US Senate passes deal aimed at ending government shutdown

The US Senate has passed a deal to end the government shutdown, the longest in US history, which began on October 1st. After a weekend of negotiations, a bipartisan agreement was reached, with the Senate taking a procedural step toward funding the government. The deal, negotiated by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, will need further approval before federal employees and services can resume, but it marks a significant breakthrough after 40 days of deadlock. The agreement includes provisions for addressing key issues such as healthcare subsidies, with bipartisan support helping to move the process forward.