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Government Shutdown

Politics
Trump Signs Executive Order To Dismantle Education Department Trump Signs Executive Order To Dismantle Education Department
Trump Signs Executive Order To Dismantle Education Department President Trump has signed an executive order that could lead to the dissolution of the Education Department.  The order, signed late Thursday afternoon, March 20, cannot alone lead to the closure of the department since Congressional approval of the move is required. The directive tasks Education Secretary Linda McMahon with initiating the necessary steps to close the department, asserting that federal control over learning has faltered. “The department’s useful functions will be preserved, fully preserved,” Trump said during a signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House on …

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Elon Musk’s Role In Dismantling Federal Agency Likely Violated Constitution, Judge Rules Elon Musk’s Role In Dismantling Federal Agency Likely Violated Constitution, Judge Rules
Elon Musk’s Role In Dismantling Federal Agency Likely Violated Constitution, Judge Rules Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) likely violated the Constitution in "multiple ways" in their efforts to permanently dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a federal judge has just ruled. By doing so, DOGE deprived Congress of its authority over the agency’s dissolution, Judge Theodore D. Chuang of the US District Court for the District of Maryland said. The landmark ruling on Tuesday, March 18, marks a significant moment, as it appears to be the first time a judge has directly intervened against Mu…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Senate Joins House In Voting To Avert Government Shutdown Senate Joins House In Voting To Avert Government Shutdown
Senate Joins House In Voting To Avert Government Shutdown With just hours to spare before a midnight deadline, Congress passed a stopgap bill to fund the government through the fall, avoiding a shutdown. The Senate approved the measure early Friday evening, March 14, sending it to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it. The bill will keep the government funded through Tuesday, Sept. 30. The vote followed a tense week of negotiations, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and nine other Democrats crossing party lines in a key procedural vote to advance the legislation. The move came despite mounting pressure from within his own…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
LaGuardia Flights Halted Amid Nationwide Shortage Of Air-Traffic Controllers During Shutdown LaGuardia Flights Halted Amid Nationwide Shortage Of Air-Traffic Controllers During Shutdown
LaGuardia Flights Halted Amid Nationwide Shortage Of Air-Traffic Controllers During Shutdown The record-setting federal government shutdown is beginning to take its toll on the nation's travel airports. Federal officials temporarily were forced to restrict flights on Friday, Jan. 25 in and out of LaGuardia Airport due to a shortage of air-traffic controllers as the shutdown reaches its 35th day. “We have experienced a slight increase in sick leave at two facilities,” a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. “We’ve mitigated the impact by augmenting staffing, rerouting traffic and increasing spacing between aircraft when needed. The results have been …

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
You Could Be At Higher Risk Of Eating Contaminated Food During Federal Shutdown You Could Be At Higher Risk Of Eating Contaminated Food During Federal Shutdown
You Could Be At Higher Risk Of Eating Contaminated Food During Federal Shutdown In the midst of what may be the longest partial government shutdown in history, the Food and Drug Administration has ceased all routine food safety inspections of fruits, vegetables, seafood, and other perishables considered to have a high contamination risk, FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said on Wednesday. Every week, FDA inspectors typically analyze operations at approximately 160 domestic manufacturing and food processing plants. About one-third of these facilities are considered to have high-risk factors when it comes to causing food-borne illnesses, which hospitalize about 128,000…

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by Valerie Musson
News
Thinly Staffed IRS Won't Issue Refunds During Shutdown Thinly Staffed IRS Won't Issue Refunds During Shutdown
Thinly Staffed IRS Won't Issue Refunds During Shutdown As tax season draws near, the Internal Revenue Service, thinly staffed due to the partial government shutdown, can’t currently issue any refunds. In addition, the IRS has not announced an official start date for the 2019 filing season. The IRS began the filing season last year on Jan. 29. The IRS is now working under non-filing season shutdown plans with only 12.5 percent of the IRS workforce authorized to work. The partial shutdown marked its 14th day on Friday, Jan. 4. As the standoff drags on, about 800,000 federal employees are working without pay or being furloughed.  …

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by Joe Lombardi