Democrats blink as Schumer helps GOP clear key shutdown hurdle

Senate Republicans opted to strike on bipartisan momentum and take a key step to prevent a government shutdown almost two months before the deadline. The upper chamber voted in a bipartisan wave to clear the first procedural hurdle for a short-term funding extension that would see the government open through the midterm elections and into early December. It comes after Republicans have spent months hand wringing that Democrats would again shut the government down to score political points during