Republican and Democratic lawmakers have provided few public signs of meaningful negotiations to break an impasse on reopening the federal government as the shutdown entered its sixth day. President Donald Trump says federal workers are already being laid off, and he’s blaming the Democrats. The possibility of layoffs escalates an already tense situation, without common ground or mutual trust among Washington lawmakers. Leaders in both parties are betting that public sentiment has swung their way, putting pressure on the other side to cave.

Meanwhile, a federal judge late Sunday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying any National Guard units to Oregon, after a legal whirlwind that began hours earlier when the president mobilized California troops for Portland. The same judge had blocked him from using Oregon’s National Guard the day before. Trump has also moved to deploy 300 National Guard troops to Chicago as federal immigration agents adopt increasingly combative tactics in the city.

The high court has begun its new term Monday with a sharp focus on Trump’s robust assertion of executive power.

The judges will hear pivotal cases on the president’s restrictions on birthright citizenship, the legality of many of his sweeping tariffs, and his power to fire independent agency members at will.

The Israeli and Hamas officials hope their meeting Monday will lead to a potential ceasefire in Gaza on the eve of the devastating war’s second anniversary.

This latest push for peace comes after Hamas accepted some elements of the U.S. peace plan, a move welcomed by Trump. Israel has said it supported the new U.S. effort.

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