WASHINGTON -- The IRS furloughed almost half of its workforce Wednesday as part of the ongoing government shutdown, according to an updated contingency plan posted to its website. Most IRS operations were closed, the agency said in a separate letter to its workers.
The news came after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike an agreement to fund federal operations, and the government shutdown entered its second week, with no discernible endgame in sight.
Before they vote to reopen the government, Democrats' main demand is that Congress take up an extension of tax credits for health plans offered on Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Republicans want to reopen the government before addressing an extension of the health care subsidies.
VACCINATIONS: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adopted recommendations Monday from a new group of vaccine advisers and stopped recommending COVID-19 shots, leaving the choice up to patients.
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SUPREME COURT: A majority of Supreme Court justices seemed likely Tuesday to side with Kaley Chiles, a Christian counselor challenging bans on LGBTQ+ "conversion therapy" for kids as a violation of her First Amendment rights.
FEDERAL GRANTS: A judge blocked President Donald Trump's administration Tuesday from requiring recipients of federal teen pregnancy prevention grants to comply with Trump's orders aimed at curtailing "radical indoctrination" and "gender ideology."