1/ Kevin McCarthy canceled House votes and sent members home for the weekend despite nine days remaining until a shutdown and no plan to fund the government. For the second time in three days five conservative Republicans tanked a procedural vote to start debate on a key military funding bill. McCarthy had planned to pass the defense bill – one of the 12 fiscal 2024 appropriations bills that both the House and Senate need to pass to fund the government – and begin work on a short-term funding bill to keep the entire government funded beyond Sept. 30. The House Freedom Caucus, however, has continued to demand even lower spending levels and no more aid for Ukraine – two proposals that would be dead on arrival in the Democratic-controlled Senate. “This is a whole new concept of individuals that just want to burn the whole place down,” McCarthy said. “It doesn’t work.” Trump, meanwhile, called on Republicans to “defund all aspects” of the “weaponized” Biden administration, claiming it’s their “last chance” to stop his “political prosecutions.” (CNBC / Axios / CNN / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / New York Times / Bloomberg / Politico / NBC News)

2/ The Senate voted to confirm three key military promotions despite a monthslong blockade by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is protesting the Pentagon’s policy of reimbursing troops who must go across state lines to seek an abortion. To get past Tuberville’s hold on nominees, Chuck Schumer forced a full Senate vote to confirm the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Marine Corps commandant, and the Army chief of staff. “Senator Tuberville is forcing us to face his obstruction head on,” Schumer said. “I want to make clear to my Republican colleagues — this cannot continue.” More than 300 military promotions, however, remain in limbo. (CNN / Politico / Washington Post / Bloomberg / NPR / New York Times / Associated Press / NPR)

3/ The Biden administration will o...