President Donald Trump directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure U.S. troops receive their Oct. 15 pay despite a shutdown that began Oct. 1, as other federal workers miss checks or are furloughed. He urged using “all available funds” and accused Democrats of holding security “hostage,” while the parties traded blame over stalled spending talks and health policy provisions. Meanwhile, the administration began layoffs across seven agencies—more than 4,000 positions—including CDC staff, with officials warning more reductions are coming. Major unions sued to halt the firings; government lawyers argued a restraining order would harm operations.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.