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It’s Friday. Monday is the first official day of fall. That’s when I finally deem it appropriate to start consuming anything pumpkin spice. 🍂

In today's issue:

• House passes funding bill, jams Senate Dems

• Late-night hosts fight back with satire

• White House eyes next media target

• GOP A-listers expected at Kirk funeral

🥔 ON CAPITOL HILL

Hot potato, hot potato:

The House just passed a government funding extension that would punt the threat of a shutdown until Nov. 21. Now, they’re leaving for a 12-day recess for Rosh Hashanah, making this the Senate’s problem.

“The ball is in [Senate Democratic Leader] Chuck Schumer’s court. I hope he does the right thing. I hope he does not choose to shut the government down,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters, hoping to pin a potential shutdown on Democrats.

The House vote: 217-212, largely along party lines.

Now, the Senate has the hot potato: The Senate is scheduled to vote on it this afternoon, but it’s widely expected to fail.

This has become a rousing game of chicken: House GOP leaders have told their members they can leave town until Oct. 1 (one day after the government funding deadline!! 😅), putting pressure on the Senate to accept their package — or else.

Sounds easy, eh?: Nope, it never is. Democrats are united in opposing Republicans’ extension. And Senate Republicans don’t have enough votes to keep the government open on their own.

Remember: All of Democrats’ leverage is in the Senate. They’re powerless in the House, where just a simple majority is needed. However, there’s a 60-vote threshold in the Senate. Republicans need a handful of Democrats to jump on board.

If it’s a relatively clean funding extension, then why are Democrats opposing it?: Democrats want health care subsidies (that are due to expire at the end of the year) to be extended. Democrats also don’t totally trust Republicans right now on spending after Trump was able to cancel funding previously approved by Congress over the summer.

Schumer is under *enormous* pressure, too: Remember howSchumerhelped Republicans prevent a government shutdown in March? He took enormous heat from Democrats. He doesn’t appear to have the appetite to do that again.

The Senate is also expected to leave town today for a weeklong recess, presumably with no plan to keep the government open.

🗨️ Follow today’s live blog

📺 KIMMEL FALLOUT

Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon & Seth Meyers enter the chat:

The blowback over Jimmy Kimmel’s indefinite suspension has been fierce.

Jon Stewart jumped back into “The Daily Show” chair Thursday evening........

© The Hill