The partial shutdown of the US government has become the longest on record, with still no end in sight to the political standoff. On Saturday it reached its 22nd day, overtaking the previous record - the 21-day shutdown in 1995-96 under then-President Bill Clinton. A food bank in Washington DC is arranging five pop-up markets on Saturday for unpaid federal workers. The agents are "essential" federal workers and expected to work - despite not being paid until the shutdown ends. But that may be small consolation to those federal employees currently in dire straits, with no end in sight to the impasse.

Source: The Star January 12, 2019 05:37 UTC