According to a new Morning Consult/Politico poll, 57% disapprove of President Trump's job performance, a new high. Only 40% approve. Only 8% of Democrats and 33% of independents approve, while 81% of Republicans continue to back him.

A majority (57%) also say they think that the Russian's have compromising information on the President, which is up six points from December, and more people 43% say they think the Trump campaign colluded with Russia than say they don't think so (38%). The survey found that more people (46%) say the shutdown, not in its 33 day, is a "crisis," while 35% call it a "problem."

Not surprisingly, the numbers skew by party, with 65% of Democrats saying it is a crisis. The survey was of 1,996 registered voters conducted Jan. 18-22. The Senate is preparing to vote on President Trump's border wall proposal/compromise, which could re-open the government, but it is unlikely to get enough Democratic support to pass even with the President's new tweeted slogan he says will be his new theme for the balance of his first term: "BUILD A WALL & CRIME WILL FALL![emphasis his]"

The FCC's equipment authorization system (EAS) is back in business.

Most radio frequency device applications are reviewed and granted by private Telecommunications Certification Bodies that must then enter the approved applications into the EAS system before the grant is effective, but the EAS system had been among those shuttered beginning Jan. 3 as part of the partial government shutdown.

But late Friday the FCC said that "[a]fter reviewing our statutory authority, the status of contract obligations and our lapse in funding plan, we will be reactivating this system today [Jan. 18]," but there will be no FCC staffers to consult on some more complex or ground-breaking tech, so those certification grants will have to wait until the FCC resumes normal operations and staffers are available to consult. 

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) praised the move. 

"The FCC plays a vital role in ensuring that new products can be approved and brought to market," said TIA’s SVP of government affairs Cinnamon Rogers. "Most device approvals will be covered by today’s action, which will help eliminate the backlog and ensure that the U.S. ICT industry can maintain its position of global leadership in the worldwide race to 5G. TIA is very grateful to the Commission’s leadership for recognizing the importance of this issue and taking swift action to address it."

But there will still be a subset of devices that must await certification. "We continue to hope that the hard-working FCC staff can return to work soon so that the full panoply of ground-breaking technologies can be made available to consumers," said Rogers.

Atlantic Broadband said it is offering flexible payment options to customers affected by the partial government shutdown that began Dec. 22.

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According to ABB, customers who are also affected government employees can receive payment extensions and the adjustment of late fees to stay connected.

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Due to the shutdown, now the longest in U.S history, more than 800,000 employees in nine federal departments and other agencies are working without pay or have been furloughed without pay.

“We realize that it may be a difficult time financially for affected government employees,” said Atlantic vice president of customer care Courtney Long in a statement. “Our customer care teams will work with these customers to find a payment solution that works, as we always strive to do when our customers are in critical need.”

The FCC said Friday (Jan. 19) that if the government shuts down, the agency will not, at least for one week.

It has sufficient funds to operate through Friday, Jan. 26, a spokesman said. The deadline for Congress to pass some kind of appropriations bill is midnight Friday.

As of press time, according to C-SPAN, the  Senate had not scheduled a vote on House-passed legislation to keep the government open a few more weeks under a continuing resolution (CR).

Asked what the FCC would do in case of a shutdown, Brian Hart, director of the FCC's Office of Media Relations, said: “In the event of a partial government shutdown, because of available funding, the Federal Communications Commission plans to remain open and pay staff at least through the close of business on Friday, Jan. 26.”

Hart had no comment on what would happen beyond that first week, but during the October 2013, three-week, government shutdown, the FCC shuttered its web site and had to suspend its filing deadlines and suspend its merger-review shot clocks. Commissioners and some essential personnel still came to work, however.