Shutdown Would Furlough 800K Federal Workers

Lots more bluster today, but no apparent progress on averting a government shutdown that would begin at midnight Friday. As crunch time nears, President Obama is scheduled to meet tonight with John Boehner and Harry Reid, reports Reuters. The White House, meanwhile, warned that 800,000 federal workers would be furloughed if no deal is reached, reports the Hill.

Employees deemed essential—including members of the military—would have to keep working but would not get paychecks until the shutdown ended, notes the Wall Street Journal. Among the other tangible effects, from the Washington Post: National parks would close, paper-filed tax refunds would be delayed, and government websites would not be updated. The postal service would remain open, however, and recipients of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security would still get their checks. (More government shutdown stories.)