WEEKLY POINTS

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

I HAMAS PARTIALLY ACCEPTS GAZA PEACE PLAN

Hamas, Israel, and the U.S. begin talks today in Egypt on a ceasefire deal proposed by President Donald Trump. The plan would include an immediate end to fighting and the release of 20 living Israeli hostages within 72 hours. In exchange, Israel would release hundreds of detained Gazans. Trump unveiled the 20-point plan for peace last Monday during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas accepted the framework over the weekend. It outlines a plan for the governance of Gaza involving a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” that will be temporarily overseen by a new international transitional body, called the Board of Peace, which will be headed by Trump. The plan leaves the door open for an eventual Palestinian state, which Netanyahu has vowed to oppose.

>> Learn more about the history of the conflict between Israel and Hamas here.

I NO SHUTDOWN DEAL YET

The federal government has been in a partial shutdown since Wednesday after Congress failed to pass funding legislation after several rounds of votes. Republicans had pushed for a seven-week funding extension, which Democrats refused to support in an effort to secure funding for Obamacare subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. The Senate will vote on two stopgap measures to fund the government today, but neither is expected to pass.

>> Gain insight into what federal services operate during a shutdown here.

I SUPREME COURT BEGINS NEW TERM

The Supreme Court will hear cases this term on conversion therapy for minors, gun rights, transgender athletes, the use of race in redistricting, and several challenges to Trump administration decisions and policies. The administration has asked the Court to weigh in on challenges to immigration policies, efforts to cancel research grants, mass layoffs of federal workers, the president’s ability to fire members of independent commissions, and tariffs. The Court will consider the legality of most of the administration’s tariffs on November 5. There is no set timeline for how long it will take the Court to reach a decision in any particular case. However, the administration has requested expedited review of several cases, including the challenge to the tariffs.

>> Learn about the current members of the U.S. Supreme Court here.

I U.S. CONTINUES STRIKES ON ALLEGED DRUG BOATS

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that the U.S. had killed four people he described as “narco-terrorists” on a boat off the coast of Venezuela. The strike follows a declaration from the Trump administration to Congress last Thursday that the U.S. is now at war with drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations. The military has conducted at least three strikes on vessels the administration claims were carrying drugs and on their way to the U.S., with at least two of those vessels originating from Venezuela. The administration did not name any of the cartels it has designated as terrorist groups in its message to Congress.

>> Find out more about U.S. efforts to stop drug trafficking here.

I U.S. LOST 32,000 JOBS IN SEPTEMBER

A report from payroll company ADP found that the U.S. lost 32,000 jobs in September. Small private-sector businesses were the primary driving factor behind job losses, with the losses spread across various industries. Professional and business services, as well as leisure and hospitality businesses, saw the biggest losses. Most new hires occurred in the healthcare industry. The report comes as the Trump administration prepares to announce mass layoffs during the ongoing government shutdown, which is expected to lower job numbers in October if they occur.

>> Discover how the federal government produces its jobs report here.

TALKING POINTS

Stay ahead of the stories driving national conversations