WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump and Democrats emerged from a private White House meeting on Sept. 29 without an agreement to keep the federal government open, setting up the prospects of a wide-scale shutdown in major services beginning in about 30 hours.

After sitting down at the White House with the four top congressional leaders, the president and the lawmakers failed to strike a deal. If funding expires at midnight on Sept. 30 – which seems inevitable at this point given the lack of negotiations and absent any unexpected breakthroughs – a shutdown will start at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 1.

"It was a frank and direct discussion," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters after the meeting with the president. But he added that "significant and meaningful differences remai

See Full Page