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3h ago

Smithsonian Museums and National Zoo Shut as Government Funding Standoff Enters Third Week

The closures follow the exhaustion of carryover funds that briefly sustained operations after the Oct. 1 funding lapse.

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Smithsonian officials said all the animals at the National Zoo will still be fed and cared for while they wait for their visitors to return and see them. (JACQUELYN MARTIN/AP FILE)
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The closed National Zoo in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Overview

  • All 21 Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo, and the institution’s research centers closed to the public on Oct. 12 with no reopening date announced.
  • Zoo officials said animals will continue to be fed and cared for, while live webcams, including the panda-cam, are turned off.
  • The closures extend to Smithsonian sites in Washington, D.C., and New York and come after the National Gallery of Art shut on Oct. 4.
  • The broader shutdown is intensifying, with at least 4,000 civil servants receiving layoff notices on Oct. 10 and reports of flight delays linked to air-traffic control staffing.
  • Senate Majority Leader John Thune set an Oct. 14 vote to try to end the shutdown but said he still needs additional Democratic support to advance the bill.