Congress, White House continue talking

The partial government shutdown began at midnight Friday (Dec. 21) after the Congress failed to agree on an appropriations bill or a stop-gap funding measure.

Congress planned to hold Saturday sessions as the White House and legislators continued to talk after President Donald Trump refused to sign off on a deal for a stopgap measure that did not include full funding ($5 billion) for the border wall/fence.

Related: FCC Prepares for Shutdown

The FCC announced that it had funding available to pay staff through at least the close of business Jan. 2 despite the shutdown.

CNN was reporting Friday that 75% of the government had funds to keep the lights on, and legislators were already working on legislation to give back pay to furloughed workers, so short shutdown would be more political theater than hardship, though not for those workers living paycheck to paycheck and not getting one in the near term.

At press time Sen James Lankford (R-Okla.) said there was a 24-hour notice before a vote on any compromise, and there had been no such notice issued, so the shutdown will last at least into Sunday.

Fox and Friends was reporting Saturday morning on a D.C. bar's "Shutdown Cocktails," including "Nothing Really Mattis," "Mexico Will Pay for This," and the "Border Wall Banger."