Well, look at that. We've done it again, made our way through the work week, and now, here we are, Friday, September 29th.

Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage.

Now, let's get briefed. Today on the PDB, we'll check in on stories that we touched on this week to track their developments in what we call, cleverly, might I had, follow up Friday.

People in the know are already predicting that follow up Friday will become more popular than Taco Tuesday.

Personally, I doubt it. Can't be the Taco.

First up, Senator Bob Menendez continues to reject calls to resign just days after being indicted on charges of leveraging his powerful political position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the benefit of several businessmen and don't forget the government of Egypt.

Today, we're learning of an interesting twist in the story as the FBI opens a counterintelligence investigation into the senator and his wife.

A little later in the program, we'll dive into a concerning financial shortfall at the Pentagon, which is struggling to replace $5 billion worth of arms sent to Ukraine, with only $1.6 billion left in the wallet for new equipment contracts.

And, of course, the looming threat of a government shutdown is further complicating procurement matters.

Plus, we've got the latest on the auto industry as UAW leader Sean Fein sets a new deadline for Detroit's big three, raising the specter of more strikes just two weeks after the initial walkout.

Finally, in today's back of the brief segment, Senate attire undergoes a transformation on Capitol Hill as a unanimous decision formalizes a new dress code, discover what prompted this change, and why even Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is on board.

But first, today's PDB spotlight.

Democrat Senator Bob Menendez pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to three federal charges tied to an alleged bribery scheme.

These charges revolve around Menendez allegedly leveraging his political influence to assist the Egyptian government and three New Jersey businessmen.

His wife, Nadine Menendez, also entered a not guilty plea for the three charges against her.

Now, Menendez was released on $100,000 bond and had to surrender his passport, while his wife, Nadine, was released on a notably higher $250,000 bond.

The disparity in bond amounts is intriguing, and we'll circle back to that shortly.

The Justice Department's allegations assert that Senator Menendez and his wife were involved in a lengthy plot during which they purportedly accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars, gold bars,

and even a Mercedes-Benz convertible among other items.

Pressure for Menendez to resign has been mounting since this indictment last week.

Over 30 Senate Democrats, which constitutes a majority of the caucus, have called for his resignation.

However, Menendez has remained steadfast in his determination to stay in office, because, well, frankly, why would you give up that sort of profitable gig?

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