The government shutdown, now in its 16 day, will now reach at least 20 days in length, with the Senate not scheduled to vote again on the House-approved funding measure until Monday. Republican and Democratic leaders say there are no talks underway and none appear to be scheduled. It is acknowledged by members on both sides that informal discussions across the aisle are happening. To what degree those could help bring about a resolution is unclear but, for those looking for any sign of progress, this remains a positive sign.

Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) spoke Thursday about the current situation:

"Absolutely, there’s actually a lot of Democrats that want to cut loose and I think you could see them cut loose after this weekend. This weekend is the big No Kings rally, the main one is he

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