Unless Congress can get its act together and agree on a federal budget today, a partial government shutdown would start at midnight tonight. "A closure would mean the furloughs of hundreds of thousands [800,000] of workers and the services they provide, from processing many tax refunds to approving business loans. Medical research would be disrupted, national parks would close and most travel visa and passport services would stop, among many others." —Shutdown looms without agreement, Associated Press

So if you’re planning a trip to Mt. Rainier, North Cascades, Olympic National Park or any other national historic parks this weekend, check the news before you go because they will be closed if the government shutters. Essential workers (military, air traffic controllers) will still be on the job, and the mail will still go through, even if it doesn’t include your tax refund.