Congress was unable to pass a spending bill late Friday night, shutting down everything but what is considered the “essential” parts of the federal government. And one thing that is still going: Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. The Justice Department confirmed this week that employees in Mueller’s office are exempt from the shutdown and can continue their work. So the probe, which Trump desperately wants shut down, is going on even as other government functions cease. Similarly, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ― one of conservatives’ least favorite agencies ― continues operations during a shutdown.

Source: Huffington Post January 21, 2018 04:07 UTC