Trump administration expands oil drilling despite shutdown

Interior department continues processing permits and moves forward with controversial plan to increase drilling in the Arctic

Three weeks into the longest US government shutdown in history, many important government services have been paused - but the Trump administration has continued efforts to expand oil drilling.

Despite the shutdown directive, which has seen national park staff furloughed and the parks suffering from neglect, the interior department has continued processing oil drilling permits and applications. It has also moved forward with a controversial plan to increase drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).