The federal government shut down this morning after Congress failed to approve new spending bills, delaying pay for federal workers and putting some aid programs in limbo.

Shutdowns aren’t uncommon for the U.S. government. The latest was a partial shutdown in 2018, which lasted for 35 days, while the last full shutdown was in 2013. They’re typically uneventful, particularly if they’re short, said IU professor and former Fort Wayne mayor Paul Helmke.

But this time, President Donald Trump is threatening mass layoffs of government workers deemed nonessential, according to a memorandum from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. That’s new and “a lot more extreme” according to Helmke.

The memo directs agencies to issue reduction in force notices until they only employ enough workers to

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