What we’re watching Wednesday

Good morning! It’s Day 2 of the government shutdown. Here’s what we are watching this morning.

• Tuesday ended in deadlock when Senate Democrats and the White House dismissed House Republicans’ spending bills to fund national parks, veteran’s programs and federal services in Washington. House Republicans also failed to get the two-thirds majority needed for those bills to pass under a fast-track procedure. The New York Times reports that Republicans will reintroduce those piecemeal bills Wednesday “under ordinary rules that require only simple majorities, and they should easily pass.” – When will the shutdown end? Senior Republicans predict that the shutdown could last at least a week, while Democrats believe it could spill into the debt limit debate in mid-October.

• Canceling plans to visit Malaysia and the Philippines, President Barack Obama shortened his trip to Asia to address the shutdown. Secretary of State John Kerry will take the president’s place in those delegations.