Meet the Press NOW — Oct. 7

Political Landscape & Executive Power - The Trump administration is considering invoking the Insurrection Act, a rarely used law from 1807, granting the president emergency powers against rebellion, to deploy the military in Democratic-run cities [1][3][4] - The administration attempts to portray Democrats as insurrectionists to justify additional military deployments [3][6] - A court order is currently blocking military deployments to Portland, and a judge in Illinois is considering blocking a similar deployment to Chicago [8] - Attorney General Pam Bondi faced accusations of using the DOJ as a political weapon against rivals, dodging questions about White House consultations [9][10][11] Government Shutdown & Federal Workers - The White House is threatening to withhold back pay from furloughed federal workers, potentially circumventing current law [2][37] - Republicans are defending the president's authority to fire workers during a shutdown [38] - A draft White House memo suggests furloughed federal workers are not entitled to back pay, despite a 2019 law requiring it [37] - The shutdown could lead to the closure of Smithsonian museums and research institutions, and potentially federal courts [48] - Funding for the Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Assistance Program could lapse by the end of the month, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could be affected on November 1st [48][49] Middle East Peace Negotiations - Negotiations are underway in Egypt to discuss the implementation of President Trump's 20-point peace plan between Israel and Hamas [2][70] - The plan requires Hamas to release all remaining Israeli hostages and Israel to end the war and withdraw from most of Gaza [70] - Hamas supports the peace negotiations but insists on guarantees that Israel will stop its attacks on Gaza [72][73] - The war is still ongoing, with disputes about the pace and scale of the Israeli military withdrawal [74] - Hamas is being vague about handing over its weapons and relinquishing control of Gaza, pending an alternative Palestinian leadership and security forces [75] Affordable Care Act (ACA) & Midterm Elections - Expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies are central to the shutdown fight, with Democrats demanding an extension [99] - Polling shows extending those credits is popular with majorities of Americans across all parties [99] - The ACA subsidies are set to expire this year, potentially causing out-of-pocket premiums to rise [49] - Democrats lead the generic ballot by three points, suggesting they are not at the point of a "blue wave" like in Trump's first midterm [130] - Republicans have a 41% favorable rating, while Democrats have a 35% favorable rating [132]