The divisive Senate bill to end shutdown and GOP doubts over redistricting: Morning Rundown

The Senate passes legislation to reopen the government as eight Democrats break with their party. Some members of the GOP wonder if the party should reconsider its redistricting strategy after election losses. And, a 37-year-old quarterback makes his case for NFL MVP.

Here's what to know today.

The Senate passed legislation last night to reopen the government and end the record-long shutdown after eight Democrats split with their party and joined Republicans to break the logjam. The vote was 60-40, with every Republican except Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky voting in favor of the measure.

The measure now goes to the House, which could vote as early as Wednesday to pass the package and send it to President Donald Trump, who said he supports the bipartisan deal.

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The legislation includes a full funding of SNAP benefits through the end of next September, and keeps much of the government open on a short-term basis through Jan. 30.

But in a major concession by Democrats, the deal does not include an extension of expiring subsidies under Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act, after Republicans held firm against continuing those funds. That means more than 20 million Americans could see their premiums spike next year.

Prior to the vote, many Democrats were fuming after the breakaway group of eight senators teamed up with Republicans to strike a deal, backing off on the demand that led to the shutdown.

The agreement sparked heavy criticism from congressional candidates, progressive activists and Democratic lawmakers. That includes some members with higher ambitions, who said it shows party leaders are not up to the task of marshaling effective opposition to Trump.

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• Ghislaine Maxwell, the co-conspirator of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is seeking a commutation of her 20-year prison sentence from Trump, a whistleblower has told House Democrats.

• The Supreme Court agreed to consider whether federal law bars states from counting mail-in ballots that are received after Election Day.

• The Supreme Court turned away a long-shot attempt to overturn the landmark 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

• Trump threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion, accusing the British public broadcaster of trying to "interfere in the presidential election" last year by editing one of his speeches.

• Trump said that MAGA-aligned Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had "lost her way" after her criticism of the administration’s focus on foreign policy.

Trump is confident that he drew the right battle lines in his push for a nationwide redistricting fight, GOP strategists familiar with the White House’s thinking say. But others close to the White House worry that fight isn’t going as planned and could, in a nightmare scenario for the party, result in a net gain for Democrats.

Misgivings about the strategy heightened after California voters overwhelmingly approved Gov. Gavin Newsom's plan to redraw the state's congressional district in response to the efforts from Texas and other red states.

The net effect of all the gerrymandering won't be fully known until elections are held. But with some of them drawn with such a narrow advantage for either Republicans or Democrats, a slight political shift or a difference in candidate quality could be pivotal to the outcomes.

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An Army gynecologist took secret intimate videos of a patient under his care at Fort Hood in Texas, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday.

The lawsuit says that the woman is believed to be one of scores who were preyed upon by Dr. Blaine McGraw and that Army leadership had allowed him to continue practicing despite receiving sexual misconduct complaints dating back years.

"By doing so, the Army gave cover to a predator in uniform," says the lawsuit, which was filed in Bell County District Court.

McGraw has been suspended and is under investigation by the Army Criminal Investigation Division, or CID, according to a statement on Fort Hood's media center website. It said "potentially affected patients" would be contacted by the investigators.

Read the full story.

• Sean Combs is participating in a drug rehabilitation program behind bars that could reduce his sentence by as much as a year, his spokesman has said.
• The families of six children and two counselors at Camp Mystic who were killed in flash flooding that struck Texas in July filed two separate lawsuits against the camp's owners and others, alleging negligence.

• Hormone therapies for menopause will no longer carry a black box warning about serious risks such as breast cancer, heart attack and stroke, the FDA announced.
• A car explosion near Delhi’s historic Red Fort that killed at least eight people has rattled nerves in India.

• Major League Baseball said that authorized sportsbooks will limit the amount of money that can be wagered on pitches, a day after charges were announced against two players accused of pitch-rigging.

How does a 37-year-old quarterback add to his illustrious NFL resume? For the Rams' Matthew Stafford, it's having an unexpected MVP season while leading his team to win after win.

Stafford and Los Angeles improved to 7-2 after a 42-26 drubbing of the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Stafford was dominant, completing 66.7% of his passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns — his third-straight game with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Sports reporter Rohan Nadkarni examined Stafford's impressive midseason form and what it could mean for his team and legacy as one of the best quarterbacks ever. – Christian Orozco, newsletter and platforms editor

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