The US government began a shutdown after Congress failed to reach a funding deal by midnight Wednesday, making it the first shutdown in nearly seven years. The impasse stemmed from disagreements over Democratic demands for health care funding, with President Donald Trump blaming Democrats and threatening repercussions.

• Up to 750,000 workers could be sent home each day without pay, affecting hundreds of thousands of government employees.
• The shutdown was triggered after the Senate failed to approve a short-term funding resolution that had passed the House of Representatives.
• Democrats sought to restore hundreds of billions of dollars in health care spending, particularly for the Obamacare program, which the Trump administration intends to dismantle.