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What is the current status of the government shutdown?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. Momentum is building in the Senate and at the White House for the end of the 40-day government shutdown. NPR's Luke Garrett reports at least eight Democrats support a deal with Senate Republicans.
A source not authorized to share details publicly says moderate Democrats struck a deal with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the White House. The agreement would fund the government until January 30th, pass an appropriations package that reverses all shutdown firings, and ensure SNAP benefit funding through next September.
The congressional source also says the deal includes a vote on the Affordable Care Act by the second week of December. For 40 days, Democrats have voted to keep the government shut down in hopes of extending health care tax credits, which expire at the end of the year. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with other Democrats, opposed the deal.
But President Trump said Sunday evening he's hopeful.
And it looks like we're getting close to the shutdown ending. You'll know very soon.
Luke Garrett, NPR News, the White House.
Russia says it currently has no intention of resuming nuclear testing, but it did acknowledge it's studying the possibility. This is in response to an order by President Trump for the U.S. to begin its own nuclear tests. NPR's Charles Maines has more.
The Kremlin says that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to explore the possibility of nuclear testing, but would do so only if the U.S. resumes its own nuclear arms tests. President Trump has threatened to do just that, in an apparent response to Russia's recent testing of two nuclear-capable delivery systems that experts note did not include atomic warheads.
Meanwhile, Moscow says it's still waiting for a U.S. response to a proposal to de facto extend the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty, when it sunsets in February of next year. Putin has proposed both sides continue to observe limits imposed by the treaty for an additional 12 months to give time for negotiators to hash out a new agreement. Charles Baines, NPR News, Moscow.
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