Overview

• A funding standoff could trigger a U.S. government shutdown starting Wednesday, with President Donald Trump meeting congressional leaders today and the White House weighing permanent cuts to some federal jobs.
• Economists warn a closure would halt Bureau of Labor Statistics releases such as Friday’s employment report, raising the risk that an expected October rate cut could be delayed.
• Equities in the U.S., Europe and Asia advanced with technology shares leading, while energy lagged as oil fell on expectations of higher OPEC+ output and resumed Kurdish pipeline flows.
• Gold surged to fresh records above $3,800 an ounce as the dollar eased and investors sought safety ahead of the possible shutdown.
• Fed futures imply roughly a 89%–91% chance of a 25-basis-point cut next month even as officials like Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack stress keeping policy restrictive, and new U.S. tariffs on heavy trucks and certain drugs take effect Wednesday.