Good Thursday morning. I'm Anna Palmer and welcome to Politico Playbook audio briefing sponsored by

Farma. And I'm Jake Sherman. Spotted yesterday, Ivanka Trump lunching with Senator Susan Collins of Maine

in the Senate dining room. Collins, of course, is perpetually in the spotlight, but nowadays more than

ever because she's a critical vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.

A source told us they were having lunch to discuss the We Act, a women entrepreneurship and empowerment bill, not the nomination that could change the court for decades.

And here's two more great spotts.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise hosted Jared Kushner for a dinner at Joe's on 15th Street

with House Republicans,

including Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCall and ethics chairman Susan Brooks.

Amazon CEO and local newspaper owner Jeff Bezos was also spotted in the dining room at

Joe's at 10 p.m. last night. On the congressional front, the Senate passed a package of spending bills last night,

military construction VA, ledge branch, and energy. It's the first move to avoid a shutdown. The House

will pass it today. The White House says President Trump will sign it, which would mark the first step

toward avoiding a shutdown. The House is expected to go out of session this afternoon until September 25th, which

will give Congress four days to fund the rest of the government.

The three bills they are passing today are the easy ones.

The tough rowing is still ahead.

Our colleagues, Daniel Lipman and Ileana Johnson have a big scoop this morning.

Trump's FEMA administrator, Brock Long, is under investigation over whether

he misused government vehicles during his commutes to North Carolina from Washington.

Here's the latest on Hurricane Florence. Capital Weather Gang is reporting that conditions

in the Carolinas are expected to deteriorate rapidly, beginning devastating damage and flooding

...