Government Shutdown

Today is the first payday for workers that they will not get paid.

The good news is that it shouldn't affect the amount of your refund.

Tune in to KPEL every Wednesday at 7 AM to hear the panel's take on national, state and local political topics.

Tune in to KPEL every Wednesday at 7 a.m. to hear the panel's take on national, state and local political topics.

Tune in to KPEL every Wednesday at 7 a.m. to hear the panel's take on national, state and local political topics.

Tune in to KPEL every Wednesday at 7 a.m. to hear the panel's take on national, state and local political topics.

Tune in to KPEL every Wednesday at 7 a.m. to hear the panel's take on national, state and local political topics.

It's amazing the kind of accounting that goes on in Washington.

The 16-day partial government shutdown came to an end early Thursday morning when President Obama signed into a law a compromise passed by both the House and Senate.

It may have taken more than two weeks, but the government finally looks set to reopen. At least until early 2014, that is.

Chris Cox, a 45-year-old American who decided to take matters into his own hands by picking-up trash, blowing off trails, and cutting grass around memorials in Washington.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says it has worked out a solution to allow the families of fallen military members to receive death benefits during the government shutdown. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the Fisher House Foundation has agreed to make the payments from its own funds...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators are expressing outrage that families of fallen U.S. military personnel are being denied death benefits while Democrats and Republicans grope for a way to end the partial government shutdown. The Pentagon typically pays out $100,000 within three days of a soldier's death...

The Senate is a big part of the problem.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The next move is up to the Senate -- but it's not expected to make a partial government shutdown tonight any less likely. About 800,000 federal workers will be forced off the job without pay if no compromise can be reached by midnight on the legislation that would keep government agencies funded...

With Congress unable to agree on a budget or even a short-term emergency bill, it's increasingly likely that the federal government will suffer its first shutdown in 17 years. Leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate will trade proposals on Monday, but neither side is optimistic that they will reach an agreement.

If no emergency spending bill is passed by Congress before midnight Monday, the government will go into a partial shutdown.

With America facing a potential government shutdown by the end of the day, one member of Louisiana's Congressional delegation says a compromise bill proposed to avoid such a shutdown doesn't do enough. Republican Representative Jeff Landry voted down a bill which would fund vast portions of the federal budget...

Republicans and Democrats in Congress reached a late Friday night agreement on a federal budget for the current fiscal year--meaning the federal government did NOT shut down.

Washington, DC –U.S. Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., MD (R-Southwest Louisiana) issued the following statement regarding the agreement to cut spending and fund the government and military through the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends September 30, 2011: