LAWMAKERS REACH DEAL TO END GOV’T SHUTDOWN

House and Senate lawmakers voted last night to end the government shutdown, and a Continuing Resolution that will fund the government through Jan. 15.But the last-minute deal to stave off a default on the nation’s debt and restart the government doesn’t appear to have come in time to prevent Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from shutting its doors—at least for a day. With limited carryover funding, Livermore scrambled to stay open until Oct. 21, when most NNSA sites were scheduled to shut down. Lab officials this week had worked to put the lab in a “minimum safe and secure operational status,” and the lab planned to use up future holidays to ensure employees were paid through this week. Lab Director Parney Albright previously said “laboratory operations will be extremely limited” today and Friday, and Livermore spokeswoman Lynda Seaver said late yesterday that the lab was still planning to be closed today, but she said the lab could be open Friday. “Any changes to our plans would depend on when Congress reaches an agreement,” she said. An email to the lab last night drew an autoreply: “Due to the lapse in federal appropriations, the Laboratory is closed. Your email will be read upon our return.”