Happy Monday! Longtime Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda once said that “the saddest day of the year is the day baseball season ends.”

Usually, he’s spot on. But this year, there’s Justin Fields. (Editor’s note: We’re not sure what Declan’s talking about. The playoffs start tomorrow, where the Cardinals and Brewers remain very much alive.)

Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories

• Pharmaceutical company Merck announced Friday that its experimental COVID-19 antiviral pill, Molnupiravir, reduced the risk of hospitalization or death in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 symptoms by 50 percent in clinical trials. The company plans to apply for emergency use authorization soon, and Dr. Anthony Fauci praised the drug yesterday while reiterating that vaccination remains the most effective way to avoid hospitalization or death. 

• Democratic leaders failed to reach an agreement over the weekend on either of the party’s legislative priorities: the bipartisan infrastructure bill or the larger reconciliation package. On Saturday, however, President Joe Biden signed into law legislation extending federal highway funding for one month and preventing longer-term furloughs for Department of Transportation employees. After failing to hold a promised vote on the bipartisan infrastructure package last week, Speaker Nancy Pelosi updated her timeline over the weekend, saying she now expects to hold a vote before October 31.