Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Thursday faced pointed criticism from lawmakers on Capitol Hill over his failure to notify the White House and Congress about his hospitalization last month.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he wants to "turn the page" on the current spending fight and shift focus to next year's appropriations cycle ahead of a vote Thursday to keep the government open.

Saying, "hope springs eternal," President Joe Biden told reporters he remains "hopeful" about the prospects for a pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas, though he admitted, "probably not by Monday," as the president suggested earlier this week.