The World's Richest Man Wants to Burn It All Down  —  Per NBC News, the Republicans who welcomed Elon Musk into their tent as a key decision-maker and thought leader are having an excellent time: … Happy Thursday.  —  The Kent Brockman Republicans  —  by William Kristol

The Chaos Monkeys Have Already Taken Over the Zoo  —  The peddlers of misinformation are high on their own supply  —  Well, I was going to post about proposals for bank deregulation, but I think that can wait for a bit.  The news of the moment is the looming prospect that the federal government will shut down over the weekend.

GOP strikes a new spending deal  —  Republicans have struck a deal on a short-term government spending patch and potential debt limit increase, according to two GOP lawmakers meeting in Speaker Mike Johnson's office Thursday afternoon.  “There is an agreement,” said Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.).

Republicans Cut Child Cancer Research From Funding Bill After Musk's Meddling  —  The House GOP has been in a state of chaos after the billionaire led a campaign to kill a bipartisan funding bill  —  Less than 48 hours before defaulting and triggering a shutdown, Congress is still scrambling …

Shutdown threatens ‘chaos’ for Trump's transition and inauguration  —  Transition “landing teams” were already delayed and may now lose access to the staffers briefing them.  —  The collapse of Congress' spending negotiations is throwing the presidential transition and preparations …

Trump team affirms he's leader of GOP amid ‘President Musk’ barbs  —  President-elect Trump's transition team pushed back against Democratic lawmakers who suggested Elon Musk is the “real leader” of the Republican Party after his aggressive pressure campaign against a stopgap spending measure.

Trump's demands leave Republicans flailing with no plan on eve of shutdown  —  GOP leaders have kept both chambers waiting as they privately discuss a Plan B after President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk torched their bipartisan funding deal.  —  WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson …

Closures, Social Security checks, furloughs: What a government shutdown might mean  —  Congress has until midnight Friday to come up with a way to fund the government or federal agencies will shut down, meaning hundreds of thousands of federal employees could be sent home — or stay on the job without pay — just ahead of the holidays.

Republicans scramble for a path forward after spending plan collapse  —  House Republican leaders planned to work through the night and into Friday on a Plan C for funding the government, after abandoning their deal with Democrats and failing to pass an alternative backed by President-elect Donald Trump.

Can the Muskrat shut the United States government?  —  If the government shuts down Saturday, Elon Musk will be largely to blame.  —  Musk went on a daylong rampage yesterday against the continuing resolution drafted by House Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team to keep the government going.