Washington, April 30 -- The US Coast Guard is struggling to keep basic operations running as the partial 75-day-long government shutdown has left it unable to pay its bills, with more than $300 million in obligations now overdue.
Speaking to CBS News, Commandant Kevin Lunday described the situation as surreal, saying it "seems like a horror movie" as power outages have begun to hit bases and housing across the country.
In just the past week, stations in Port Huron, Michigan, and Channel Islands, California, lost water service. At Air Station Barbers Point in Hawaii, natural gas was temporarily cut off. A recruiting office in St. Louis was left in the dark, with officers being forced to resort to flashlights until power returned.
The part...