A Note from ASP’s Co-founders

It's hard to believe that ASP turned five this year. As we reflect on all we've worked on since launching, we wanted to take a moment and say THANK YOU, from the bottom of our hearts, for being part of this community. 

Your support has humbled us. Your engagement has inspired us. And your feedback has made us better. None of this would have been possible without you. So here’s to the past five years—and to the many more ahead. We can't wait to show you what we're working on next. Stay tuned. —Chris Evans, Mark Kassen, Joe Kiani

Take a stroll down memory lane with us.

Weekly Points

This week’s guide to government and politics in under 10 minutes

I CONGRESS AT AN IMPASSE OVER GOVERNMENT FUNDING

Congress has nine days to prevent a government shutdown. Last week, the House passed a plan, known as a continuing resolution, that would extend funding mostly at current levels through November 21. It would also provide an additional $88 million in emergency funding to boost security for government officials in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. The Senate voted down two government funding plans last Friday—one from each party. The first was the Republican plan from the House, and the second was a Democratic plan to extend funding through October 31. The Democratic proposal also included funding to extend health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, roll back Medicaid cuts, and make it harder for President Trump to claw back approved spending.

>> Dig deeper into using continuing resolutions to fund the government here.

I TIKTOK BAN DEADLINE EXTENDED

The deadline for TikTok to find a U.S. buyer or face a ban was extended last week as President Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping about the next steps in finalizing a deal to sell most of TikTok’s U.S. assets to American investors. In 2024, Congress passed a law requiring TikTok to sell to U.S.-based owners or face a ban due to national security and privacy concerns. The latest deadline for such a deal was last week, but President Trump extended it to December to allow more time for negotiations to play out. Media reports indicate that, under the deal’s framework, a group of U.S. investors, including Oracle, Andreesen Horowitz, and Silver Lake, would have an 80% stake in the company, with Chinese investors owning the remaining 20%. The new company would have a U.S.-led board of directors, including one member appointed by the Trump administration. 

>> Learn more about the Posse Comitatus Act and the National Guard here.

I TRUMP: CRITICAL MEDIA COVERAGE “ILLEGAL”

Following the “indefinite suspension” of Jimmy Kimmel, President Trump claimed that critical television coverage of him is “illegal” while pushing back against claims his administration was undermining free speech. Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said “when 97% of the stories are bad about a person, it’s no longer free speech.” After Kimmel’s suspension for comments he made about recently-assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Federal Communications Commission head Brendan Carr suggested that the agency may take regulatory action against ABC, the network that broadcasts Kimmel’s show. Carr also indicated he was looking into regulatory actions against other networks or shows, saying “I don’t think this is the last shoe to drop.”

I JUDGE BLOCKS DEPORTATION OF UNACCOMPANIED GUATAMALAN MINORS

A federal judge blocked a plan from the Trump administration to deport hundreds of Guatemalan children. Judge Timothy Kelly wrote that the government’s case for deporting the children “crumbled like a house of cards” under court scrutiny. The administration argued that its actions were part of a reunification effort to reunite the children with their parents in Guatemala. Kelly found no evidence that the parents had requested the children’s return. He also found that the children being “roused from their beds in the middle of the night and driven to the airport” during the Labor Day weekend cast doubt on the government’s reunification claims. Judge Kelly’s order cited the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which requires a stronger case that returning the children to their country of origin is in the children’s best interest before they could be sent back.

>> Find out about a plan to ensure unaccompanied minors get legal representation in immigration hearings here.

I FEDERAL RESERVE RATE CUT

Last week, the Federal Reserve announced its first interest rate cut in nine months. The central bank decided to cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point and signaled that more rate cuts are likely later this year. When announcing the cut, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell expressed concern about several aspects of the economy, including home sales and weak employment numbers for young people and racial minorities. Federal Reserve officials have said they want to see how Trump administration policies affect economic indicators before committing to larger rate cuts.

>> Understand what the Federal Reserve is and how it works here.

TALKING POINTS

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