Senate Shutdown Talks Fall Flat

Shocking no one, the Senate came out of talks about how to end the shutdown Sunday... no closer to ending it. The phone call, between Senate Majority leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, was "cordial" but—owing to conflicting demands from both parties—fruitless. The failure to reach a deal leaves the Senate only three days to negotiate a way to lift the debt ceiling ahead of the Thursday deadline. While Washington tries to remain optimistic, many around the world are sounding the alarm of a catastrophic debt default—including International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde.