NATION BRIEFING Congress strikes deal on measure to fight opioid epidemic

President’s meeting with Rosenstein may be delayed

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he may delay a meeting with Rod Rosenstein because of Thursday’s concurrent hearing on sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Trump also told reporters he would prefer not to fire Rosenstein, and that the deputy attorney general has told him he did not discuss invoking the 25th Amendment last year in a bid to remove him from office.

Trump to sign spending bill to avert government shutdown

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will sign a spending bill to avert a looming government shutdown set to begin next week.

Trump’s remarks came as the House was set to vote on a bill that funds the military and many civilian agencies for the next year and provides a short-term fix to keep the government open through Dec. 7.

WASHINGTON – Congress has reached a consensus on a prescription for battling the nation’s opioid epidemic, assuring that the package will land soon on President Donald Trump’s desk.

Negotiators for the House and Senate announced late Tuesday they had struck an agreement on a package of bills that would make it easier to stop illegal drugs at the border, speed up research for new nonaddictive prescription painkillers and make treatment more readily available for those who are addicted.