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The partial government shutdown is now on its *checks calendar* 15th day. With no resolution in sight, D.C. heavyweights met for a "contentious" or "productive" two hours yesterday...depending on who you ask. Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said President Trump threatened to keep the government shuttered "for a very long period of time—months or even years" until he gets funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall. The president confirmed as much. But now, businesses are really starting to feel the pinch. Bloomberg offered up some examples... With the majority of the FAA's inspectors not working, commercial airlines can't get permission to add new planes to their fleets. And—perhaps more alarming—with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau closed, brewers can't introduce new beers. What's more, tax refunds could be delayed. The IRS (which is making do with only 12% of its workforce during the shutdown) launched tax filing season on Jan. 29 last year. And by the end of the first week, it had received 18.3 million returns and processed 6.1 million refunds averaging $2,035 apiece. So, there could be trouble this year if the shutdown continues, and the IRS has not released a contingency plan for filing season...yet. + While we're here: Hundreds of TSA officers, who are working without pay during the shutdown, reportedly called in sick from work at major airports last week in protest, per CNN.

via .ORGWorld News