Government partially shuts down after Congress misses deadline

Congress blew by a midnight deadline to pass a crucial spending bill, triggering the beginning of a partial government shutdown – the first in 17 years, according to Fox News.

The 18th since 1977, the shutdown closes national parks, causes federal home loan officers to scale back their caseloads and forces hundreds of thousands of federal workers to face furlough.

Lawmakers missed the deadline after failing to cooperate on the Affordable Care Act portion of the budget. However, health care insurance exchanges go into effect today.

Read more at Fox News.