It’s day 42 of the U.S. government shutdown, but an end is finally in sight. On Sunday night, the Senate voted to move forward with funding for the federal government through January 30. That vote, in which eight Democrats joined the vast majority of Senate Republicans, is expected to be followed by approval from the Republican majority in the House of Representatives and President Donald Trump. With many Democratic officials condemning the capitulation of their Senate colleagues, a revival of the shutdown is a distinct possibility after funding expires again next year.

One of the many adverse effects of the current shutdown is that, for weeks now, the nation’s top environmental cop has been off duty. While it’s too early to know the exact consequences of the dysfunction, analogous situat

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