While the reopening of the government is welcome news for many federal workers, some express trepidation that they'll face the same predicament after Feb. 15.
The cost of a stamp is up 10 percent as the U.S. Postal Service tries to offset billions of dollars in losses. Some packages will cost more to send too.
More employers say they're being "ghosted," the Federal Reserve noted recently. That's when a worker just stops coming to work and is impossible to contact. The strong economy may help explain it.
The U.S. and China are said to be far a part on a trade deal. At the annual World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and China's vice president traded tough words.
Ross says he is puzzled by the challenges federal workers are facing after more than a month with no pay. He told CNBC that workers could just borrow money to tide them over.
There are fears that the U.S. economy could face tough times ahead. But many of the typical tools Washington would use to boost the economy have been deployed during the last few years of growth.