The U.S. Capitol stands illuminated at night in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Dec. 21, 2018. The federal government is on the brink of a partial shutdown starting Friday night with Congress at an impasse with President Donald Trump over his demands to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Photographer: Zach Gibson/Bloomberg
WASHINGTON DC (AFP): The US government began a Christmas shutdown early Saturday (Dec 22), after Congress adjourned without passing a federal spending bill or addressing President Donald Trump’s demand for money to build a border wall.
Operations for several key agencies ceased at 12:01am Saturday (0501 GMT), despite last-ditch talks that continued on Capitol Hill between White House officials and congressional leaders in both parties.
