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Here's your morning brief for Monday, November 3rd. I'm Caitlin McCabe for the Wall Street Journal.

We begin in D.C. where Democratic senators are urging President Trump to engage directly in talks to end the government shutdown, which is nearing a record 35 days, the longest lapse ever. Lawmakers last week made progress

on talks to reopen the government with a possible deal on health care, the main condition

for Democrats to vote on ending the shutdown. Democratic senators came out in force over the weekend,

urging the president to get involved. The White House gave no indication

Sunday that Trump would jump into the talks. The unaffordable housing market in the U.S. is causing

a growing number of buyers to take on riskier loans to cut their borrowing costs. According to the

Mortgage Bankers Association, about 10% of purchase mortgage applications

were for adjustable rate mortgages in the week ended October 3rd, the highest rate since

23.

Adjustable rate mortgages initially offered cheaper rates compared with a fixed rate mortgage,

but they can reset, potentially leaving borrowers saddled with higher monthly payments if

mortgage rates have risen over time.

And Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway reported quarterly results over the weekend, including a 17% increase in earnings thanks to a pickup in its insurance business.

However, it's unlikely to boost Berkshire stock, which has trailed the S&P 500, as shareholders have wrestled with

the news that Buffett will be stepping down as CEO at the end of the year, handing the reins to his

successor, Greg Abel. Markets in Asia have ended the day higher. European stocks are also up in

midday trading, and U.S. stock futures are pointing to a higher open ahead of what's set to be another

busy week for earnings. And we have a lot more coverage of the day's news on the WSJ's

What's News podcast. You can add it to your playlist on your smart speaker or listen and

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