The Sequester

The wildfire season is expected to intensify and firefighters are facing it with decreasing resources. Federal budget cuts, including the sequester, mean fewer firefighters, less equipment and less spending on prevention.

The last of the mandated federal budget cuts begin in July. Federal agencies have had to work around furloughs and other issues. For more on the effects of sequestration, David Greene talks to NPR's Brian Naylor, Tamara Keith, Pam Fessler and Larry Abramson.

Samuel Richard Rubin says budget and sequester cuts mean he just can't afford to take on a complex case involving an Uzbek national who is facing charges in two states.

Indian reservations don't collect state property taxes, meaning most of their education budget comes directly from the federal government. With graduation rates already low, administrators worry about what larger class sizes and fewer school buses will do to the community.

Automatic budget cuts have pushed Air Force bases to slash their flying budgets even though it means grounding pilots and reducing readiness. The cancellations are boosting the arguments of those who want the military excepted from sequestration cuts.

Government work was once synonymous with job security and stability. But these days furloughs, pay freezes and threats of further cuts are fomenting discontent. Some federal employees also say that public criticism of the federal government is also taking a toll.

Weekends on All Things Considered guest host Kelly McEvers talks to Jack Boogaard, the assistant superintendent of schools in Leemore, Calif., about how schools near military bases rely on federal money, much of which has been lost because of the budget cuts known as sequestration.

The Congressional Budget Office projects the deficit will drop below 4 percent of GDP next year and below 2.5 percent in 2015. Still, despite the improvement in the short run, the federal government faces long-term deficits, mostly tied to health care costs.

Housing authorities across the country have all but stopped issuing rent vouchers as they try to deal with across-the-board spending cuts. Many newly issued vouchers have been rescinded, leaving some people homeless or doubled up with family and friends.

It appears Congress decided not to leave town while airport delays pile up. The Senate miraculously approved a measure to restore funding for air traffic controllers, and the House followed suit on Friday. Considering this turn of events, could other sequester interventions be in the offing?