Republicans unveil a bill to fund the government through Nov. 21

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are unveiling a stopgap spending bill that would keep federal agencies funded through Nov. 21. They are essentially daring Democrats to block it knowing that the fallout would likely be a partial government shutdown that would begin Oct. 1. The bill would generally fund agencies at current levels, with a few exceptions, including an extra $88 million to boost security for lawmakers and members of the Supreme Court and the executive branch. The proposed boost in security funding comes as lawmakers face an increasing number of personal threats, with their concerns heightened by the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

NY judge tosses terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione, lets murder count stand

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has dismissed terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione in New York state’s case over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but he kept the state’s second-degree murder charges against him. Judge Gregory Carro ruled Tuesday that although there is no doubt that the killing was not an ordinary street crime, New York law doesn’t consider something terrorism simply because it was motivated by ideology. The ruling came as Mangione made his first court appearance in the state case since February. The 27-year-old Ivy League graduate has attracted a cult following as a stand-in for frustrations with the health insurance industry after Thompson was fatally shot in Manhattan in December.

Trump extends TikTok shutdown deadline for fourth time

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump formally extended the deadline to keep the social media app TikTok available in the United States until Dec. 16. That gives the company time to complete the framework of the deal announced Monday after talks between American and Chinese government officials. The executive order signed Tuesday by Trump was the fourth time he has bypassed federal law to prolong the date for the China-associated TikTok to sell its assets to an American company or be banned. The original deadline set by Congress was Jan. 19 of this year, a day before Trump took the oath of office for his second term.

FBI Director Kash Patel clashes with skeptical Democrats at contentious hearing

WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Kash Patel is defending his record and pushing back on criticism that he has politicized law enforcement. The appearance Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee was the first oversight hearing of Patel’s young but tumultuous tenure. It provided a high-stakes platform for him to try to demonstrate that he is the right person to lead the FBI at a time of internal upheaval and mounting concerns about political violence after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Patel boasted that the man suspected in Kirk’s killing was arrested within 33 hours, but acknowledged he should have been more careful in a statement about the investigation.