From the looks of things, the federal government is heading towards a shutdown. The Atlantic Wire has a countdown to shutdown clock and a continually updating look at the state of the shutdown debate.

+ Quartz: “Initially, a shutdown will be little more than a symbol of US dysfunction, but each passing day will make its economic impact more tangible, especially if prolonged squabbling spooks consumer and business confidence.” Who will notice the shutdown?

+ A shutdown could leave about 800,000 federal workers without a paycheck. WaPo has a detailed agency by agency rundown of the impact.

+ If you were hoping that a government shutdown would at least mean members of Congress would shut up, I’ve got some bad news. Thanks to the 27th Amendement, even in a shutdown, Congressional members still get paid.