This is Fly Out Day, our brand new show here at Punchful News.

If you love The Daily Punch, join us every Thursday for even more fresh insight from lawmakers and reporters as Washington heads out of town.

Subscribe to Fly Out Day wherever you get your podcasts.

I think that they see it as politically advantageous to have a shutdown.

At the end of the week, Washington empties out.

Fast.

Lawmakers, staffers, they're all heading home.

But not before they stop here.

Hey, everybody, welcome back to the Punchable News Townhouse.

Thank you for tuning in last week for our interview with Speaker Mike Johnson.

We have Senate Majority Leader John Thune with us today.

We will talk about all the major issues facing Congress during this very busy work period.

And we'll also talk about the horrific assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk and the deteriorating political discourse in America and what could be done about it.

Also, we joined by Punchable News' own Andrew Desiderio and Annie Carney of the New York Times for their takeaways.

But right before that,

a quick word from our presenting sponsor, META.

Meta is investing in American innovation and through its data centers has supported tens of thousands of construction jobs across the country, boosting local economies and

investing in communities because American progress starts with people.

Well, welcome to the show.

Thank you.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota.

The lesser Dakota.

...