With a government shutdown just hours away, Democrats and Republicans in Congress are angrily blaming each other and refusing to budge from their positions.

According to the Congressional Budget Office about 750,000 federal employees will be furloughed during the shutdown.

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) instructed federal agencies to "execute their plans for an orderly shutdown". Under these instructions, agencies are required to furlough "non-excepted" employees while excepted staff - those who protect life and property - continue to work but will not receive pay until the shutdown ends.

The 2025 U.S. government shutdown halts Education Department functions, affecting civil rights probes but not student aid disbursement.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were little changed in narrow trading Tuesday as investors braced for a possible U.S. government shutdown. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 inched down less than 0.1% in morning trading to 45,023.48.

The gunman who opened fire on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas hated the U.S. government and wanted to incite terror by killing federal agents, officials said Thursday, offering the first hint of a motive in the attack.

PORTLAND (WGME) -- The Associated Press reports Governor Janet Mills is taking serious steps towards a run for U.S. Senate. Two sources told the AP that Mills is making calls to possible campaign managers. Mills previously told CBS13 she is seriously considering a run and plans to make an official announcement by mid-November.

Agencies that aren’t deemed essential will close during the shutdown, meaning some public tourist attractions may close. | ITV National News

The motives of a shooter who authorities say opened fire from a roof onto a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement location in Dallas remain unclear.

The looming US government shutdown stems from a bitter standoff over healthcare funding. Senate Democrats blocked a Republican-backed bill that excluded subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, drawing sharp attacks from President Donald Trump.