We don’t just use these things as ephemeral amusement — art helps us make sense of our lives at their most critical impasses.

The spokesperson did not respond to questions on how the Board of Supervisors, the sheriff or county counsel would move through the impasse.

States that rely on the Colorado River are at an impasse in talks on rules to address water shortages.

Or could Germany's economic challenge be supplemented by a French-style ungovernable political impasse?

The impasse has raised the possibility that if disagreements aren’t resolved, the states could enter a legal battle, a path riddled with uncertainty that water managers in both camps have said they hope to avoid.