The Digest:
The US federal government has entered a full shutdown, halting non-essential services after a political standoff between President Donald Trump and Congressional Democrats over healthcare subsidies reached an impasse. The lapse in funding has triggered a fierce blame game, furloughed hundreds of thousands of workers, and introduced widespread uncertainty over the duration and full impact of the closure.
Key Points:
- The government shut down after Congress failed to pass a funding bill by the October 1 deadline.
- The deadlock centers on a dispute over enhanced subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
- Republicans and Democrats are engaged in a fierce blame game, each accusing the other of causing the shutdown.
- Essential services, such as national security, air traffic control, and Social Security payments, will continue.
- National parks are facing closures, and hundreds of thousands of federal workers are being furloughed without pay.
- The White House has told agencies to prepare for potential mass firings during the shutdown.
- This is the first full government shutdown since the 35-day closure that ended in January 2019.
Sources: CNN
