Gallup’s decision to drop its approval poll underscores how polarization transformed one of the most important metrics in politics.

The White House ordered the Department of Homeland Security to begin shutdown procedures as its funding from Congress expires at midnight — the third time parts of the US government will have shut down in the last six months.

President Donald Trump’s call for Republicans to “nationalize” voting rules has revived a long-running constitutional debate over how much influence the federal government should have in US elections.

Government shutdowns have become a recurring feature of US politics, the product of partisan standoffs over spending that force federal agencies to halt a wide range of services.

The 43-day US government shutdown last fall was the longest and most disruptive ever. Now, Washington is on the cusp of a partial federal closure that could be among the shortest.