Much of the federal government has shut down and unlike the 1996 version, it may drag on and become a protracted affair.

Then, in two and a half weeks, the government will hit the debt ceiling, and the GOP’s tea party faction is preparing to make a last stand against Obamacare on that hill.

Confused by all this? Unsure how we got here? Wondering what happens to which public services? Wondering what might happen next? Here are some essential reads to help make sense of it all.

What happens now? Brad Plumer has a comprehensive guide to the government shutdown in the Washington Post.

How did we get here? In January, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said that he was through negotiating with President Obama .......