President Donald Trump ordered the Defense Department to use whatever funds remain available to pay troops during the government shutdown, a politically popular but legally dubious move that threatens to prolong the 15-day impasse over spending.

President Donald Trump said he was making good on threats to fire thousands of federal workers amid a government shutdown now in its 10th day, as his administration made job cuts across departments including Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Treasury and Commerce.

I’m Gregory Korte, White House and domestic policy reporter in Washington. Today we’re looking at how the US government shutdown is affecting the economy. Send us feedback and tips to [email protected]. And if you aren’t yet signed up to receive this newsletter, you can do so here.

The first week of a government shutdown is usually the easy one. It only gets harder after that.

This is Washington Edition, the newsletter about money, power and politics in the nation’s capital. Today, domestic policy reporter Gregory Korte looks at the growing impact of the government shutdown. Sign up here and follow us at @bpolitics. Email our editors here.