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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan. Congress returns from its August recess this week. A major task

awaiting lawmakers is avoiding a government shutdown. The fiscal year ends September 30th,

and Congress has not approved legislation needed to keep the government in business beyond that.

NPR's Claudia Grisales says more. When lawmakers get back, they'll have less than a month

to approve regular appropriations bills. That's a process that can take months, and they're already

very much behind. Many say it's a fantasy they'll get there. For example, many House Republicans

just want to approve another stopgap measure that will keep

funding level static.

Then underlying all of this, we have seen this Republican-led Congress seed their power of

the purse to the president again and again.

NPR's Claudia Guselles.

Israeli troops have recovered the bodies of two Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The Israeli

military also targeted the main spokesman of Hamas in an airstrike. NPR's Daniel Lestron

reports from Tel Aviv. The Israeli military says it's recovered the bodies of two Israelis

killed in the Hamas attack on southern Israel, October 7, 2023. Israel says the two were killed

trying to protect others during the attack, and their bodies were taken to Gaza. Now 48

hostages remain in Gaza, including 20, believed to still be alive. Two weeks ago, Hamas agreed to a

proposal by Egypt and Qatar to free half of the remaining hostages.

Israel previously agreed to those terms, but Israel has not responded to the proposal.

Israel says it wants all, not half of the hostages.

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