For the first time in nearly seven years, the US Congress was unable to come to a spending agreement in time. The government shut down. Democrats want to challenge President Donald Trump and extend healthcare subsidies. Republicans don’t want to budge. The Financial Times’ Washington bureau chief James Politi and deputy chief Lauren Fedor break down how it all went down and the position Democrats now find themselves in. 

Mentioned in this podcast:

Donald Trump threatens permanent spending cuts as US shutdown continues

What happens when the US government shuts down?

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Swamp Notes is produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson. 

CREDIT: FOX News, Reuters, ABC News, C-SPAN

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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