Border impasse threatens US economy with toxic shutdown sequel

The economic costs of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history may pale in comparison to those of a sequel that grew more likely when talks between Democrats and Republicans broke down over the weekend.

Not only would consumer and business confidence likely take another hit, many of the agencies that used available cash to maintain basic operations during the last partial closure would lack the money to do so again, according to Moody’s, the debt-ratings firm that evaluates the creditworthiness of U.S. bonds.