Federal Government Reopens as Shutdown Ends Amid Political and Global Tensions

The federal government is back open, ending the historic 43-day shutdown and restoring full operations nationwide as agencies race to resume stalled services. Meanwhile, new emails suggest Donald Trump may have been aware of Jeffrey Epstein’s misconduct, prompting the House to prepare a vote next week on releasing the full set of Epstein files. Overseas, U.S. military presence is escalating as the USS Gerald Ford carrier group moves into Latin American waters, heightening tensions with Venezuela. On immigration, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a policy shift that could allow chronic health conditions and even retirement age to become grounds for visa denial. In the Middle East, tensions grow as a dispute over trapped Hamas fighters threatens Trump’s Gaza plan, exposing deep friction between Washington and Jerusalem.