insert_link Business / Economics U.S. Government shutdown as funding bill fails (Photo: ABC News) The U.S. government has officially shut down as Congress failed to pass a last-minute funding bill, marking the first such closure in nearly seven years. Al Jazeera reports that senators rejected competing proposals, and the funding lapse took effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. The shutdown has forced furloughs for an estimated 750,000 federal employees and threatens a daily economic loss of roughly US$400 million. Essential services, such […] today1 October, 2025
