As the gridlock on Capitol Hill loosens its grip and the government shutdown nears a resolution, the effects on the nation’s air travel system highlight the fragility of critical infrastructure during political standoffs. As the shutdown dragged on, its ripple effects spread across the nation’s air network, fueling a steady climb in flight delays and cancellations by early November. The crisis hit an agency already under pressure. Even...

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will not revisit its landmark decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, leaving intact the 2015 protections granted to couples in Obergefell v. Hodges. Justices rejected an appeal brought by Kim Davis, a former Kentucky county clerk who was held in contempt after she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples due to her religious beliefs.  The Court declined to take...

The eight critical votes that advanced a short-term spending package on Sunday evening and put the government on the path to re-opening also tore the seams of Democratic Party unity, bringing scrutiny to its shutdown strategy and leadership. One of the eight said that the plan Democrats had rallied around at its outset had crumbled. “After six weeks — going on seven weeks — that path wasn’t working,”...