The Senate will take a key procedural vote on Friday afternoon to potentially tee up final passage of a crucial stopgap government spending bill to avoid a shutdown as time runs out.  After tense caucus meetings, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., revealed that he would vote for the House-passed short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), because “a shutdown would be a gift” for President...

Expect the Senate to take a test vote to break a filibuster around 2 p.m. ET today on the Republican stopgap spending bill.  This vote is the key to the entire ballgame. If the Senate breaks the filibuster, we are on a glidepath to a vote to avoid a government shutdown. But if this test vote fails, a government shutdown is all but ensured at 12:00:01 a.m. ET...