The likelihood of another government shutdown by the end of this week has spiked, as markets take heed of incensed policymakers following the shooting of Minnesota nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday. Prior to Jan. 24, odds of another federal shutdown had sat at around 30% over the past few weeks. That changed dramatically as reports spread of the 37-year-old Pretti’s death this weekend. At the time of writing, speculators on Polymarket estimate a 79% chance of another government shutdown come Jan. 31—this Saturday.The possibility of a further partial government shutdown, following a similar standoff late last year, has been on the table for some time. That’s because government funding for a significant number of federal agencies is due to run out at the end of January, and a new package will need to be passed for their work to continue.
But the events of the weekend have fractured an already divided Capitol Hill even further. The rift is not simply between the political parties. Criticism of the White House’s leadership is also coming from within President Trump’s own Republican Party.
Pretti, a medical professional who cared for veterans, was shot in Minnesota this weekend by Border Patrol agents. It followed the shooting, also in Minnesota, of Renée Nicole Good earlier in January by Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] agents.
