New Delhi, Oct. 6 -- Airports strain, parks go dark, and partisan emails turn a budget lapse into a trust crisis.

Washington - The sixth day of the federal shutdown opened with no breakthrough in sight and a new threat hanging over hundreds of thousands of workers: layoffs, not just furloughs. The White House cast the stalemate as a test of will and blamed Democrats for "refusing to deal." Senate leaders offered no fresh path. For families and travelers, the pain widened as museums stayed dark, airport staffing thinned, and agency websites froze in time.

The shape of the crisis is familiar - a stopgap failed, rival spending bills collapsed - yet the tone is harsher, more personal, more performative than past lapses. Inside agencies, bas...