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| Christmas Is Near, but the News Won’t Stop. Here’s What to Follow. | Christmas Is Near, but the News Won’t Stop. Here’s What to Follow. |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| It’s just days before Christmas, but Washington is far from putting a bow on things and retreating until the new year. This poorly timed political upheaval can seem too daunting to track — especially if you’re traveling. So here are the basics, with links to our detailed coverage. | |
| And for a nightly rundown of the day’s top stories, subscribe to our Evening Briefing. | And for a nightly rundown of the day’s top stories, subscribe to our Evening Briefing. |
| The federal government partly shut down at 12:01 a.m. Saturday after funding expired. The House and Senate adjourned for the evening Friday, ending any hopes of a last-minute compromise. Both chambers are expected to reconvene on Saturday at noon. | |
| Stay up-to-date with our live coverage. | Stay up-to-date with our live coverage. |
| Funding was set to run out for several federal agencies, including the Agriculture, Commerce and Homeland Security Departments. Here’s what to expect from a government shutdown. | |
| At the heart of the battle is the wall at the border with Mexico that President Trump promised during the campaign. Nearly two years into his presidency, the wall has not come to fruition. But his supporters still want it, making the issue a potential risk to his re-election. | At the heart of the battle is the wall at the border with Mexico that President Trump promised during the campaign. Nearly two years into his presidency, the wall has not come to fruition. But his supporters still want it, making the issue a potential risk to his re-election. |
| Mr. Trump has demanded that about $5 billion for the wall be included in a spending bill necessary to keep the government running. The House merged the Senate’s stopgap spending bill with about $5.7 billion in funding for the wall and close to $8 billion in disaster relief funding, but that plan hit a roadblock in the Senate, where Democrats and a few key Republicans were opposed. Here’s an overview of how we got here. | Mr. Trump has demanded that about $5 billion for the wall be included in a spending bill necessary to keep the government running. The House merged the Senate’s stopgap spending bill with about $5.7 billion in funding for the wall and close to $8 billion in disaster relief funding, but that plan hit a roadblock in the Senate, where Democrats and a few key Republicans were opposed. Here’s an overview of how we got here. |
| Though Mr. Trump initially took ownership of a potential government shutdown, saying he would be “proud” to shut down the government for border security he reversed his rhetoric on Friday and shifted blame to the Democrats. | |
| In a video post late Friday in which he called on Senate Democrats to approve the funds, the president emphasized the need for border security — pairing sweeping references to crime with incendiary footage of crowds, including a scene of people banging on a fence. It was reminiscent of other times that Mr. Trump had stoked fears with messages that portrayed immigrants as a threat. | |
| “It’s very dangerous out there,” he said in the video, adding: “We need a great barrier.” | |
| Mr. Trump is also dealing with the fallout over the resignation of Jim Mattis, the defense secretary, who delivered a rebuke of Mr. Trump’s worldview on his way out. | Mr. Trump is also dealing with the fallout over the resignation of Jim Mattis, the defense secretary, who delivered a rebuke of Mr. Trump’s worldview on his way out. |
| Mr. Mattis resigned on Thursday in protest of the president’s decision to withdraw American forces from Syria and his rejection of international alliances. | Mr. Mattis resigned on Thursday in protest of the president’s decision to withdraw American forces from Syria and his rejection of international alliances. |
| In addition to his decision to withdraw from Syria, Mr. Trump also abruptly ordered the military to pull roughly 7,000 troops from Afghanistan in the coming months. | In addition to his decision to withdraw from Syria, Mr. Trump also abruptly ordered the military to pull roughly 7,000 troops from Afghanistan in the coming months. |
| That meant that, over the course of 24 extraordinary hours, 17 years of American military policy was thrown out the window. The reverberations were felt around the globe. | That meant that, over the course of 24 extraordinary hours, 17 years of American military policy was thrown out the window. The reverberations were felt around the globe. |
| Now that Mr. Mattis is departing, the world is likely to see the unfiltered version of Mr. Trump’s “America First” foreign policy. Mr. Trump seems intent on assembling a team of advisers who will embrace a vision for the United States that includes bolstering the military but leaving international alliances to wither. | Now that Mr. Mattis is departing, the world is likely to see the unfiltered version of Mr. Trump’s “America First” foreign policy. Mr. Trump seems intent on assembling a team of advisers who will embrace a vision for the United States that includes bolstering the military but leaving international alliances to wither. |
| Expectations that Congress and the White House wouldn’t reach an agreement for a stopgap spending bill helped fuel a further decline in the stock market. | Expectations that Congress and the White House wouldn’t reach an agreement for a stopgap spending bill helped fuel a further decline in the stock market. |
| By the end of the day Friday, the S&P 500-stock index was down 2.1 percent to end the worst week for American equity markets since the 2008 financial crisis. | By the end of the day Friday, the S&P 500-stock index was down 2.1 percent to end the worst week for American equity markets since the 2008 financial crisis. |
| And the tech-heavy Nasdaq index was down more than 20 percent from its August peak, meaning it has officially entered a bear market. | And the tech-heavy Nasdaq index was down more than 20 percent from its August peak, meaning it has officially entered a bear market. |
| Bear markets in stocks are rare but have the power to spread gloom through the economy. In the last 20 years, there have been only two — one that began with the financial crisis in 2007, and the other that started with the dot-com bust in 2000. Market downturns can gather steam even without strong evidence that economic and corporate fundamentals are weakening. | Bear markets in stocks are rare but have the power to spread gloom through the economy. In the last 20 years, there have been only two — one that began with the financial crisis in 2007, and the other that started with the dot-com bust in 2000. Market downturns can gather steam even without strong evidence that economic and corporate fundamentals are weakening. |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery in New York on Friday to remove two nodules from her left lung, a Supreme Court spokeswoman said. The nodules removed during surgery were found to be malignant, but the spokeswoman said “there was no evidence of any remaining disease” in her body. (Here’s why cancer doctors see encouraging signs for her recovery.) | Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery in New York on Friday to remove two nodules from her left lung, a Supreme Court spokeswoman said. The nodules removed during surgery were found to be malignant, but the spokeswoman said “there was no evidence of any remaining disease” in her body. (Here’s why cancer doctors see encouraging signs for her recovery.) |
| Also on Friday, the Supreme Court refused to revive a Trump administration initiative barring migrants who enter the country illegally from seeking asylum. Invoking what he said were his national security powers to protect the nation’s borders, Mr. Trump made a proclamation last month that only allowed migrants to seek asylum at legal checkpoints. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joined the four-member liberal wing in deciding against the Trump administration. | Also on Friday, the Supreme Court refused to revive a Trump administration initiative barring migrants who enter the country illegally from seeking asylum. Invoking what he said were his national security powers to protect the nation’s borders, Mr. Trump made a proclamation last month that only allowed migrants to seek asylum at legal checkpoints. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joined the four-member liberal wing in deciding against the Trump administration. |