As the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been partially closed, companies that were looking to go public in January have been forced to push back their plans. That includes biotech firms Gossamer Bio Inc., Alector Inc. and Blackstone Group LP’s Alight Solutions LLC. No major company is expected to IPO in the United States this month. (Wall Street Journal)

Talking point: Currently the second-longest shutdown on record,the SEC has been forced to furlough thousands of employees, halting the review and approval of all corporate registration statements. Past shutdowns haven’t majorly affected the SEC, as it was able to use extra funds to stay open; this year, the agency didn’t have enough money. It may affect biotech companies the most, as many try to go public earlier in the year to raise money for drug development. Tech firms—including Uber and Lyft, both expected to IPO this year—aren’t under the same pressure, though the shutdown has prevented them from getting feedback from the SEC about their disclosures, an important first step toward submitting a registration statement.