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The longest government shutdown in American history ended yesterday with a vote in the House. Six Democrats voted for a stopgap funding bill, with two Republicans voting against, making the final tally 222-209. President Trump signed the bill soon after its passage. Check out today鈥檚 story to see why getting back to normal won鈥檛 be simple.

House Democrats released emails suggesting Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased convicted sex offender, believed President Trump knew about his crimes. One email says the president spent hours at Mr. Epstein鈥檚 house with one of the victims, whose name is redacted. The White House identified her as the late Virginia Giuffre, who said in 2016 she never saw Mr. Trump engage in any wrongdoing. The administration鈥檚 decision not to release the so-called Epstein files has divided the president鈥檚 base.

Israel reopened a key crossing into Gaza yesterday that will help in the delivery of humanitarian aid. The Zikim Crossing had remained shut despite last month鈥檚 ceasefire, cutting off most aid to the northern part of the beleaguered strip. It closed two months ago when Israel launched an operation to capture Gaza City. Despite the truce, humanitarian agencies say the amount of aid available still falls short of what is needed.

Los Angeles City Council voted to lower rent hikes for the first time in four decades in an effort to make the city more affordable. Landlords of rent-stabilized apartments can now raise rent by a maximum of 4% each year, down from as much as 10% in some cases. Housing advocates say the move protects vulnerable residents, while opponents say it will be harder for developers to build new housing. Rent control rules affect close to half of the city鈥檚 households.

Algeria released French Algerian writer Boualem Sansal from prison. A vocal critic of the Algerian government, Mr. Sansal was arrested a year ago on charges of undermining national unity. The octogenarian was pardoned under a German proposal so he can receive health care in Germany. International writers joined Mr. Sansal鈥檚 editor in expressing relief over the decision. 鈥淚 cannot put myself in his place, but it is as if I am leaving the cell with him,鈥� Italian poet Erri De Luca told Le Monde.

Hunters have killed a record number of black bears this year in South Carolina as restrictions have eased. Animal rights advocates have fought new rules expanding the use of bait and dogs, arguing they encourage a cruel trophy hunt of the state鈥檚 largest mammal. State game managers see the large cull 鈥� at 237 black bears 鈥� as a sign that efforts to preserve hunting culture, while keeping the bear population in check, are working.

No more pennies for your thoughts: After 232 years, the U.S. Mint made its last 1 cent coin in Philadelphia yesterday. It cost more than three times the face value of each penny to produce the copper-plated pieces. In an example of addition by subtraction, the United States will save about $56 million a year by stopping production.

鈥� From our staff writers around the world

With the government shutdown over, the next steps come into view: Turning the federal government back on after six weeks may not be easy, or fast. And new political hurdles lie ahead in a sharply divided Washington.

Russia has been conspicuously bringing new types of missiles, torpedoes, and submarines into service in recent weeks. Russian experts say that the fanfare is all about President Donald Trump鈥檚 鈥淕olden Dome鈥� missile defense proposal.

Heavily outgunned, Ukraine has kept Russia at bay through more than 3 1/2 years of war. But stepped-up Russian strikes against cities and relentless advances in battle are proving a challenge for exhausted Ukrainian civilians and soldiers alike.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is making headlines this week promoting clean energy at COP30, the United Nations鈥� climate gathering. But even the Golden State is reconsidering its oil reserves聽鈥� and policies 鈥撀燼s President Donald Trump doubles down on fossil fuels.

Across the United States, scholars are working to preserve the history of the Black press before the brittle pages are lost forever. In a basement at Howard University, uncovered treasures have included Frederick Douglass鈥� newspaper, The North Star.

Americans often forget one reason for the 2003 decision by then-President George W. Bush to oust a dictator in Iraq: to plant a model democracy in the Middle East to help fend off terrorist groups like Al Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks of 2001. On Tuesday 鈥� about two decades after Iraqis regained a right to free and fair voting 鈥� the country held its seventh parliamentary election. Despite public gloom over a largely dysfunctional government, voters achieved a few heartening results.

Nearly a third of candidates were women, more than twice the number in the 2021 election. Despite calls for an election boycott, turnout exceeded 55%, up from 41%. The campaign and the balloting were orderly. And a popular prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, saw his bloc win the largest number of seats in parliament.

鈥淭he new Iraq, for better or worse, has become a model for democracy in the region,鈥� Michael Rubin, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, wrote just before the election.

One reason is that more young people have embraced an Iraqi and civic identity over their religion or ethnicity. Political power may still be divided up among Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, and other groups under the constitution. Yet most Iraqis today came of age after the Saddam Hussein dictatorship. They seek inclusive, clean governance, reflected in the mass protests of 2019 and 2020. 鈥淚f [political] incumbency is synonymous with life tenure in most Arab states, it is not in Iraq, where Iraqis punish a person deemed ineffective and corrupt,鈥� stated Mr. Rubin.

Iraq鈥檚 strides in just one generation are notable because it still contends with pressure from Iran. Because of its relative stability, however, Baghdad has also become a balancing force among powers in the region.

鈥淭he larger picture is one of rising but bounded Iraqi agency, in which the state can sometimes resist and can sometimes broker, but sometimes has to concede to keep the [regional] equilibrium intact,鈥� wrote Yerevan Saeed, an Atlantic Council fellow.

All of this is not to justify the invasion or the postinvasion mismanagement that led to a violent insurgency. Iraqis have seen some of the worst in Middle East violence. If they keep choosing peaceful if flawed democracy, it may be they know certain qualities 鈥� freedom, equality, accountability, and pluralism 鈥� can help ensure tranquility.

鈥淭he legislative elections are a peaceful means of change, and they are the sole guarantee against violence and chaos,鈥� wrote one Iraqi, Ahmed Akho Mazal, to his 57,000 followers on social media. 鈥淭he greater the popular participation is, the stronger and more stable the political system will be.鈥�