22 h. ago Furloughed federal workers face delays getting unemployment pay during shutdown

Thousands of furloughed federal workers are trying to navigate the unemployment system, in a sharp increase that is still a fraction of the 670,000 furloughed during the shutdown

Economics

1 week ago The Guardian view on the cloud crash: an outage that showed who really runs the internet | Editorial

A failure at Amazon’s server centre paralysed global services for 15 hours. It was not just a glitch but a stark reminder of our digital dependency and fragilityAn outage at Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Monday disrupted apps and websites around the world, affecting more than 2,000 companies and leaving millions of users unable to access services like Snapchat, Roblox, Signal, Duolingo and even Amazon’s own operations. Removing the tech from our tech-dependent existence led to workers being sent home and exams delayed. The crash, which lasted 15 hours, underlined how deeply our digital lives depend on a small number of cloud providers – and how vulnerable many everyday systems are to a single failure.If data is the new oil, then cloud computing is the pipeline, the refinery, the tanker fleet and, increasingly, the pump too. The big three – AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud – account for 60% of global cloud computing. They own the networks and cables that move data across the worl...

Events

1 week ago Nuclear security agency begins furloughing workers as part of shutdown, energy secretary says

Furloughs have begun at the federal agency tasked with overseeing the U.S. nuclear stockpile

Events

2 w. ago A surge of visitors to Yosemite overwhelms a skeleton crew: ‘This is exactly what we warned about’

As the US government shutdown enters its third week, concerns mount over how the nation’s public lands will fareCars and RVs surged into Yosemite national park throughout the weekend, as visitors from around the world came to enjoy the crisp autumn weather, undeterred by a lack of park services and the absence of rangers.National parks have largely been kept open through the lapse in US federal funding that’s left workers furloughed and resources for the parks system more scarce than usual. But as the US government shutdown enters its third week and legislators warn that their impasse could linger even longer than the one in Trump’s first term – which currently holds the record at 35 days – concerns are mounting over how the nation’s treasured public lands will fare. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Uncertainty over the economy and tariffs forces many retailers to be cautious on holiday hiring

Rising tariff costs and other economic factors are forcing retailers to pull back or even delay their plans to hire seasonal workers

Economics

3 w. ago Senate still deadlocked over shutdown as Trump reiterates threat to Democrats

Seventh round of votes fails to yield breakthrough while president threatens to cut funds for ‘Democrat programs’ The US Senate remained deadlocked on legislation to end the government shutdown on Thursday, as Donald Trump reiterated his threat to make Democrats pay for the funding lapse that has closed federal agencies and furloughed workers nationwide.The Senate took its seventh round of votes on competing Democratic and Republican proposals to restart the funding, but neither won enough bipartisan support to clear the 60-vote threshold for advancement in the chamber. In a sign that neither party had budged from its demands, no senators changed their votes from when the bills were last considered in recent days. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Senate again fails to pass stopgap funding bill as government shutdown drags into eighth day – live

Senate fails for sixth time to pass a funding bill in 54-45 vote – three Democrats sided with Republicans in attempt to reach 60-vote thresholdUS airport staffing shortages set to cause more delays amid shutdownDemocrat bill aims to help federal workers cover childcare costsA series of “violent” texts sent by a Democrat seeking to become Virginia’s attorney general has shaken up the state’s governor’s race, with Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears seizing on the controversy to try to reverse her opponent’s double-digit polling lead.Earle-Sears has released new campaign advertisements condemning Democratic former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, her opponenent in the governor’s race, for continuing to support Jay Jones, whose private texts three years ago speculated about a senior state Republican getting “two bullets to the head” and “breeding little fascists”. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago Furloughed federal workers in government shutdown aren’t owed back pay, Trump’s White House claims

‘The livelihoods of the patriotic Americans serving their country in the federal government are not bargaining chips in a political game,’ the American Federation of Government Employees national president said.

Politics

3 w. ago Gavin Newsom hits out at Trump over shutdown after FAA warned airport would have no air traffic controllers

Travelers hit with frustrating delays and cancellations as government shutdown affects federal agency workers

Events

3 w. ago AP reader question: Is it legal to fire furloughed federal workers during a shutdown?

Here’s a question submitted by an Associated Press reader: Is it legal to fire furloughed federal workers during a shutdown

Events