"Congress Strikes Short-Term Deal to Avert Shutdown"

Congressional leaders have reached a short-term agreement to avert a partial government shutdown by proposing a temporary funding patch that would extend funding for some government agencies for a week, through March 8, and the rest for another two weeks, until March 22. The deal, initially suggested by Speaker Mike Johnson, aims to provide more time for spending negotiations and prevent a shutdown at the end of the week. However, the agreement only covers six of the 12 annual spending bills, leaving further negotiations and potential shutdown risks in the coming weeks.