🚨 BREAKING 🚨
According to projections from Polymarket, the U.S. federal government shutdown is now anticipated to extend all the way through Thanksgiving — reaching into December 1st. If this holds true, the shutdown would stretch to 61 days, nearly doubling the previous record.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reporting an acute staffing crisis: over 3,000 air-traffic control personnel are missing from duty, putting increased strain on the aviation system.
Here’s what’s going on and why it matters:
What’s happening
The federal government has ceased funding due to a failure in Congress to pass a continuing resolution, which means many non-essential operations have been suspended or shifted to unpaid status. Essential services—such as air-traffic control—remain operational but without pay.
In effect, thousands of federal workers are either furloughed (sent home) or working without compensation.
Why the aviation sector is under pressure
Because controllers are deemed “essential,” they must remain on the job even while unpaid. At the same time, the FAA is already short by roughly 3,500 controllers, and the shutdown has stalled training and hiring pipelines.
Consequently, airports are seeing a surge in delays and cancellations. One day recently registered 22 “shortage triggers” from the FAA, marking one of the most severe strain points since the shutdown began.
For example: over 8,000 U.S. flights were delayed on a single recent Sunday amid this staffing crisis.
Why this shutdown could set a record
If the end date of December 1 stands, this shutdown would last about 61 days — eclipsing the 2018-19 shutdown, which ran for 35 days.
Because the impasse remains unresolved, essential agencies are being stretched ever further without the budgeting mechanism in place to sustain them.
