural disaster funds, but does not include new allocations for border security or supporting Ukraine. Congress now has until Nov. 17 to reach a more permanent agreement on funding the government. The Washington Post, Politico

The U.S. Supreme Court will begin its new term on Monday with a flurry of high-profile cases expected to be heard by the justices over the next nine months. This will include cases that will seek to limit the power of the federal government, as well as fights over gun ownership rights and the pervasiveness of social media. One case, which will be heard on just the court's second day in session, could potentially gut the power of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The conservative court will have more to juggle than just cases, though, as continuing questions remain over the ethics of its justices. Recent polls show that Americans' confidence in the Supreme Court is nearing record lows. Axios, USA Today

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) pulled a fire alarm on Capitol Hill on Saturday amid the continued debate to pass a government funding bill. The alarm was pulled in the House Cannon office building, directly southeast of the U.S. Capitol. In a statement following the incident, Bowman said he approached a door inside the building that would not open. "I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door," Bowman added, but said it was not an attempt to delay any vote. An investigation into the incident is reportedly ongoing, and multiple Republicans have called for Bowman to face consequences, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.). The New York Times, The Guardian

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A pro-Russian candidate led his leftist political party to victory during Slovakia's parliamentary elections on Saturday. Polls indicated that Robert Fico's populist SMER Party won the election with 22.9% of the vote, compared to the liberal, pro-Ukrainian Progressive Slovakia with 17.9%. Fico, a former two-time prime minister, now has a chance to claim the job again. He will first need to form a government coalition, though, as SMER did not win enough of the vote to guarantee a majority in Slovakia's Parliament. Fico has pledged to support Russia in its war and end Slovakian aid to Ukraine, though there is likely to be a prolonged fight in Parliament to form a coalition. CNN, BBC

At least 500 people were evacuated from a rural Illinois town on Saturday after a semi-truck crash spilled 7,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia onto the street. The accident occurred around 8:25 p.m. local time near the village of Teutopolis along U.S. Highway 40. The crash killed five people and injured five more, and caused a "large plume cloud of anhydrous ammonia on the roadway that caused terribly dangerous air conditions in the northeast area," Effingham County Sheriff Paul Kuhns said. The accident was described as "very serious," and hazmat teams were being sent into the area to try and mitigate cleanup efforts. Most of the evacuated residents were able to return to their homes by Sunday morning. CBS News, The Associated Press

Two terrorists detonated a bomb in front of government buildings in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Sunday, officials said. Security camera footage showed a vehicle nearing the main gate of the Interior Ministry building before an explosion rips through the area. Both of the terrorists were killed in the explosion, officials said, and a number of police officers were also injured. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the bombing "the latest attempt" to terrorize Turkey. "Those who threaten the peace and security of citizens have not achieved their goals and never will," Erdogan added. The attack was believed to be the first of its kind in Ankara since 2016. Reuters

The Kansas police chief who authorized a heavily scrutinized raid on a local newspaper has been suspended, the town's mayor said Saturday. Marion Mayor Dave Mayfield told The Associated Press that he had suspended Police Chief Gideon Cody, though he didn't provide further details. The suspension comes months after the April 11 search of the local offices of the Marion County Record and the home of its publisher. Cody had filed search warrants to raid the newspaper after a local business owner had accused the Record of illegally accessing information about her. The raid has re-ignited a debate over press freedoms and First Amendment rights across the journalism industry. The Associated Press, The Kansas City Star

More than 100 dolphins have been found dead in the Amazon as record-high water temperatures and a widespread drought are proving a fatal combination for the animals. The dead dolphins were discovered over the past week in Lake Tefé, located in the Brazilian rainforest. Officials said the large number of deaths was unusual, attributing them to water temperatures in the lake that exceeded 102 degrees Fahrenheit. "The past month in Tefé has seemed like a science-fiction climate-change scenario," Daniel Tregidgo, a British researcher living in the area, told The Guardian. "To know that one [dolphin] has died is sad, but to see piles of carcasses, knowing that this drought has killed over 100, is a tragedy." CNN, The Guardian

Baltimore's Catholic Archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Friday, days before a new law was slated to take effect eliminating the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse. Archbishop William E. Lori said in a letter that the bankruptcy was due to the archdiocese facing "a great number of lawsuits of historic cases of child sexual abuse" that were previously unable to be brought. This decision stops all lawsuits against the archdiocese and moves the claims to bankruptcy court. The new law, Maryland's Child Victims Act, was signed this past April and allows victims of child sexual abuse to sue their abusers no matter how long ago the alleged abuse occurred. The New York Times

Apple said Saturday that it was addressing a problem causing its new iPhone 15s to overheat. The tech giant said in a statement that it had "identified a few conditions which can cause iPhone to run warmer than expected," noting that the phone "may feel warmer during the first few days after setting up or restoring the device because of increased background activity." Numerous complaints have been lodged about the overheating iPhone 15, which was introduced in mid-September. The company also pointed to a number of bugs that are being worked on which could also play a factor in this warmth. CNBC

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Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.