Today’s Big Story

What Now?

The government shutdown is underway and no one seems to be able to fix it

The federal government remains closed after lawmakers in Congress failed to reach an agreement on how to extend funding. Washington is bracing for what could be a prolonged shutdown as lawmakers remain deadlocked. They’ll continue to go back and forth, but the impact of the shutdown is beginning to be felt across the country.

But you’ll still get your mail. The U.S. Postal Service will keep the mail moving as usual. USPS is primarily self-funded and doesn't depend on the appropriations process to continue running as usual. And you’re able to fly. Air traffic controllers and most Transportation Security Administration employees are considered "essential workers" and have to stay on the job, even if that means working without pay while the rest of the federal government shuts down.

Social Security, VA and other benefits will continue. Of course, there could still be some delay in services, such as processing applications. But nutrition aid for millions of new parents is at risk. And the biggest impacts will be felt by federal workers and active-duty military service members who will not receive a paycheck during the government shutdown. The Congressional Budget Office estimated earlier this week that roughly 750,000 federal employees would be furloughed each day of the shutdown.

So after all the DOGE drama, now they’re dealing with this? Federal workers typically receive back pay once the government reopens, but that requires congressional approval. On top of the uncertainty around when workers will see a paycheck again, the Trump administration has threatened to use the shutdown as a pretext to carry out more mass firings and cuts to what he described as “Democrat agencies”.

The Associated Press points out that Trump is now openly embracing Project 2025, the conservative blueprint he desperately tried to distance himself from during the campaign, as one of its architects works to use the government shutdown to accelerate his goals of slashing the size of the federal workforce and punishing Democratic states. The Senate is due back later today, but lawmakers could go home for the weekend if no progress is made. Then child care and grocery vouchers for low-income mothers and children could be affected. National parks may see piles of trash and ecological damage. Even the Statue of Liberty’s torch could go dark.

McCarthy-Era Free Speech Committee Relaunches

Led by Jane Fonda, hundreds of celebrities join up to defend free speech

Eighty years after Hollywood legends like Henry Fonda, Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart and Frank Sinatra launched the Committee for the First Amendment to stand up to McCarthyism, Jane Fonda is bringing back the organization at a time she calls “the most frightening moment of my life.”

Over 550 celebrities joined her in the cause—everyone from John Legend and Ben Stiller to Whoopi Goldberg, Billie Eilish and Spike Lee. In its first statement, released Thursday, the Committee writes, “This Committee was initially created during a dark time when the federal government repressed and persecuted American citizens for their political beliefs. They targeted elected officials, government employees, academics, and artists. They were blacklisted, harassed, silenced, and even imprisoned….Those forces have returned. And it is our turn to stand together in defense of our constitutional rights.”

Deadline reports that the statement also called out corporate capitulation, in the wake of Disney’s decision to pull, the reinstate, Jimmy Kimmel following a warning from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. The committee wrote that “to those who profit from our work while threatening the livelihoods of everyday working people, bowing to government censorship, and cowering to brute intimidation: we see you and history will not forget. This will not be the last you hear from us.”

Robots Making Babies

One in six adults experiences infertility … is this the answer?

Chatbots have invaded our conversations and self-driving cars roam our streets, but the creation of life seems to be the most interesting new frontier for artificial intelligence. Robots are now learning to make human babies. Seriously. And 20 have already been born.

Infertility is increasingly becoming more common. One in six adults will experience it in their lifetime. IVF is a common practice, but it’s notoriously challenging. Can robotics and AI help? So far those 20 babies seem to be proof it can. The clinical trials involved advanced automation with little to no human intervention. According to the Washington Post, the same algorithmic computer-vision software that helps autonomous vehicles spot objects on the road and finds signs of breast cancer in a mammogram can instantaneously detect the most robust swimmer among hundreds of thousands of flailing, corkscrewing sperm—each one a fraction of the width of a hair strand.

In the U.S., where a single cycle of IVF can cost up to $30,000 (and most patients require multiple cycles), the idea of automating the system could have huge benefits. Investors are interested in these technologies for the same reasons the entire corporate world is racing to build AI: Automated systems, which combine robotic hardware and algorithmic software, don’t get tired. They see things the human eye can’t. They can, in theory, do the same work, or at least portions of it, far faster, more precisely and more reliably replicated than human beings can. That means improved results, lower costs and many more patients served.

A Weekend Pairing

‘Chad Powers‘ + a Whiskey Sour Cocktail

Take it easy this weekend.