The longest federal government shutdown in history ended Wednesday evening.
The short-term spending bill Congress passed means federal workers can return to work, receive back pay and, for many of them, avoid losing their jobs before the holidays. Thousands of layoffs initiated over the past month and a half were rescinded as part of the deal, while future workforce reductions have been paused through the end of January.
For the rest of the population, it means federal food assistance benefits will resume, flights will shift back to normal scheduling, and government services will open back up.
In the D.C. region, where economic success is closely tied to…