It’s Thursday! Starbuck’s and Dunkin’s holiday menus have officially returned! I’m looking at you, Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop. 😏 Here’s what’s on tap today:

• Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) fended off his colleagues’ second attempt to boot him from Congress amid his legal battles.
• A border crossing from Gaza to Egypt has reopened, allowing some civilians to leave.
• Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) are at odds over their end-of-the-year strategies.
• A “Saturday Night Live” skit about the founder fathers discussing units of measurement has been getting traction on social media. It’s very funny.

I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-release.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.  

In what may be a preview of issues to come, new Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has a very different end-of-the-year strategy than his veteran Senate counterpart, Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

What McConnell wants: To pass Israel funding with money for Ukraine, Taiwan and U.S.-Mexico border security.

What Johnson wants: To pass Israel military aid separately as a standalone bill.

The dynamics here — swapping chess pieces: Israel aid is much more politically popular among Republicans than Ukrainian assistance. Afterall, funding for Ukraine was a holdup in keeping the government open through September. So if Israeli aid is passed separately, it may be more difficult to pass the other measures, including Ukrainian aid.

Johnson threw McConnell a bone “by pledging to GOP senators that he would bring a separate Ukraine aid package to the House floor after House lawmakers approve an Israel-only bill later this week.”

Yes, but: “Johnson did not provide a timeline for passing Ukraine funding through the House, though the Speaker promised it would be ‘inextricably intertwined’ with border security reforms.”

How this could play out, via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton

➡️ Tidbit: Check out this photo of Johnson walking through the Capitol Rotunda, via USA Today’s Jack Gruber.

^ *Belts out Gloria Gaynor hit*

Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) will remain in Congress despite his mounting legal troubles after a group of fellow first-term New York Republicans tried to oust him.

The vote — 213-179-19: 24 Republicans and 155 Democrats voted to expel Santos from the House, while 182 Republicans and 31 Democrats voted to keep Santos in Congress. Two-thirds of the House would have needed to vote “yes” to oust him.

Why so many House members voted to save Santos: “Even as House members condemned Mr. Santos for lying to voters and donors about his biography and résumé and apparently falsifying ties to the Holocaust and Sept. 11, many said that expelling him now — nearly a year before his trial is even set to begin — would set a dangerous precedent.” (The New York Times)

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) defended his vote to keep Santos in office: “I’m a Constitution guy. The House has expelled five people in our history, three for joining the Confederacy as traitors to the Union and two after they were convicted of serious criminal offenses … This would be a terrible precedent to set, expelling people who have not been convicted of a crime and without internal due process. If and when Santos is convicted of these serious criminal offenses or ethics charges, I will certainly vote to expel him.” Read Raskin’s full statement

The 31 Dems who voted to keep Santos in Congress

What is interesting about this resolution: This vote was not Democratic-led. The effort to oust Santos was spearheaded by a group of fellow freshmen New York Republicans.

What I mean by mounting legal troubles: Santos faces 23 federal charges. He pleaded not guilty to 10 new charges last week, alleging inflated campaign finance reports and unauthorized charges on his donors’ credit cards.

What happens now?: Well, the House Ethics Committee will announce its “next course of action” in the Santos investigation on Nov. 17.  Hmm, does that date seem familiar to you? *cough cou-GOVERNMENT FUNDING DEADLINE-gh* *cough* (The Hill)

Santos posted, then deleted, a meme: Right after the second failed vote to boot him, Santos posted a photoshopped image of him wearing a crown. “If you come for me, you best not miss,” the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, reads. He took down the post, but of course there were screenshots. See Santos’s deleted post

*Crickets*: Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman pointed out that “zero people spoke on behalf of Santos in the debate over his expulsion. Santos gave remarks at the end of the debate saying New York Republicans are acting as judge, jury and executioner by trying to push him out of Congress.”

©  AP

The Rafah border crossing from Gaza to Egypt has reopened for the first time since Oct. 7, allowing for civilians to flee.      

Hundreds of trapped Americans can leave: “A list released by Gaza’s Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry had the names of 400 American nationals who were approved to cross over the border on Thursday. The U.S. State Department estimates that there are around 400 Americans stuck in Gaza.” (CBS News)

How long will the Rafah border crossing stay open?: For “limited time periods,” according to BBC.

Photos of the scene when the Rafah border crossing reopened, via NPR

“President Biden is sinking with progressives over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war, a critical and wide-ranging coalition whose tenuous support he will need to rebuild to win the White House again in November.”

For context: Most of Biden’s Democratic allies and moderates have supported his approach to Israel, but progressives do not.

Why progressives condemn Biden’s strategy: “They’re angry over Biden’s reluctance to call for a cease fire, citing escalating aggression and deaths in Gaza, and have raised concerns about the party’s foreign policy doctrine toward Palestinian civilians.”

How this wedge could cause issues in 2024, via The Hill’s Hanna Trudo

“TikTok’s critics say the popularity of pro-Palestinian content proves the video app is a propaganda machine. The reality is more complicated.” (The Washington Post)

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell did not raise interest rates on Wednesday, marking the first time in two years that rates froze for two consecutive meetings, reports The Hill’s Taylor Giorno.

For context: “Since March 2022, the Fed has hiked the federal funds rate from near-0 percent to a range of 5.25 to 5.5 percent in an effort to curb rampant inflation.”

Does this mean rates may have peaked?: “While some have interpreted the latest pause as a sign that the Fed is nearing the end of its rates hikes, inflation remains stubbornly above the central bank’s 2 percent target, and the labor market is hotter than officials would like.”

What Powell’s interest rate pause means for the economy

‘Judge suggests possible delay in Trump classified documents trial’: “Trump is currently slated to face a May trial in the Florida case, meaning it would fall a little more than two months after his D.C.-based trial on charges relating to an effort to block the transfer of power after President Biden won the 2020 election.”  The Hill

‘A judge could toss Trump in jail. The question is whether one dares.’: The Washington Post

‘The Cases Against Trump: A Guide’: “Fraud. Hush money. Election subversion. Mar-a-Lago documents. One place to keep track of the presidential candidate’s legal troubles.” The Atlantic

‘In Multiple Courts, Trump’s Mouth Catches Up With Him and His Allies’: TIME

‘Ivanka Trump appeals judge’s order to testify in New York fraud trial’: The Hill

🥚 Celebrate: Today is National Deviled Egg Day! While editing today’s newsletter, The Hill’s Emily Martin reminded me of the “Arrested Development” episode where Michael couldn’t remember the name of his son’s girlfriend and just called her “Egg.” Lol.

📏 Getting traction: This “Saturday Night Live” skit about U.S. measurements, called “George Washington’s dream for America” has been making the rounds on the internet. It is very well done. Watch

🎄Omg, the Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop is back!: Starbucks’ holiday menu is returning today! The Peppermint Mocha and other classics are back, plus two new drinks: The Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai and Oleato Gingerbread Oatmilk Latte. The part I’m most excited about: Starbucks is bringing back the Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop (!) See this year’s menu and holiday cups

Dunkin’ has also debuted its holiday menu, including the Cookie Butter Cold Brew and Spiced Cookie Coffee. (Food & Wine)

📱 Interesting read: The Washington Post’s Taylor Lorenz reports that “content creators surge past legacy media as news hits a tipping point.” (The Washington Post)

💀 This made me lol: Hill staffer Ty McEachern posted a photo of Pikachu in a Senate office building. “Hell yeah brother welcome to the Senate,” he captioned the photo.

The House and Senate are in. President Biden is in Washington, D.C., and Vice President Harris is in London, returning to the U.S. this evening. (all times Eastern)

• Today: Harris attended the Global Summit on AI Safety.
• Noon: Biden holds a bilateral meeting with President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic.
• 1:30 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Council spokesperson John Kirbybrief reporters. 📺 Livestream
• 2:45 p.m.: Biden holds a bilateral meeting with President Gabriel Boric of Chile.
• 11:30 p.m.: Last House votes. 🗓️ Today’s agenda
• Friday: Biden and first lady Jill Biden travel to Lewiston, Maine, following the shooting last week.
• 5 p.m.: Former President Trump campaigns in Houston 📺 Livestream

Because you made it this far, here’s a spooky ghost. Be warned, this is very scary.