The United States entered its second week of a federal government shutdown with no compromise in sight. Lawmakers remain deadlocked over spending priorities and health-care tax credits, forcing hundreds of thousands of federal employees to either work without pay or stay home. The closure has shuttered national parks, museums, and agencies, amplifying public frustration as essential services strain to operate.
President Trump has vowed to redirect available funds to ensure the military and Coast Guard continue receiving pay, but the broader economic toll is mounting. Analysts warn that each passing day of the shutdown adds billions in lost productivity and deepens political distrust in Washington.
As tensions grow in the capital, millions of Americans have taken to the streets under the banner of the “No Kings” movement—a sprawling, decentralized protest campaign accusing the Trump administration of authoritarian overreach. Organizers estimate that more than seven million people joined demonstrations across all 50 states on October 18, marking one of the largest civic mobilizations in U.S. history.
From college campuses to city centers, protesters carried signs calling for limits on executive power and a return to constitutional governance. The administration has brushed off the protests as a “Marxist stunt,” with Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders dismissing them as politically motivated. Still, the scale and energy of the movement suggest a growing wave of populist resistance that could shape the coming election season.
Meanwhile, U.S. foreign relations took a sharp turn as President Trump publicly accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro of being an “illegal drug leader.” The accusation, delivered during a press conference, came alongside the announcement of steep tariffs on Colombian exports and a halt to U.S. foreign aid.
The move follows a U.S. Navy operation in the Caribbean that targeted vessels alleged to be tied to Colombian drug cartels—an action that left three dead and drew outrage from Bogotá. Colombian officials have condemned Trump’s remarks as “defamatory” and warned that such rhetoric endangers long-standing security cooperation. The rift threatens to unravel decades of U.S.–Colombia partnership on counternarcotics operations, casting doubt on Washington’s future role in Latin American stability.
