First steps taken to end U.S. government shutdown

Group 1 - The US Senate has passed the first stage of a deal to end the longest government shutdown in history, with bipartisan support from eight Democrats and nearly all Republicans [1][2] - The agreement will fund the government until the end of January and includes a commitment from Republicans to vote on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits in December [2] - The bill also mandates the reversal of all permanent layoffs of government employees that occurred during the shutdown [2] Group 2 - The bill still needs to pass the House and be signed by President Donald Trump before the government shutdown officially ends [3] - Concerns have been growing regarding the shutdown's impact on the US economy, including delays and cancellations of flights [3] - A Federal Reserve official indicated that the fourth quarter GDP could be negatively affected if the shutdown continues, suggesting potential positive economic ramifications if the shutdown ends [4]