BREAKING LEAD The federal government is barreling toward another shutdown, with January 30 now locked in as the drop-dead date. This isn’t random. It’s the result of deliberate congressional choices, leadership power struggles, and election-year strategy on both sides of the aisle. As Democrats and Republicans play chicken, the real costs will land first on federal workers, contractors, Black communities, and working-class families—long before lawmakers feel political pain.

The FAA says the recent 43 day government shutdown didn’t just leave controllers working without pay. It also scared off a big chunk of the next generation. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told senators the agency lost roughly 400 to 500 air traffic controller trainees, even though the FAA managed to keep the training academy in Oklahoma City running. Bedford said many trainees essentially walked away because the idea of not getting paid was enough to make them quit. That mat

A sign on the House steps of the US Capitol on September 30, 2025. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Photo Introduction — They’re Shutting Down the Government Over Your Doctor’s Bill Picture this. You wake up on a Monday, open your email, and see that your health insurance premium just jumped from $320 to $680 . Nothing changed — not your job, not your health, not your income. Just Congress, again, playing chicken with your doctor’s bill. They’ll tell you the shutdown is about

For the 11th time this fiscal year, the U.S. Senate failed to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government, deepening the budget crisis in Washington. The latest vote stalled late Tuesday, as partisan divisions over Ukraine aid, border policy, and social spending left the government days from a shutdown. For the 11th time this fiscal year, the U.S. Senate has failed to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR), pushing America closer to its longest funding lapse in decade

President Donald Trump opened the door to blocking back pay for certain federal workers when the government reopens, a move that would...