US Shutdown Continues Amid Funding Freezes

The U.S. government shutdown has stretched into its fourth day as Democrats refuse to support a short-term spending bill without extensions of Affordable Care Act subsidies and Republicans insist on reopening the government first. The Trump White House has frozen about $28 billion in infrastructure funds for Democratic-led states, directed additional withholdings — including roughly $2.1 billion for a Chicago transit project — and threatened mass federal layoffs. Those moves have drawn criticism from some Republicans who warn the freezes could prolong the shutdown. The disruption has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed or unpaid, closed national parks, and strained agencies such as the TSA and CDC. Local services and programs, including Georgia food banks and WIC, face sharply increased demand amid lost federal support. Both parties are jockeying to shape blame ahead of next year’s midterms while voters express widespread frustration about the human and economic costs.