The U.S. government is headed toward a shutdown on September 30th unless Congress reaches a deal on federal spending by then. Tensions erupted as House Republicans met behind closed doors on Thursday, the latest sign of deep divisions within their own party. Meanwhile, Republican candidates sparred in their second presidential debate.

We’re taking a closer look at what’s going on in Washington with guests: 

• Brittany Lee Lewis is a political analyst and Ph.D. candidate at George Washington University.
• Atiba Madyun is the founder and president of Party Politics US.
• Adolfo Franco is an attorney and Republican strategist. 
• Eleanor Clift is a political columnist with The Daily Beast.

🔊 A standoff between the Democratic-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled House has raised the chances of a US government shutdown.@andysullivan tells @cwalljasper what’s at stake on Reuters World News daily podcast https://t.co/NJaP7ae6l5 pic.twitter.com/y3zYolNE48

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 28, 2023

Ron DeSantis said he would sign a 15-week limit on abortion as president during the Republican presidential debate on Wednesday. The moment clarified the Florida governor's position on a question that he had dodged directly answering for months. https://t.co/UdxMW4z69y

— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 28, 2023