• Trump meets with Japan’s emperor: President Donald Trump is in Japan, the second stop of his Asia diplomacy tour, where on Monday he visited Emperor Naruhito at Tokyo’s Imperial Palace. On Tuesday local time, he’ll meet with Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, and speak to US troops aboard the USS George Washington.
• Possible US-China trade deal: In Malaysia, US-China trade negotiators reported major progress on a potential trade deal, easing tensions before Trump’s expected meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this week. Trump said he is open to extending his trip to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, though there are no known scheduled plans for talks.
• Shutdown stalemate: Back in the US, senators are returning to Washington with no end to the federal government shutdown in sight as the impacts of the impasse continue to be felt. Meanwhile, some lawmakers are expressing alarm about Trump’s expanding military campaign in the Caribbean.
Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday fiercely defended keeping the House out of session for over a month, contending Republican lawmakers were accomplishing critical work in their districts.
Pressed by CNN on not calling members back to Washington, the speaker said they were “evaluating” the matter “day by day.” But he maintained there couldn’t be regular legislative session as long as the government remained closed, and said Republicans in the meantime were accomplishing critical work for constituents in their districts.
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