<h1>Federal government shutdown halts many services, risks 750,000 furloughs, and pauses infrastructure and green-energy payments</h1> A federal government shutdown began after rival party leaders and the administration blamed each other for funding impasses, with the administration alleging obstruction over immigration-related health coverage and opposition leaders saying they seek to renew Affordable Care Act subsidies. The shutdown risks furloughing roughly 750,000 federal workers, halting many services and closing national landmarks, while some core functions (federal courts through Oct. 17, certain NOAA forecasts) continue. The administration has publicly targeted and paused multibillion-dollar infrastructure and green-energy payments to politically opposed states. Political messaging has grown overtly partisan and misleading, and polling shows mixed public allocation of blame, exposing potential electoral and economic consequences.