Part 4/12:
While financial markets celebrate, the broader US economy faces significant challenges stemming from Washington's ongoing government shutdown—a month old and the longest since 2019's 35-day standoff. The shutdown is rapidly impacting essential services: food stamp aid for 42 million Americans has been disrupted despite court orders, and states from New York to Maryland are struggling to cover the gaps in social support programs like Obamacare, which has seen premium subsidies expire, doubling costs for 20 million enrollees.