The U.S. federal government shutdown, which began October 1, 2025, continues into its second week after Congress failed repeatedly to pass a continuing resolution.
This is the 21st federal shutdown in U.S. history and the third under President Trump. Negotiations stalled as partisan divisions deepened, leaving many federal operations in limbo.
On October 8, a bipartisan bill proposed to continue pay for active-duty military personnel gathered over 140 co-sponsors, but was not adopted. Meanwhile, congressional recess was extended to October 19 without resolving the impasse.
The shutdown has widespread effects: federal employees are furloughed or working without pay, national parks have closed, regulatory actions are stalled, and numerous citizen services are impacted.
For U.S. media, it’s a major domestic crisis. For international and regional media readers (e.g. in South Asia), it is also significant—such shutdowns disrupt visa services, diplomatic processes, and international cooperation programs tied to the U.S.
