U.S. nears government funding deadline, again risking shutdown
Most US lawmakers on either side of the aisle hope to avoid an extremely unpopular 'government shutdown,' but will need to reach another last-minute compromise to avoid the funding lapse

Washington (AFP) - Less than two months since the US federal government narrowly avoided running out of funding, the deeply divided Congress once again faces a tight deadline to approve a new budget -- just one week. Neither the Democratic-controlled Senate or the Republican-led House of Representatives has passed a bill to extend government funding, which expires at midnight next Friday into Saturday. Without an agreement by November 17, the world's largest economy will instantly begin pumping the brakes: 1.5 million government employees will go without pay, most federal facilities including ...