On October 1, 2013, the Commission issued a Notice that, as a result of the broader shutdown of the federal government, the Commission “will shut down its investigative activities for the duration of the absence of appropriation,” including investigations conducted under the authority of Section 337.  The Notice states that during the shutdown, all deadlines for investigative and pre-institution activities will be tolled, and that deadlines will be extended by a number of days commensurate with the duration of the shutdown.  The Notice further states that the Commission website and online services, as well as all telephone communication with Commission staff, will be unavailable during the shutdown.