It's the Brian Laira show on WNYC. Good morning again, everyone. Now we turn to national and some international

politics. One intractable problem is finally showing some signs of progress.

There's a peace deal between Israel and Hamas, and I know there's some dispute over whether to call it a peace agreement or just a ceasefire,

but it's showing promise that the release of all the remaining hostages might take place,

maybe even as early as this weekend.

And then there would be a ceasefire as step one.

As you were just hearing in Michael's newscast,

there are still things that have not been agreed to.

And I wonder if either side is going to go through with it.

We'll see where our guest thinks.

But here in this country, the standoff continues between the Republicans and the White

House and Congress and Democrats. And that is, of course, over another unchanged item. And that's

the Senate vote on funding the government. Federal employees furloughed are still working but with no pay and the House not in

session. I don't know if you've heard yet a clip of Congressman Mike Lawler from north of New York City

Republican and the House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries from Brooklyn screaming at each other

yesterday but to talk about both of these

issues and maybe a little bit about his new article in the Atlantic that links the threat by

President Trump to put the governor of Illinois and the mayor of Chicago in jail, links that to

the prosecution of Jim Comey.

We have Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNBC,

contributing writer at the Atlantic,

and author of The Big Lie,

...