Overview

• A Democratic short-term funding bill failed in the Senate 45–50, short of the 60 votes needed to advance, and a Republican alternative also stalled.
• Affordable Care Act subsidy extensions remain the core dispute as President Trump signals openness to a health-care deal and Chuck Schumer says no formal talks are underway.
• Senator Susan Collins is circulating a draft that would reopen the government first and commit to a later debate on subsidy extensions, a sequencing Democrats reject.
• The White House confirmed an internal memo reported by Axios indicating furloughed employees would not be eligible for retroactive pay once the shutdown ends.
• Roughly 750,000 federal workers are sidelined and air travel is strained, with delays at Newark, Denver and Phoenix and an hours-long staffing gap at Burbank’s tower as sick leave reduces FAA capacity, officials say.