The US government shutdown is taking a toll on various sectors, with impacts expected to worsen without a timely resolution. The standoff, initiated on December 22, 2018, involves President Donald Trump’s demand for funding to construct a wall along the Mexican border. As negotiations remain deadlocked, federal agencies and their employees are caught in the crossfire, facing significant challenges.
Firstly, around 800,000 federal workers are directly affected, with approximately 420,000 employees deemed essential and working without pay, while 380,000 are furloughed. This has led to financial strain for many families, impacting their ability to meet basic needs. Both the President and congressional Democrats have stood firm on their positions, with Trump insisting on border security funding, and Democrats refusing to allocate money for the wall.
Secondly, national parks have been struggling with limited staff, resulting in unsanitary conditions and damage to the environment. Despite efforts by some states and private organizations to keep the parks operational, the situation remains challenging.
Thirdly, the shutdown is disrupting crucial services like food inspections, tax return processing, and immigration courts, raising concerns about public health and safety. With no clear end in sight, the uncertainty lingers for those reliant on these services.
Fourthly, the economic impact is being felt across various sectors, with businesses dependent on federal workers or services experiencing financial setbacks. The longer the shutdown persists, the greater the economic repercussions are predicted to become.
Fifthly, with no resolution in sight, the effects are likely to exacerbate. Concerns are growing over the long-term consequences on government functions, employee morale, and public trust in institutions. As political parties remain at an impasse, the prospect of a prolonged shutdown looms large, amplifying the challenges faced by all involved.
Government shutdowns are not new to the US political landscape, but the current impasse is proving to be particularly contentious, with significant ramifications for the nation. As the situation unfolds, the urgency for a resolution intensifies, with the focus on mitigating the escalating impacts on both government operations and the American populace.
Fact Check:
Fact 1 – Verified facts; The government shutdown started on December 22, 2018.
Fact 2 – Verified facts; Approximately 800,000 federal workers are directly impacted by the shutdown.
Fact 3 – Verified facts; President Trump is demanding funding for a border wall.
Fact 4 – Verified facts; National parks are struggling with limited staff during the shutdown.
Fact 5 – Verified facts; Services like food inspections and tax return processing have been disrupted due to the shutdown.
—
Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Five ways US government shutdown is hurting – and why it’s about to get worse”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.