Remember when you were a kid fighting with your siblings at the dinner table and your mom warned that if you couldn't get along then no one got dessert?
That, in a nutshell, is essentially what's going on with the federal government shutdown -- the first in 17 years -- that began October 1. Only instead of a bunch of whiny little kids kicking each other under the table, insert a gaggle of squabbling elected officials arguing about Obamacare, and replace chocolate cake with -- oh I don't know -- little treats like national parks and NASA, and you've pretty much nailed down the current meltdown in Washington.
Before the end of each fiscal year (September 30), Congress is tasked with passing a set of appropriations bills that allot funds to a large swath of federal agencies. No funds mean no business: all those agencies have to literally turn the lights off (and yes, that includes the panda cam at the National Zoo). Meanwhile, much of the federal workforce -- about 800,000 employess -- are being furloughed (no pay) until Congress reaches an agreement. (It deserves mentioning, though, that all current members of Congress, as well as the president, will continue to receive paychecks during this period -- you know, in case that was of concern to you.)
The following media resources explain the situation in detail, including how we got here, where things might go and how it could affect you.
1. Multimedia overview of the meltdown
Produced by the Associated Press, this interactive tool functionally explains the current state of dysfunction
