GOVERNMENT’S LIGHTS FLICKER OFF, THEN ON AGAIN: On a typical workday, Pentagon workers begin to stream into the massive military headquarters in the 5 a.m. hour, including many junior officers who must be at their desks, coffee on, before their more senior supervisors and superior officers arrive. This morning many in uniform headed into work not knowing if their civilian coworkers would be showing up to help, or just be there long enough to sign papers to go home.

The government shut down at midnight thanks to Republican Sen. Rand Paul’s one-man stand in which he held the floor to inveigh against the bipartisan budget deal he said borrows “$1 million a minute,” and spends so much money it endangers national security. But once Paul relinquished the floor, the budget deal, which is married to a six-week continuing resolution, quickly passed the Senate after 1 a.m. with wide bipartisan support on a vote of 71-28.