US government begins shutdown as Congress deadlocks

The US government began a partial shutdown Monday at midnight for the first time in 17 years, putting as many as 800,000 federal employees out of work at once, closing national parks and halting some government services after Congress failed to break a partisan deadlock. No further negotiations were immediately planned. Chances of a last-minute deal evaporated shortly before midnight as the House stood firm on its call to delay major parts of President Barack Obama’s health-care law for a year. Senate Democrats were equally firm in refusing.