Congress returns with shutdown looming and highlights from NFL week 1: Morning Rundown

Congress returns to D.C. for another big spending fight. House Republicans release a report blaming Biden over Afghanistan withdrawal. And highlights from week 1 of the NFL season.

Here’s what to know today.

Congress returns with just three weeks to avoid a government shutdown

Lawmakers return to the Capitol this morning facing a familiar problem: figuring out how to avert a shutdown.

Funding for the government runs out at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, and former President Donald Trump is urging Republicans to force a shutdown unless certain demands are met. A shutdown would close federal agencies and national parks, while limiting public services and furloughing millions of workers just weeks before the election.

Under pressure from Trump and right-wing members, the Republican-led House released a stopgap bill that would keep money flowing through March 28 and tie it to the SAVE Act, a GOP-led bill to overhaul voting laws nationwide by requiring proof of citizenship to vote. Democrats oppose the latter measure, noting that it’s already illegal for noncitizens to vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Republicans are “taking a critically important step to keep the federal government funded and to secure our federal election process.” But if the bill passes the House, it’s going nowhere in the Democratic-led Senate, and Johnson will have to decide whether to back off or stand his ground. 

It’s a foregone conclusion that lawmakers will need a stopgap bill to keep the government open past the election — they are nowhere close to agreement on a full-year funding measure.

Here’s what to expect during Congress’ final three-week sprint before it returns to the campaign trail in October.

 House GOP releases critical report of Biden withdrawal from Afghanistan

Biden administration officials “watered down” warnings about crumbling security and failed to launch an emergency evacuation of Americans and Afghan allies until it was too late, a new report by House Republicans says.

The report accuses President Joe Biden and his deputies, especially the acting ambassador to Kabul, of botching the 2021 pullout by reducing troop levels while keeping a large embassy staff in place and failing to prepare evacuation plans. The report was based on internal State Department documents and testimony from officials.

Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee dismissed the report in advance, saying it was a purely partisan exercise timed for political effect. Afghan refugee advocates and former officials say neither the Trump nor the Biden administrations prepared detailed contingency plans for an evacuation of U.S. Embassy staff and Afghan allies.

Read the full story here.

Manhunt underway for suspect in Kentucky mass shooting near highway

A manhunt is underway for an “armed and dangerous” suspect in connection with a mass shooting Saturday night near a highway in Kentucky that seriously injured five people.

Deputies are searching for Joseph A. Couch, 32, in remote woods near the scene of the shooting on Interstate 75. Couch is described as white, 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 154 pounds, according to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office. 

An AR-15 believed to be the weapon used in the shooting was found near his vehicle, which was found near the scene. A gun case and several charged magazines were also found in the SUV, officials said. The gunman is believed to have acted alone, according to a local deputy. 

Highlights from Week 1 of the NFL season

The first week of the 2024 NFL season featured upsets, touchdowns and already, some injuries.

Sports reporter Rohan Nadkarni breaks it down:

🦁The Detroit Lions won their playoff rematch with the Los Angeles Rams, notching a 26-20 win in overtime. Lions quarterback Jared Goff led two big drives — a last-minute one for a game-tying field goal and the overtime opening possession that ended in a rushing score.

🏈The New England Patriots pulled off Sunday’s most shocking upset, winning against the Cincinnati Bengals 16-10 on the road. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo got the win in the first game of his career, the first game for New England without Bill Belichick on the sideline since 1999. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was held to 164 yards passing and no touchdowns.

🤠The Dallas Cowboys battered the Cleveland Browns in a 33-17 win. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott signed a record $240 million NFL contract minutes before the game, then helped deliver the victory.

🐬Tyreek Hill was handcuffed by police during a traffic incident before the Miami Dolphins’ Week 1 opener. But he eventually made it to the stadium in time to play, and he had an 80-yard catch-and-score in the Dolphins’ comeback win against the Jaguars. He celebrated the touchdown by cuffing his hands behind his back. 

Politics in Brief

 Presidential debate: In 2019 then-Rep. Tulsi Gabbard gained attention for her stinging criticism of Kamala Harris’ record. Now, she’s helping Trump prep for Tuesday’s debate. 

Economics: Kamala Harris is looking to neutralize a vulnerability that has jeopardized her prospects since she replaced Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee: voter frustration with high prices.

Meet the Press: In an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Sen. Bernie Sanders said Harris’ changing views are part of “doing what she thinks is right in order to win the election.”

Election 2024: Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley dodged when she was asked whether she thinks former President Donald Trump is a good presidential nominee. 

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Staff Pick: Syphilis is surging. Here are the new tactics to bring cases down.

Syphilis cases have skyrocketed in the U.S., reaching levels not seen since 1950. Experts say it’s the result of a breakdown in public health funding, prevention resources and diminishing knowledge about the infection. But testing for syphilis isn’t complicated, and neither is the treatment: penicillin. The challenge lies in actually getting people tested. Contributor Simar Bajaj spoke to doctors and public health officials about the innovative and sometimes in-your-face approaches they’re taking to get the word out about the stigmatized disease in hopes of flattening the syphilis curve.

— Sara G. Miller, health editor

NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

 Looking forward to a productive week? Here are some cleaning tips:

See three step-by-step ways to clean your air fryer — and how often to do it.