With hours to go before a possible government shutdown, Democrats and Republicans are right back where they started: blaming the other side for their intransigence. A White House meeting between the President and Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrats in Congress, failed to yield any compromise.

“We’re headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing,” lamented J.D. Vance, the Vice-President. “There are still large differences between us,” retorted Mr Schumer.

Federal agencies will start to run out of money at 12.01am, local time, on Wednesday (2pm AEST). Some of the most visible effects will include the closure of agencies, national parks and museums. Federal workers will have their pay frozen, including those who have to stay on the job, like the armed

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