"Congressional Leaders Express Optimism in Avoiding Shutdown and Intense Ukraine Discussion"

Congressional leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator Chuck Schumer, expressed optimism about avoiding a government shutdown after meeting with President Biden, but no concrete deal has been reached yet. With just days to go before the deadline, there is pressure to reach a spending deal amidst objections from right-wing lawmakers, and while progress has been made, it remains uncertain whether an agreement will be reached before the funding deadline.