With a whimper. It looks pretty. I dont think shell mind. Jeanne moos, cnn, new york. That moment where all the siblings are right to figure out what to do before mom gets there, that was my whole childhood. What i love is, oh, youre in trouble next hour of cnn this morning starts right now. All right, lets do it good morning. Welcome to cnn this morning. It is sunday, september 24th. Im victor blackwell. And im omar jiminez in for amara walker. Thanks for spending part of your morning with us. Heres what were watching for. Its time for republicans to start doing the job america elected them to do. Lawmakers are up against the clock and desperately working on a deal to fund the government ahead of the looming shutdown. The major sticking points keeping lawmakers from hammering out a deal. Hollywood executives said they sent their best and final offer to writers as they worked to end the strike that has paralyzed the industry. What we are learning about how kbl close both sides are to a deal. And ophelia is bringing heavy rain and flooding to parts of the east coast. The areas were watching for more flooding and the threat for severe storms today. Cosmic delivery on the way. Years in the making. A Space Capsule full of Asteroid Pieces is set to land on earth this morning. What scientists are hoping to learn from it. We are just six days away from Congress Deadline to fund the federal government. This morning, gop leaders are still trying to find agreement among their factions that would avert a shutdown. But despite working through the weekend, they havent gotten their Party Holdouts to budge, and it doesnt look lake theyre any closer to a deal. House speaker Kevin Mccarthy admitted that many hardliners were unmoved during a house call on saturday. Mccarthy hopes to bring several Appropriation Bills to the floor on tuesday, but without that critical backing from their party, those bills are likely to be dead in the water. Now President Biden is weighing in. Hes slamming House Republicans floundering efforts to work out a deal. Cnns jasmine right joins us now from the white house. What is the president saying about what hes watching over on the hill . Yeah, victor. Well, President Biden had sharp words for republicans. Basically telling them to start doing their job and avert a potential government shutdown. His comments came last night at a Congressional Black Caucus dinner. Just last night, after we saw during the day that not much progress is made on the House Republican side, as they try to move forward due in part to their sharp party division. So President Biden called out the handful of gop members who keep saying they that will not support a shortterm deal to fund the government. And he bafsically accused of thm trying to sow so much discord that her willing to shut the government down. Just a few months ago, after long negotiations, me myself and the new speaker, we agreed to Spending Levels that the government will fund while still cutting the deficit by 1 trillion over the next decade. Now, a small group of Extreme Republicans dont want to live up to the deal. So now everyone in america could be forced to pay the price. Funding the government is one of the most basic responsibilities of congress. And its time for republicans to start doing the job america elected them to do. So tough words there from the president , but a question going into next week is whether or not he will get involved personally to try to help them come to some sort of resolution. At least part of the week, hes on the west coast and another day hes in michigan. Now for the Senate Democrat side, we know that they are working on their own shortterm funding bill to try to fund the government. That could be done by that friday deadline that the government would no longer be able to fund itself. But the question going spite is whether or not theyre able to pass it on the senate side, whether or not the house would accept it or whether or not the house would fight it, really leaving americans, american workers, and the Economy Hanging in the plbalance as they try to look for some sort of resolution. Victor, omar . Jasmine wright, thank you. We are now joined by cnn chief Congressional Correspondent and the new anchor of Inside Politics sunday, manu raju. Good morning to you. Good morning so let me start here with a dramatic reading. This is speaker mccarthy, who was working this weekend, and a prediction. He said, i think when it gets to crunch time, people that have been holding off all of this time, blaming everybody else will finally hopefully move off, because shutting down and having Border Agents not be paid and your costar not get paid, i dont see how thats a victory. Is that optimism for Optimism Sake . Are you seeing anything that leads to that ending . Hey, victor, it is crunch time. And there has not been a change. That is the real problem for Kevin Mccarthy. They are still trying the same strategy that they have tried, the House Republicans, for the last couple of weeks, and it has gone nowhere. The strategy being get House Republicans onboard behind one plane to try to improve their negotiating posture with the United States senate. But House Republicans are not united behind one plan. In fact, there are about seven or so holdouts refusing to move forward on a shortterm Spending Bill to keep the government open. But mccarthy is still trying to convince those members to come along. Even if they were to get that out of the house, it is going nowhere in the senate, because republicans are putting Spending Cuts in there, Border Security measures, other things that Senate Democrats simply do not like, which means that theyll move closer and closer to that shutdown deadline. And victor, all of this comes as there is pressure from mccarthys right flank not to cut a deal with democrats, because of the warnings that they can actually seek a vote for his ouster. One member could call for a vote for his ouster. And yesterday when i spoke to one of Kevin Mccarthys closest allies about that threat, that continues to loom, that people like matt gaetz, the congressman, are pushing, essentially, he told me, he said he is drafting his own resolution to Kick Mccarthy out of the speakership and may put it on the floor to get that shall off the table. As a matter of fact, look, ill tell you, i drafted a motion to vacate for the speaker as well. Ive got it sitting on my desk right now, and i said, if youre going to keep playing these games, lets get it over and well get back focusing on the things that actually matter. But therein lies the concern here, the tension within the republican ranks is palpable among really those handful of hard liners that refuse to budge at all cost. That leads to the question, if the senate does move forward and passes a shortterm Spending Pill to keep the government open with bipartisan spupport, Cha Will Mccarthy do at that point . Will he agree to go forward with the senate plan . And what will mean for his future . All huge questions this week. So the democratic whip of the house, katherine clark, she has said that the call has not come from mccarthy for help from democrats to get something through. And i dont know that anybody expects that to happen until maybe we get past the brink, get to a shutdown. But is there clarity around what the democrats would want in exchange for support . Yeah, they are looking for to continue the current funding levels, that have been approved in this current fiscal year. The republicans in the house want to cut from the current Spending Levels. That is one big area of zb disagreement. Also, democrats dont want to go forward. There are disagreements on that. And also the key issue, of course, ukraine. Funding for the war for ukraine. Chuck schumer, the Senate Majority leader told me last week that he plans to rtry to push in the senate plan funding for ukraine. The white house has requested 24 billion. Mitch mcconnell has been staunchly an advocate of that. You know whos not . Kevin mccarthy, who has said that he does not believe that this should be part of this proposal. Even on the policy, theres just sharp divisions between within the house gop and senate gop, and not to mention democrats and republicans, which is why stripped down fieears at the moment are real. Its a big day. You are now the official, its your First Official day as anchor of Inside Politics sunday. What should viewers expect as you take over . Well, thanks, victor. This is the thing is, im still covering capitol hill, so all week long, i am chasing lawmakers around the capitol, and thats a good thing, too. I get to bring some of that reporting, some of the fresh reporting, talking to the leaders themselves, the lawmakers who are part of these negotiations and bring it directly to Inside Politics, sunday, at 11 00 a. M. Yesterday. And some of mccarthys allies will hear more from garrett graves, chuck schumer, as well as some other key members who are up for reelection in the Senate Democrats. How they view joe bidens current Standing Heading into 2024, some concerns in the ranks about bidens standing as well. Hopefully viewers will learn a little bit and tune in 11 00 a. M. Eastern. All right. Manu raju, congratulations. I will be watching. Thanks so much for spending some time with us and make sure you watch Inside Politics sunday, 11 00 a. M. Eastern right here on cnn. All right, hollywood writers received the best and final offer from the major film and Television Studios on saturday evening. According to a source close to the situation. Now, negotiators from the Writers Guild of america are now expected to review the offer and respond. Cnns Camilla Bernal is in los angeles with a look at whats expected today. Omar, victor, this is where writers have been waiting to hear, for about five months now. Wga negotiators and Hollywood Studios are in that final phase of negotiations and according to my colleague, oliver darcy, the deal could come by the end of the weekend. So very soon. The two parties spent Saturday Negotiating for the fourth consecutive day, and sources telling cnn that while the heads of the four major studios including Warner Brothers discovery, cnns parent company, nbc universal, disney, and netflix, they were no longer in the room on saturday, but they were engaged in that negotiation process. This strike that has paralyzed the Entertainment Industry has also had a Major Economic impact. Some estimates indicate 5 billion in an economic impact. And this has affected not just hollywood, but really many, many other industries. A lot of the writers that ive talked to have told me, look, we are ready to return to work. But after a deal is reached between these two parties, wga members still have to ratify the new contract and furthermore, because the actors are also on strike, a deal doesnt necessarily mean that all productions will go back to normal. But some in the industry do believe that a deal with the writers could speed up that process for the sagaftra negoti negotiations. And overall, it has been very difficult over the last few months for the people in the industry and so, now, hope is finally in the horizon. V victor, omar . Camilla bernal, thank you. A major city in Western Russia has reportedly come under Ukrainian Drone fire. Well have a live report. Plus, ophelia is weakening after moving inland over North Carolina saturday. Where this storm is bringing the threat of heavy rain and flooding now. Plus, colorados winning streak snapped. How oregon spoiled coach primes cinderella start. [clicking] when occasional heartburn wont let you sleep. [clicking] get fast relief with new tums heartburn sleep support. Love food back and fall aeep faster. Tum, tumum tum, tums [baby crying] wherever you go. Wherever you stay. All you need is one key. Earn and use rewards across expedia, hotels. Com, and vrbo. 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Woo hoo ensure, complete balanced nutrition with 27 vitamins and minerals. And ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. Several russian attacks in ukraine have killed at least three people. Two civilians were killed in the southern kherson region, while a third person was killed in zaporizhzhia. Despite the onslaught of strikes, ukraine says it is holding key ground. Cnns Senior International correspondent Fred Pleitgen joins us now live from southern ukraine. What can you tell us about this latest round of fighting . Reporter hi, there, omar. The ukrainians are saying theyre not only able to hold the territory they have so far and entrench themselves there, but theyre gaining ground in certain areas, as well. And this both in the south, where the main thrust of their counteroffensive is going, but also in the east, as well. Theres two towns which were taken by the ukrainians a couple of days ago, and they say that theyve actually been able to make some headway out of those towns, as well, and are pushing the russians back. They do say there is heavy fighting going on in that area, near the town of bakhmut. But they have been able to fend off those russian counterattacks, entrench themselves and able to move forward. In the south, a pretty important picture there as well. We were able to speak with a commanding general on the front and he confirmed to us and ukraine has since further confirmed that theyve been able to push through a russian line of defense near a town Called Bearbollva In The South of ukraine on that axis of attack. Its a pretty Important Development for them there, because they believe from there they will be able to push further south and possibly make some serious gains in the nottoodistant future. But of course, they do say the russians continue to put up that stiff resistance. And one of the things that you guys were saying in the leadin is of course a reality here on the ground as well. Is that especially in those areas that are fairly close to the front lines, you have a lot of shelling thats incoming into some of these ukrainian towns. You guys were mentioning, kherson, two People Killed by what they say are russian artillery. Also in the zaporizhzhia region, which is close to that Southern Front line, also one person killed and a couple of people who were wounded near kharkiv. All of that is going on. Obviously for the civilian population, not easy on the ground there and certainly a lot of people who have been killed and wounded already as the fighting has been going on. Nevertheless, the vibe that were getting from the ukrainian military, ukrainian soldiers that we speak to is that its very difficult for them on the ground right now, but they do say their morale is high, and they also say that right now, the momentum, both in the east and in the south, is on their side, omar. Of course, a long journey no matter what. Were joined by General Mark KikKimmette Retired from the army, and former Deputy Director for plans and strategy at u. S. Central command centcom. We just heard Fred Pleitgen detailing the fighting in ukraine. Can we get your take on some of those latest developments . I think that up in the north in ukraine, as fred said, its still pretty tough going, even though morale is high. The ukrainians are