Shutdown Enters 23rd Day Amid Political Deadlock

The U.S. government shutdown, which began in early October, entered its 23rd day and is pushing toward record territory as competing Republican and Democratic funding bills repeatedly failed. Sen. Jeff Merkley delivered a marathon Senate speech warning that President Trump poses an unprecedented threat to U.S. democracy and urged Democrats to present more unified messaging. Millions of federal workers face missed paychecks and strained services, including air traffic operations and SNAP benefits, while leaders spar over demands such as ACA subsidy restorations and Medicaid reversals. Bipartisan votes by Pennsylvania senators Dave McCormick and John Fetterman to fund some essential workers highlighted rare cooperation but fell short of the 60 votes needed to pass. Prediction markets increasingly expect the shutdown could continue into mid-November, signaling the stalemate may persist for weeks.