is there a government shutdown right now

Yes, there is currently a U.S. federal government shutdown. It began at 12:01 a.m. EDT on October 1, 2025, due to congressional failure to pass appropriations legislation for the 2026 fiscal year. This shutdown is the first since 2018-2019 and has furloughed roughly 900,000 federal employees while another 700,000 are working without pay. Essential services like Medicare, Medicaid, TSA, and Amtrak continue, but many agencies have suspended operations partially or fully. The shutdown results from partisan disagreements over federal spending levels, foreign aid, and health insurance subsidies, with no resolution in sight so far.