Xinhua Headlines: U.S. in 2025 -- chaos and polarization

* A poll by the Pew Research Center in December found that only 17 percent of Americans trust the federal government to do the right thing "most of the time" or "just about always," marking one of the lowest levels in nearly seven decades.

* The record-setting government shutdown was a direct result of the argy-bargy, with neither side willing to concede first, despite billions of dollars