A sign with a notice of closure is pinned on the fence to the National Zoo in Washington on Oct. 12, 2025. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo closed their doors on Sunday because of the nearly two-week-long government shutdown, said the Smithsonian Institution on its website on Oct. 12. In a

President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One for a trip to the Middle East, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Oct. 12, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images President Donald Trump on Sunday night is en route to the Middle East as Israelis await the release of those who have been held in captivity

President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One for a trip to the Middle East, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Oct. 12, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the Hamas terrorist group may release their remaining Israeli and American hostages “a little bit early” as the president

President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One for a trip to the Middle East, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Oct. 12, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images President Donald Trump on Sunday departed Washington, D.C. for a trip to the Middle East announced earlier this week following the achievement of a deal between

Vice President JD Vance and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a press briefing at the White House on Oct. 1, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times Vice President JD Vance on Sunday said there will be deeper cuts to the federal workforce the longer the government shutdown goes on, adding to the uncertainty facing