1. The U.S. government shutdown, now the longest in history, was cited by President Donald Trump as a negative factor for his Republican party in recent elections.
2. The shutdown has affected various sectors, including air travel due to a lack of air traffic controllers, causing flight delays and potentially forcing the closure of some airspace.
3. Over 4,000 government workers have been laid off, and around 650,000 have been put on unpaid leave during this shutdown. A career event in Washington was attended by many of these displaced workers seeking new employment.