Hundreds of thousands of federal employees and contractors missed their full paycheques for the first time on Friday, as the US government shut down continues into its fourth week. In Washington DC, federal workers lined up at Urban Outreach, a food pantry, to receive dry food, produce and household items.

The Senate failed to advance the House-passed funding bill that would end the government shutdown for the 12th time on Wednesday, following a marathon speech by Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon.

Generally, all employees furloughed during a government shutdown are paid at the conclusion of the shutdown. In a letter last month detailing the potential effects of a shutdown, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the backpay of all federal workers could total around $400 million for each day of the shutdown.

While large and unusual, the gift amounts to a small contribution toward the billions needed to cover service member paychecks.

The federal government remains shut down. The NPR Network is following the ways the shutdown is affecting services across the country.

As Socrates or Yogi Berra might say, “knowing nothing" rules the shutdown standoff. President Trump’s role looms as Congress stalls, fatigue grows, and blame spreads.

The ongoing government shutdown continues to disrupt flights and put pressure on air traffic controllers, who are working without pay.

Our correspondents and reporters explain the latest on the shutdown, as federal workers miss paycheques and some government services are suspended.

November is a critical month in the federal government shutdown if it drags on for at least a couple of more weeks — and Connecticut would feel the effects across a few federally funded programs,

The ongoing government shutdown continues to disrupt flights and put pressure on air traffic controllers who are working without pay.

The Pentagon confirmed Friday that it accepted an anonymous $130 million donation to help offset the cost of troops’ salaries and benefits during the shutdown. The Defense Department accepted the donation under its “general gift acceptance authority” on Thursday, Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement.

President Trump is heading to Asia for his first trip to the region since taking office in January as the government shutdown persists with no end in sight.