By the time you read this, the federal government will likely be shut down. This means that hundreds of thousands of federal workers across the nation will be furloughed, meaning they remain federal employees but are unable to work. Others still will be deemed “essential,” meaning they must report to work. Neither furloughed nor essential workers receive pay.

Government services will be negatively affected. Funding for food programs such as the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) food-stamp programs may run out of funds. Agencies like the Federal Housing Administration and the Small Business Administration will stop approving loans. Communicating with federal agencies — an already difficult task — will be even more difficult given the limited

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