shutdown

WASHINGTON — The Senate in an overnight vote Saturday approved a short-term measure to fund federal agencies into early December and avoid a potentially chaotic government shutdown during the middle of campaign season.

The late-summer action on a funding fix is unusual. Normally, Congress waits until the final days or hours of a funding deadline to pass short-term patches, but this time senators acted nearly two months before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.

The 90-6 vote showed lawmakers are still smarting from the two historic shutdowns in the last year and want to avoid another before voters go to the polls.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) wanted the funding dealt with before senators went home for the next five weeks to focus on their reelection campaigns and other matters. It got caught up with other issues that pushed votes into the night, but the bill had broad bipartisan support. The House will also have to approve the measure when members return from their August recess before it can go to President Trump’s desk for his signature.

The bill generally funds the federal government at current levels through Dec. 11, but includes a variety of exceptions that senators negotiated with the White House.

Democrats secured language to ensure no money could be transferred to the Border Patrol. They also rejected the White House’s request of $1 billion for early work on a new “Trump-class” battleship that the administration announced Dec. 22.

“The only person who wants these golden ships is Donald Trump so he can slap his name on them,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.

Hemp provision

The bill also includes language delaying a national ban on most intoxicating hemp products. That one-month delay prompted outrage from some Senate Republicans who say that too many such products are falling into the hands of unsuspecting children. The packaging of the products often relies on bright colors and intentionally mimics popular snack brands to attract consumers.

Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) said that since 2017 there has been nearly a tenfold increase in cannabis-related emergency room visits by minors in his home state.

“This is a public health crisis that deserves this Senate’s immediate attention,” Budd said. “Our children should never be the testing ground for an industry willing to exploit a loophole in federal law for profit.”

But the hemp industry said the delay buys time for Congress to craft legislation that protects hemp farmers and businesses while also putting in place safeguards to protect children.

Trump himself has called Budd to discuss the issue, though the president did not specifically ask the senator to drop his effort, Budd’s spokesman said.

“Sen. Budd had a friendly phone call with President Trump discussing the legislative efforts regarding THC,” said spokesman Christian McMullen. He said the senator outlined his concerns about “any delay to closing the hemp loophole.”

Budd tried to strip the hemp delay from the bill, but the Senate turned aside his effort.

Trump rule on grants delayed

Democratic lawmakers, along with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), also got language in the bill that would block, for the duration of the funding patch, new regulations on federal grants. The regulations would require a senior political appointee to review grants before they are awarded to ensure, among other things, that they advance the president’s policy priorities. Democrats say it’s an effort to kill grants destined for Democratic-leaning states. The Trump administration recently admitted in a court filing denying clean-energy grants to California and other blue states based only on politics.

“They are not interested in making our tax dollars work better — they just want them to work for Donald Trump,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The White House Office of Management and Budget says its effort is about improving accountability to ensure taxpayer dollars aren’t wasted or misused. The issue is sure to be a topic of future negotiations on a full-year spending measure.

But Collins said the vast majority of the nearly 500,000 people and groups weighing in on the rule are opposed to it.

“I don’t think in my time that I’ve been privileged to serve in the Senate that I have ever seen a proposed rule generate that many negative comments,” Collins said.

Freking and Mascaro write for the Associated Press.

Hungary says a heatwave is forcing the shutdown of its largest nuclear power plant for the first time in 44 years. Scorching temperatures and drought have caused record-low water levels in the Danube river, disrupting reactor cooling systems.

Harare, Zimbabwe – Harare’s streets have been quieter than usual as residents wait to see whether a call for a nationwide shutdown against constitutional changes would lead to protests.

The first thing that stood out was the traffic.

Cars on the roads leading into the city centre on Friday were fewer than usual. The morning rush hour that normally fills the capital’s streets was missing, and the journey into Harare’s central business district was quicker than expected.

For a normal working day in Zimbabwe, the difference was noticeable.

Police were deployed across Harare as opposition groups and civil society activists called for a nationwide shutdown over constitutional changes. Critics said the amendments could extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s time in office until 2030.

Across the city, the security presence was difficult to miss.

Police blocked access to a popular park where people often gather, making it clear that no one would be allowed inside. Nearby, water cannon trucks were parked in an open space that has been used for previous demonstrations.

An uneasy morning

By about 8:30am (06:30 GMT), parts of Harare’s central business district were slowly coming to life.

In areas where taxis operate and small businesses line the streets, some shops had opened while others remained closed.

The heavy police presence showed that authorities were prepared for possible demonstrations, which police have banned.

In Zimbabwe, public gatherings require police approval, and opposition groups have repeatedly criticised restrictions on protests.

As the day continued, Harare remained calm.

The dispute behind the shutdown

The shutdown call followed constitutional amendments approved by Zimbabwe’s Parliament and signed into law in July.

The changes move the next presidential election from 2028 to 2030 and extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five years to seven.

They also change how future presidents are chosen, replacing a direct presidential election by voters with a system in which the president would be elected by parliament.

Mnangagwa came to power in 2017 after longtime leader Robert Mugabe was removed from office.

He won elections in 2018 and 2023 and was previously expected to leave office at the end of his second term in 2028.

The amendments have drawn criticism from opposition groups and civil society organisations that argue they could allow Mnangagwa to remain in office beyond 2028.

The government has defended the changes, saying they are aimed at reducing political tensions and creating greater stability.

A fight over the liberation legacy

For Godfrey Gurira, who fought in Zimbabwe’s liberation war, the constitutional changes represent a betrayal of the ideals he fought for.

“When we went to war, we were fighting for the people,” he told Al Jazeera.

“We were fighting for one man, one vote. That’s what we want to see happening. We were not fighting for a dynasty or anything along those lines.”

The ruling ZANU-PF party has governed Zimbabwe since independence in 1980. The party has rejected accusations that the amendments are designed to extend Mnangagwa’s time in office.

The government’s defence

Farai Marapira, the ZANU-PF’s information and publicity director, told Al Jazeera that the constitutional changes were intended to address political tensions linked to Zimbabwe’s electoral cycle.

“We have noted that there is a sequence which follows a five-year electoral cycle,” he said.

“Within the first two years, there is contestation of the previous election. In the third year, there is mobilisation for the next election.”

Marapira said the changes would reduce periods of heightened political tension before elections.

Opposition groups disagreed, saying the amendments weaken democratic accountability.

A quiet day, but the dispute continues

The shutdown call did not lead to widespread disruptions in Harare.

As the day continued, the city gradually returned to its normal rhythm.

More shops opened. Taxis returned to the streets. Traffic increased.

But the constitutional amendments that triggered the shutdown call remain contentious.

Opposition groups and activists are challenging the changes in the Constitutional Court while the government continues to defend them.

By the afternoon, Harare had largely returned to its normal weekday routine. But the dispute that brought police onto the streets and prompted the shutdown call is not over.

When they landed the diving competition for the 2028 Summer Olympics last year, operators of the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena trumpeted it as a gold-medal achievement. But swimmers and others who use the facility are now learning that pre-Olympic construction probably will force them out of three immensely popular swimming pools for more than a year.

The Aquatics Center will close as early as next April, and not be returned to its regular users until after the Olympics conclude in the summer of 2028, people with knowledge of the plans confirmed to The Times.

Such a prolonged closure will send the more than 400,000 people who pour through the center’s turnstiles each year scrambling to find other places to swim, dive, play water polo and aqua-aerobicize. The center’s two 50-meter pools and an adjacent therapy pool will be closed, along with two expansive hot tubs, the people said.

Aquatics Center operators declined to discuss details of the shutdown, saying they plan to make an announcement Monday. They said it’s premature for them to discuss what improvements the Games will bring to the 36-year-old swim complex, as those negotiations have not been concluded.

The Rose Bowl Aquatic Center in Pasadena, shown on Friday, is set to close next year to make way for reconstruction as the center will host diving in the 2028 Olympics.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Jacie Prieto Lopez, vice president of communications for LA28, the Olympics organizing group, confirmed that improvements would be made to the facility but said specifics were still being sorted out.

“We cannot comment on specific facility improvements as those remain under active discussion between LA28 and the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center,” Prieto Lopez said “But based on initial evaluations of the existing facility, improvements could include the pool, diving tower and mechanical systems.”

Opened in 1990, in part with profits from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the Aquatic Center was once viewed as a state-of-the-art facility. But it has grown somewhat shopworn and in need of a makeover. The operators of the center expect LA28 will pay for some of that work.

While LA28 officials wouldn’t discuss details, people familiar with their view said the Olympic organizers would balk at bankrolling every upgrade pined for by the city of Pasadena (which owns the facility) and the nonprofit that operates the center.

The massive deck around the swimming pools has grown rough in places. The locker rooms are cramped. Aged pumps and filters need an upgrade. Who should pay for these improvements has been the subject of prolonged discussion between LA28 and the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center operators, the people familiar said.

“At the end of the day, it’s going to be a win-win for LA28 and the Aquatics Center,” said one of the people, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly. “The LA28 group is putting in a lot of investment. That should account for the fact the Rose Bowl will be losing revenue during the closure.”

Aquatics Center loyalists, however, wonder how they will cope with the loss of their pools.

“The pool helps me keep my weight down. It keeps my blood sugar down. It’s just everything to me,” said Elizabeth Ramirez, a social worker from Alhambra, after emerging from a morning aqua-aerobics class. “So when it closes down, it’s gonna definitely have an impact on my health. … Hopefully they will be able to tell us [about] another place where we will be able to go.”

Lynn Roberts, with one leg stunted by childhood polio, finds her time in the pool “life changing, because in the water I can do the things that everyone else does.” She knows that Rose Bowl is looking for alternative locations, but so far there are no details. The thought of the pool being closed for more than a year is “a big thing,” she said, adding “People are very, very concerned.”

The Rose Bowl Aquatic Center on April 6 in Pasadena. The facility will host diving in the 2028 Olympic Games.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Like a dozen other regulars, Bonnie Stern talked about the social hub the Aquatics Center creates. It’s been her gateway to new friendships, a walking group, brunches and even a regular happy hour.

“We’re all really concerned. There’s such a wonderful community here,” said Stern, who works in the entertainment industry. “We haven’t heard yet where we can go. And where are we going to be able to find what we have now?”

The complex also rents space to a cafe and a separate shop, the Swim Guy. Michael Eisenberg, who co-owns the swim equipment business with his brother, Craig, worries about losing clientele.

“We spent a lot of money setting this up and building our relationships with customers and teams,” Michael Eisenberg said. “The RBAC asked us if we could stay open and service the community during construction, but I don’t see how we can do that, since all our teams and the public will be scattered to different pools in the area. My brother and I are kind of freaking out about it about how best to serve the teams and the public and the financial cost of closing.”

Aquatics Center executive director Melanie Sauer said the nonprofit and its many user groups — for youth swimming, Masters swimming, water polo and more — are working fervently to find alternative pools. Rose Bowl Masters Swimming (to which the writer of this article belongs) already has launched new workouts at Occidental College in Eagle Rock and is talking to other pool operators.

The financial losses during the closure could be significant. The Aquatic Center reported $8.6 million in receipts from admissions, merchandise and services in 2024, the most recent year reported on its federal tax filings. Another $1.6 million came in via gifts, grants, contributions and membership fees.

Sauer said that an “RBAC on the Road” program will seek to draw payments from user groups when they relocate to other pools. She said it’s premature to provide any details of those arrangements.

Organizers of the Games announced the shift to the Rose Bowl center — in the Arroyo Seco just south of the more than 100-year-old football stadium — in September of last year. Previously, the Games planned to have divers compete at the LA84 Foundation/John C. Argue Swim Stadium, immediately southwest of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which will host track and field events.

A drone view of the pool, lower right, at Exposition Park on Nov. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

But the Exposition Park pool, used for the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, was not deep or wide enough for diving. And it would have proven more costly to retrofit than the Rose Bowl pool.

“This facility requires minimal work, provides additional amenities for athletes, and accounts for up to $17.6 million in revenue increases and cost savings,” LA28 said when it announced the shift to the Rose Bowl pool.

People familiar with the plans for the Pasadena complex say that Olympic diving fans will be seated in bleachers that will be erected atop the “competition” pool, which sits closest to the parking lot. Additional seats may wrap around the north end of the dive pool.

That pool’s 10-meter platform, originally constructed with a donation from the late televangelist Gene Scott, will be torn down and replaced. One plan being considered by LA28 organizers would eschew the existing locker rooms in favor of temporary modular structures, the sources said.

LA28 officials believe that any short-term losses to the center will be more than made up for by the long-term gains from the international attention the pools will receive and the promise that other major swimming and diving events will be held there, according to people who have spoken to the Olympic organization. LA28 officials point to an analysis by the Southern California Assn. of Governments that projected the Games will generate more than $17 billion in gross domestic product for the region.

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1. A child jumps off a diving board. 2. Margaret Shieh, 79, of San Marino, participates in a water fitness class. 3. Swimmers do laps at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Both the 2028 Games and those future events will help fill Pasadena hotels, restaurants and shops, bolstering the local economy and adding tax dollars to the city treasury, according to supporters of the plan. The pool is being considered as the site of the 2028 Olympic diving trials, one source said.

“This historic opportunity will shine a global spotlight on our community,” the Aquatic Center proclaimed last year. “We look forward to keeping you updated as more details become available.”

Negotiations are underway to reopen several Ugandan media outlets after the military ordered their closure, intensifying concerns over press freedom and political interference in the country’s media landscape. The shutdown, which targeted newspapers, television and radio stations owned by Kenya’s Nation Media Group, has drawn international criticism from human rights organisations and foreign lawmakers, adding to scrutiny of Uganda’s record on civil liberties.

The closures were ordered by Uganda’s military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who said the outlets would remain shut without his approval but did not publicly explain the reasons for the decision.

The military’s decision forced several leading newspapers, television channels and radio stations to suspend operations, with security personnel preventing staff from accessing their offices. The disruption has affected one of East Africa’s largest independent media organisations and raised concerns over the military’s growing influence over civilian institutions.

Nation Media Group has confirmed that discussions are taking place with military authorities to restore operations. While negotiations are continuing at multiple levels, employees remain locked out of company premises, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding the timeline for resuming normal broadcasting and publishing activities.

International criticism intensifies over press freedom

The shutdown has prompted strong condemnation from human rights organisations, which argue the move represents another attempt to suppress independent journalism. International observers have warned that restricting media operations undermines freedom of expression and weakens democratic accountability in Uganda.

Political spotlight falls on Muhoozi Kainerugaba

The incident has further focused attention on military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who has increasingly become a controversial political figure through his public statements and actions. Widely viewed as a potential successor to President Yoweri Museveni, Kainerugaba has faced repeated criticism over his treatment of political opponents, civil society groups and independent media.

Diplomatic pressure adds to domestic scrutiny

The media shutdown has also attracted international political attention, with senior US lawmakers calling for a review of Washington’s security relationship with Uganda. The episode risks increasing diplomatic pressure on Kampala over governance, human rights and the role of the military in restricting fundamental freedoms.

Future Outlook

The immediate focus will be on whether negotiations lead to the reopening of the affected media outlets and the restoration of normal operations. Beyond the current dispute, the incident is likely to intensify domestic and international scrutiny of Uganda’s commitment to press freedom, with potential implications for its diplomatic relationships, human rights record and political environment ahead of future leadership transitions.

With information from Reuters.

The president’s son said he did not believe in a free press as military personnel were deployed to the media offices.

The chief of Uganda’s military says he has ordered the closure of two of the country’s biggest media outlets.

Muhoozi Kainerugaba said on Sunday that the Daily Monitor, the country’s largest independent daily newspaper, and NTV Uganda, one of the largest private broadcasters, were being shut down and would not reopen without his permission.

“In Uganda, I do not believe in a free press!” Kainerugaba, who is the president’s son, wrote on X.

“From now on ALL bad stories about Uganda have to be cleared by my office!” he said in one of a series of posts, adding that all media in Uganda would follow the rules, going forward.

Military personnel deployed

Both the Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda are owned by the Nation Media Group (NMG) conglomerate. The Daily Monitor said armed security personnel were outside NMG Uganda’s headquarters in Namuwongo, Kampala and its Serena Hotel location, with staff reporting “no one was being allowed to enter or leave.”

NTV Uganda, Spark TV and other TV and radio broadcasters owned by NMG were down in the country on Sunday, the Reuters news agency reported.

According to Kainerugaba, he has had the power to shut down any media outlet since 2017, when his father, President Yoweri Museveni, granted him this ability.

Kainerugaba is seen as the likely successor to his father, who has ruled Uganda since 1986 and is also known to write controversial social media posts.

His government shut down the Daily Monitor for 10 days in 2013, and in 2007, NTV Uganda was taken off air months after its launch, following government criticism of its coverage.

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), Uganda Police Force and Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) are yet to release a statement on the operation.

Uganda’s National Association of Broadcasters said it was closely monitoring the situation, adding that it was “deeply concerned about this action and its impact on the media ecosystem” and the rights enshrined in the constitution.