Major stock indexes closed lower after the benchmark S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq hit fresh records Thursday, while safe-haven gold fell back below $4,000, as the U.S. government shutdown continued.

Stocks rebounded Wednesday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq setting fresh intraday and closing records, while gold futures continued their ascent after surpassing $4,000 per ounce for the first time.

The sweat stains on the steering wheel glimmer in the morning light as the key gets stuck in the lock for the third time. At 7:10 AM during the morning rush hour, the crinkling of a cookie bag comes ...

As I attempted to insert the car key into the steering wheel lock during the morning rush hour, beads of sweat had already begun to soak into the leather steering wheel. The rustling sound from the ...