On track
It is always good to have an example of how not to do something. After five frustrating weeks, the US government shutdown has finally ended. For now, it should be added. The agreement between Republican senators and a handful of Democrat defectors will only fund the Federal government until end January. The economic damage of the shutdown is limited, though it started causing widespread disruption to air travel, meaning things would have been different if it dragged on. Markets breathed a small sigh of relief on the news, though it will take some time before the regular publication of economic data resumes, hopefully providing more clarity on the state of the US economy.