The federal government shutdown entered its 20th day Monday, becoming the third longest in American history. With every week, new impacts are emerging including challenges for Americas judiciary.

The U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts nationwide began implementing shutdown procedures after court system funding ran out over the weekend. Up until now, the federal judiciary relied on existing funds to avoid disruptions.

A memo from the U.S. courts outlines what happens next.

Until the ongoing lapse in government funding is resolved, federal courts will maintain limited operations necessary to perform the judiciarys constitutional functions, the memo states. Federal judges will continue to serve in accordance with the constitution, but court staff may only perform certain excepted activities permitted under the Anti-Deficiency Act.

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At the Supreme Court, oral arguments and decisions will still happen, but the building will temporarily close to tourists.

The memo says, individual courts will determine which cases will continue on schedule, and which may be delayed. The jury program is funded by money not affected by the appropriations lapse and will continue to operate. Jurors should follow instructions from courts and report to courthouses as directed.

Over the weekend in Washington, no resolution appeared imminent. Democrats are pushing for healthcare policy changes to prevent premium increases, while Republicans want the government reopened first.

If the shutdown continues through Friday, federal workers will miss another paycheck the first full paycheck lost for many.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday is hearing a case that legal experts say could upend the Voting Rights Act and the role race plays in drawing congressional maps.

The case is out of Louisiana, but the impacts could be felt across the country.

WHAT THE CASE IS ABOUT

Should race play a role in the drawing of congressional maps?

It is one of the central questions before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, and the outcome could overturn parts of the landmark Voting Rights Act.

RELATED STORY | Is the Voting Rights Act at risk?

Officially, the case is called Louisiana v. Callais. It stems from Louisianas recent redistricting process.

In 2022, lawmakers drew a congressional map with one Black-majority district. That prompted a lawsuit and accusations that Louisiana violated the Voting Rights Act, since about one-third of Louisiana voters are Black and the state has six seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 2024, the courts forced Louisiana to redraw the map, creating a second Black-majority district.

However, another lawsuit emerged this time from self-described non-African American voters who say race should not play such a significant role.

SECTION TWO OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT

At the core of this latest Supreme Court case is Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and whether it is constitutional.

For decades, Section 2 has been viewed as legal and generally interpreted as requiring states with large minority populations to draw districts that reflect their voting power. But do the justices who sit on the Supreme Court in 2025 agree with that?

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Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Republican, said this in a statement earlier this year: Our Constitution sees neither black voters nor white voters; it sees only American voters.

But others disagree.

In a brief submitted by the ACLU, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and others, it says: Although we are making progress towards the goal of an America where race is no longer relevant to opportunity, racial discrimination and racially polarized voting are not ancient history.

HISTORY OF RACE AND ELECTIONS

The countrys history is an important part of this case.

President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act in the 1960s while Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders marched against the disenfranchisement of Black voters.

If the Supreme Court decides in the coming months to strike down parts of the Voting Rights Act, it could force the redrawing of maps in several states, especially in the South, potentially impacting control of Congress in future years.

The U.S. federal government is starting another week without a resolution to the shutdown.

Congress is not expected to take action Monday, as lawmakers are observing the Columbus Day federal holiday. Over the weekend, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers held firm on their positions as more consequences of the shutdown emerged.

"This is about the cost of people's health care," said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.

"Easiest way to remedy this is for [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer to open up the government," contended Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

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Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C., have now closed for the first time during this shutdown. On Friday, many federal workers also missed their first paycheck, while thousands of others were permanently laid off.

One group spared for now is active-duty military members, who were set to miss a paycheck this week. On his Truth Social platform over the weekend, President Donald Trump ordered Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to use all available funds to ensure troops are paid on Oct. 15, adding that his administration has identified funds to do this.

While military pay appears secure for now, the broader economy faces mounting risks as the shutdown enters its third week. The previous shutdown, which lasted about 35 days, resulted in an estimated $11 billion in lost economic productivity, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | IRS furloughs nearly half its workforce as government shutdown continues

Economic effects extend beyond missed paychecks. The U.S. Small Business Administration is unable to process small business loans during a shutdown, hurting entrepreneurs. Businesses that depend on government economic data are also affected, as new reports are not being produced.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting for fairness and accuracy.

The federal government is barreling toward a shutdown.

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance met Monday with Republican and Democratic leaders to discuss a potential deal to keep the government open. Without an agreement, a shutdown will begin on Oct. 1.

While Republicans control the House, Senate and White House, they still need Democratic support to advance a funding measure. Republicans hold 53 Senate seats, but 60 votes are required to move the bill forward.

After the meeting, Vance told reporters, I think we are headed into a shutdown.

Democrats have pushed for weeks to include action on expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies in any funding measure. Republicans argue now is not the time for that discussion.

They had some ideas that I actually thought were reasonable, and they had some ideas that the president thought were reasonable, Vance said. Whats not reasonable is to hold those ideas as leverage and to shut down the government unless we give you everything you want.

But House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries signaled he would not back down.

Were deadly serious about addressing the Republican-caused health care crisis because its a deadly, serious issue for the American people, Jeffries said.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that 4.2 million Americans would lose their health insurance if the current subsidies end as scheduled without congressional action.

The U.S. has not experienced a government shutdown since late 2018, nearly seven years ago. A memo from the Trump administration warns that a potential shutdown this time could lead to permanent federal job losses.

What happens if the government shuts down?

If a shutdown occurs, several government programs will continue, but others could face suspensions or closures. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits would remain uninterrupted. However, other federal offices could close, and some services could be halted.

With prime autumn leaf viewing season approaching in many regions, national parks could also see impacts. In past shutdowns, roads have been closed and services reduced.

RELATED STORY | Democrats dig in to continue subsidies for the Affordable Care Act as potential shutdown looms

One of the most significant consequences would be missed or delayed paychecks for those who work for the federal government. Federal contractors, full- and part-time federal employees, and military service members are among those affected.

Contractors may lose pay entirely, while federal employees and military personnel would receive back pay when the government reopens, as required by a 2019 law but that provision does not apply to contractors.

The first missed paycheck for federal employees would occur on Oct. 10, according to the governments pay schedule. The Trump administration would determine which workers are designated essential, requiring them to report to work through the shutdown.

The possibility of a federal government shutdown is growing, and this time, Trump administration officials are warning it could mean permanent job losses not just temporary furloughs.

On Wednesday, the White House sent a memo to government agencies outlining standard shutdown procedures but also stating that reductions in force permanent layoffs could occur. In past shutdowns, the primary impact on federal workers has been delayed paychecks, with workers receiving back pay once the government reopens.

The memo marks a significant shift in tone. Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, condemned the mention of layoffs. Schumer called it intimidation tactics, while Jeffries accused Republicans of wanting to ruin lives.

RELATED STORY | This is what happens if the government shuts down

Republicans are seeking to extend government funding at current levels, with some additional spending for security, through late November. Democrats, meanwhile, are pushing for a fight over Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire in the coming months, warning that expiration could lead to premium increases.

The standoff has intensified ahead of an Oct. 1 deadline. Congressional leaders are not in Washington this week, and a planned White House meeting between Democratic lawmakers and the president was canceled.

The last shutdown, in 2018-2019, lasted 35 days the longest in U.S. history. Under a 2019 law, federal workers are guaranteed back pay following a shutdown, though payments could be delayed. Basic services such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid would continue to operate, though residents might face slower response times from federal offices.

With both sides digging in and no active negotiations taking place, the odds of a shutdown are increasing by the hour, said one political analyst. Theres a lot of political gamesmanship right now, and its unclear how this will end.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

The odds of the first government shutdown in nearly seven years are rising, with the federal government projected to run out of money in less than a week. The House and Senate are not even meeting this week, leaving little time to reach a deal.

If a shutdown occurs, several government programs will continue, but others could face suspensions or closures. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits would remain uninterrupted. However, other federal offices could close, and some services could be halted.

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With prime autumn leaf viewing season approaching in many regions, national parks could also see impacts. In past shutdowns, roads have been closed and services reduced.

One of the most significant consequences would be missed or delayed paychecks for those who work for the federal government. Federal contractors, full- and part-time federal employees, and military service members are among those affected.

Contractors may lose pay entirely, while federal employees and military personnel would receive back pay when the government reopens, as required by a 2019 law but that provision does not apply to contractors.

The first missed paycheck for federal employees would occur Oct. 10, according to the governments pay schedule. The Trump administration would determine which workers are designated essential, requiring them to report to work through the shutdown.

In the 2018 shutdown, Transportation Security Administration workers were classified as essential, though some called in sick in greater numbers, according to reports from Scripps News Group stations at the time.

Politically, Republicans want to fund the government at current levels through late November without making policy changes to health care. Democrats oppose that approach, citing concerns that insurance premiums could rise as Affordable Care Act subsidies expire.

RELATED STORY | Democrats dig in to continue subsidies for the Affordable Care Act as potential shutdown looms

"If [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer intends to shut the government down, I don't see any easy route out of that," House Speaker Mike Johnson recently said. "There will be a lot of pain."

"Our position has never changed," Schumer contended. "We need bipartisan legislation to keep the government open, and meet needs of American people, especially costs, specifically health care costs."

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.