Overview

• Federal operations partially halted Wednesday after Congress failed to pass funding, leaving the shutdown’s duration unclear.
• Essential employees continue working without pay while many others are furloughed, with back pay guaranteed under a 2019 law.
• Gov. Wes Moore unveiled go.md.gov/federalshutdown to connect affected residents with assistance, and counties urged use of local food, housing and health services.
• Maryland’s Labor Department plans a $700 no‑interest emergency loan for essential workers starting Oct. 6, and some furloughed staff and contractors may seek unemployment benefits that could require repayment.
• With more than 60 federal facilities and roughly 260,000 federal employees in the state, offices reported closures or skeleton crews and local businesses warned of fewer customers.