America in Brief: U.S. Government Shutdown Looms Amid Vote on Spending Bill

The clock is ticking on a potential shutdown of the U.S. government—an annual but real threat—after the speaker of the House pulled a vote at the last minute on a so-called stopgap bill. With only three weeks to go, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) delayed a vote on the spending bill on Sept. 11, owing to Republican opposition that meant it would not have passed, saying more work needs to be done. A stopgap bill, also called a continuing resolution, is a short-term government funding agreement to prevent government shutdowns when the main fiscal bill can’t be agreed. It’s not unusual for a temporary measure to be put into place while the main fiscal bill is still being debated....