SUMMARY

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Amna Nawaz to discuss the latest political news, including the implications for the U.S. economy and political landscape as a potential government shutdown looms and union workers continue their strike against car manufacturers.

Time marker: For the sake of time, you may want to focus only on the government shutdown up to the 3m:33s mark.

For a transcript of this story, click here.

News wrap alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

FIVE FACTS

• When will the federal government shut down if Congress can't come to a spending agreement?
• What are some of the immediate impacts on Americans if the government shuts down?
• Who are the people responsible for negotiating spending?
• Why are Republicans divided over the bill?
• How might a shutdown affect the political fortunes of both parties, according to this story?

FOCUS QUESTIONS

Why do you think Republicans haven't yet passed a spending bill in the House, even though a government shutdown would be very unpopular? How do you think the issue will be resolved?

News analysis: Why do you think this story focused on the politics of the shutdown more than the impact on people's lives?

Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more?

FOR MORE

What students can do:

The second Republican debate will be aired on Fox Business on September 27 at 9 pm EST and address government spending and the shutdown, among other topics.

Play BINGO! Use this Google doc to play BINGO while watching a recording of the second Republican primary debate of the 2024 presidential election season.

Fill out the BINGO card with phrases, names, proposals, etc. that you expect to hear from the candidates during the second Republican primary debate of Election 2024. Share a picture of your completed BINGO card on Twitter at #PBSnewsClassroom and #PrimaryBINGO. And shoutout to NewsHour Classroom advisor Ryan Werenka, U.S. government teacher in Troy, Michigan, for coming up with a fun way to watch the debates!

Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources. Sign up for NewsHour Classroom’s ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning.