Federal regulators are considering relaxing rules on how private companies issue shares that could make it easier for startups to raise capital.

The continued fight to avert a government shutdown is being played out by top advisers to congressional leaders.

European regulators are rolling out a fresh round of bank stress tests, which could force weaker institutions to shape up or shut down.

The IRS is pushing bank HSBC for account data as it hunts for offshore tax evaders.

An accountant's tip has earned him $4.5 million as the IRS's first whistleblower.

The Republican Study Committee proposal signals support for going beyond the $5.8 trillion cut in Rep. Paul Ryan's 2012 plan.

FRIDAY’S BIG STORY:

You can probably guess. 

As we write, Washington is bracing for a potential government shutdown after Friday — even after Republican and Democratic leaders have reported progress in round-the-clock talks. 

Still searching for a deal, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are now scheduled to head to the White House at 8 p.m. for their third meeting with President Obama in roughly 24 hours. 

The president of a federal workers' union wrote to lawmakers Thursday asking them to authorize back pay for government employees furloughed during the possible government shutdown. 

In a letter to all lawmakers, Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), said up to 2 million people who work for the federal government could be without pay during a shutdown. Kelley is requesting that lawmakers include language in the continuing resolution to support back pay for them.

"I am requesting that Congress make its intention clear to pay all federal employees, including those who, through no fault of their own, may be required to stay home," Kelley wrote.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has introduced a bill that would keep federal employees heading to work and other services humming if the current government funding runs out. 

The freshman senator’s legislation, which he said in a statement would lower government spending while a longer-term agreement was hashed out, would also ensure that service members get paid during a shutdown and that funding is not provided for programs created by the healthcare overhaul.

“My proposal seeks to alleviate the worries of people who rely on important services, and fill the gap created by non-passage of spending bills, while forcing Congress to deal with the unsustainable spending,” Paul said in a statement. 

The "he said, he said" battle between top members of the House continued into a second day Thursday, as Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) continued to argue over whether they had, in fact, talked about making technical corrections to the financial reform law.

On Tuesday, Bachus — who chairs the House Financial Services Committee — told a reporter that he and Frank — the panel's ranking member — were in talks about putting together a technical corrections bill to the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.

After reading the report, Frank put out a statement saying no such thing was in the works, suggesting Bachus may have been fooled by an imposter.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) signaled Thursday that he believes that President Obama will nominate Martin Gruenberg to head up the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

“That’s my inference,” Frank told The Hill.

If so, Gruenberg, currently the vice chair at the FDIC, would be in line to replace Sheila Bair, who has chaired the agency since 2006 and will see her five-year term expire in June. 

Negotiations continue Thursday; House Speaker and Senate majority leader return to the White House for an evening session.

The federal deficit is still growing, up $113 billion in a year, according to the Congressional Budget Office