WASHINGTON >> Bipartisan talks in the U.S. Senate to end the federal shutdown have taken a positive turn, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said today, with lawmakers working on deals to temporarily reopen the government and introduce three longer-term funding bills for some agencies.

Asked by reporters whether there have been bipartisan talks within the last 24 hours that have been positive in nature, Thune, a South Dakota Republican, responded, “Yeah. I’d say so.”

Today marked the 39th day of the federal shutdown, which has already sidelined many federal workers and affected food aid, air travel and national parks.

After weeks of faltering talks, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate seemed to start negotiating in earnest late this week.

Lawmakers today hoped to unveil the ful

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