Powerball, Panda-monium and a Looming Shutdown: Your Saturday US Briefing

The imminent government shutdown is weighing on everyone. Here in California, we’re worried that if Congress doesn’t reach an agreement by midnight Saturday in Washington, lines will be longer at airports, and national parks including Joshua Tree will close. House Republicans need to get their act together and pound out some type of resolution--stat. The handful of GOP members pushing for a protracted shutdown “have, frankly, been stuck on stupid,” said GOP Congressman Mike Lawler, 37, who represents a district in the New York suburbs.

Stocks had a lousy quarter, with the S&P 500 losing 3.7%, its first negative three-month period since the third-quarter of last year. In addition to shutdown anxiety, investors are pessimistic about higher energy costs and labor disruptions: The United Auto Workers extended plans on Friday for walkouts at more Ford and GM assembly plants. Meanwhile, Tesla deliveries probably slowed in the third quarter, the first decline since early 2022, writes Dana Hull.