News Archive - October 1, 2013

Government Shutdown Reaches As Far As Assateague Island

The government shutdown has been bad news for campers, surfers and others hoping to enjoy Assateague Island before the weather gets too cold.

D.C. Council Signs Off On Plan To Continue City Services

A move to pay for city workers to stay on the job has been approved by the D.C. Council, after the federal government shutdown threatened to shutter D.C.'s doors.

Options Public Charter School Managers Accused Of $3M In Graft

Three managers at a charter school in the District stand accused of abusing their position to direct millions in school funds into their own pockets.

Treasury Secretary Warns Congress Of Next Looming Crisis

If Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling by Oct. 17, the U.S. could fail to "meet all its obligations for the first time in our history."

U.N. Says Nearly 1,000 Iraqis Were Killed In September

Sectarian violence has climbed to levels not seen since 2008. The death toll this year has already exceeded that of 2012.

The Shutdown's Squeeze On Science And Health

In addition to shutdowns of national parks (including Alcatraz and Yosemite) and the supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children, the mandatory furloughs are affecting a wide range of government science and health agencies.

Shutdown Diary: War Of Words, And A Victory For Some WWII Vets

Day 1 of the federal government shutdown, 2013 edition, was business as usual, at least when it came to each side trying to win the public relations fight.

Shutdown And Out: Waiting For The Train Home

About 800,000 "nonessential" federal employees went to work this morning for a mere four hours before heading home. Until Congress budges, that's where they'll stay.

Scenes Of A Shutdown: A Synagogue Hosts Furloughed Workers

D.C.'s Sixth & I Historic Synagogue provided food and Wi-Fi for federal workers affected by the shutdown. It was intended to be a place to forget about it.

Pope Francis Says The Court Is The 'Leprosy Of The Papacy'

As the pope begins a meeting with his Council of Cardinals, an Italian newspaper publishes a wide-ranging interview with him, in which the pontiff affirms separation of church and state and expounds on the nature of good and evil.

Shutdown Has Outsized Impact On D.C. Parks And Playgrounds

From the Lincoln Memorial to Lincoln Park, sites near and dear to the hearts and homes of many D.C. residents are inaccessible due to the federal government shutdown.

Puberty Is Coming Earlier, But That Doesn't Mean Sex Ed Is

Scientists are still trying to understand why more children are reaching puberty earlier than previous generations. Whatever the cause, many young people find they have questions about their changing bodies long before their teachers broach the topic.

How The Shutdown Is Affecting The Military

Pentagon lawyers are still tinkering with funds and legal interpretations to figure out what services they can offer. One of the challenges for military families is figuring out what's open and closed.

Shutdown Leaves Program Feeding Women And Infants In Lurch

Some state programs serving low-income women with young children at nutritional risk may run out of funding by next week. Other states have enough funding to provide benefits — which average $45 per month — through October.

Agency Websites Shut Down With The Government

If you're trying to look up some key facts on Census.gov or several other federal sites, you're out of luck. Many government websites, including those for the Library of Congress and USDA, were taken offline.

No Talks Underway To Resolve Shutdown

Democrats appeared to have the initial public opinion advantage on the shutdown. A new Quinnipiac poll found 72 percent opposed to a government shutdown to stop the Affordable Care Act.

For Middle-Aged Women, Stress May Raise Alzheimer's Risk

Stressful events in midlife, like the death of a spouse or loss of a job, increased the risk of dementia for women in old age, according to a Swedish study. The researchers couldn't say whether some women's habits, such as regular exercise, lowered the risk from stress.

A Rapid Shift For Jews Away From Religion, But Not Jewishness

A new survey by the Pew Center found that a growing number of Jews identify as nonreligious and are marrying non-Jews. And despite the shift in religious affiliation, the vast majority say they are proud to be Jewish.

These Folks Went Vegetarian Back When It Was Way Uncool

Today is World Vegetarian Day, but every day is reason to go meatless at Hiltl's, the world's oldest continually operating vegetarian restaurant. This pioneering place opened more than a century ago in meat-loving Zurich.

'It's Quite Disappointing': High Schoolers Visiting D.C. Sound Off On Shutdown

Students from across the U.S. regularly travel to Washington to learn about their country's democracy. One group, though, seems to be learning a tough lesson in how government works—and doesn't.

Connecticut's Insurance Website Struggles At Opening

Shortly after 9:00 a.m., the state's insurance website was live. In almost no time there had been more than 100,000 visits, and someone had already enrolled by 9:30. But throughout the morning, it was tough to get the website to load.

What Shutdown? WWII Vets Ignore Barricades To See Memorial

The veterans traveled from Mississippi only to find the National World War II Memorial closed, because of the shutdown. Shortly thereafter, they took matters into their own hands.

Don't Buy Rouhani's Charm Offensive, Israel's Netanyahu Tells U.N.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani is trying to use charm to ease international pressure without scaling back its nuclear efforts, Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu says. "Rouhani thinks he can have his yellowcake and eat it too," Netanyahu told the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday.

Park Service Starts Barricading D.C.-Area Monuments And Memorials

With the federal government shut down as of today, the National Park Service is starting to restrict public access to many of the area's most iconic monuments, memorials and trails.

When Islands Pop Out Of The Sea

When a powerful earthquake struck Pakistan last week, it triggered a mud volcano that created a new island just off the country's southern coast. It turns out this kind of thing happens every so often. Just ask Charles Darwin.

8 Great 'Shutdown Pickup Lines'

Twitter is beginning to have fun, some of it a little naughty, with the news from Washington. See if you came come up with a few lines of your own.

WATCH: Newborn White Lion Cubs In South Korea

The pair of rare lions were put on public display Tuesday for the first time by South Korea's Everland zoo.

The Mars Rover? That's Shut Down, Too

The National Zoo's Panda Cam and the Bureau of Land Management's wild horse and burro adoption program are also among the federal government services that have been affected by the shutdown.

1 In 8 Suffers From Chronic Hunger Globally, U.N. Report Says

The report found gains in fighting hunger and improving diets in several areas, including parts of East Asia, Southeastern Asia and Latin America.

From Shark Fins To Sales Taxes, New Laws Go Into Effect In Maryland And D.C.

If you live in D.C. or Maryland, there are some new laws and policies taking effect that you might want to be aware of.

Now You Can Go To Harvard And Learn Cooking Science From Top Chefs

If you've always wanted to take a course at Harvard or with America's most talented chefs, but you didn't have the money, discipline or grades, now's your chance. The best part of this free online class: You can eat your lab experiments.

Exchange Shopping Starts Now, But No Need To Rush

The federal health law enters a new phase now that consumers can finally kick the tires on health insurance in the marketplaces created for the uninsured and those who buy their own coverage. Window shopping is fine for now because the key deadline for coverage doesn't come until December.

What's The Forecast On Kepler-7B? Hot And Cloudy

Scientists publishing in Astrophysical Journal Letters say they've used space telescopes to record faint light from the distant planet to get a rough map of its atmosphere.

Maryland Officials Express Confidence In Online Health Insurance Exchange

Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Maryland's health secretary, says the marketplace is set to open online today. Health officials also expressed confidence the state is prepared to address bumps in the road relating to any technology problems that could arise.

Schools Along Route 1 In Fairfax County Struggle To Meet State Standards

New standardized test scores show that students who live along the Route 1 corridor in Fairfax County are struggling to meet minimum standards.

After Years Of Delays, D.C. Taxicabs Now Accept Credit Cards

Don't have cash? Don't worry—today is the first day that D.C. taxicabs will have to take credit cards for payment, and the city's top taxicab regulator says that the overwhelming majority of them will.

High-Profile Legal Team Joins Suit Against Virginia Ban On Same-Sex Marriage

The two lawyers who helped bring down California's ban on same-sex marriage have joined a lawsuit seeking to do the same in Virginia.

Snowden Is A Finalist For European Human Rights Award

Europe's Sakharov Prize recognizes people who fight for human rights. Other finalists this year include Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who survived being shot in the head.

Montgomery County Stands To Lose $500,000 Per Day During Shutdown

Some 70,000 federal government employees live in Montgomery County, and the shutdown means no paychecks for them—and no revenue for the county.

Fearing Detention, Many Young Syrian Men Stay In The Shadows

In parts of the Arab world, the streets are full of men, while women are relatively scarce. But in Syria, the civil war has reversed this dynamic. Many young men are living as virtual recluses because they fear they will be detained as suspected rebels or rebel sympathizers.

Who Are The Two Republicans Who Crossed Lines?

Votes related to the shutdown showdown have been almost strictly along party lines. Republican Reps. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania and Peter King of New York, though, have staked out a "centrist" position different than others in their party.

Chemical Weapons Disarmament Team Arrives In Syria

With a deadline of June 2014, the task of dismantling Syria's chemical weapons arsenal is in its early phases.

After Colorado Rock Slide, Teams Struggle To Reach 5 Bodies

Boulders — some the size of cars — cascaded down onto a group of hikers Monday. The sole survivor was a 13-year-old girl who has told authorities she was hiking with her family. She says her father tried to shield her from the rocks.

One Arrest So Far In Bikers' Shocking Attack Of NYC Driver

Dozens of motorcyclists chased an SUV. Some then surrounded it, smashed the windows and beat the driver. It was all caught on video. What set them off isn't yet clear.

Hillary Clinton Films That GOP Objected To Are Canceled

The Republican National Committee had said it would not work with CNN or NBC on campaign debates if they went ahead with the films. And the filmmaker who was working with CNN says he's pulled the plug because Democrats wouldn't cooperate with him. NBC says a Clinton mini-series didn't fit its plans.

Economists Say Shutdown Will Hurt, But Hard To Add It Up

Disruptions in government services will slow growth, at least in the short term. But economists say they can't refine their predictions because they have no idea how long the shutdown might last or how many federal workers may be furloughed.

Boehner's Blues: Why Would Anyone Want This Job?

John Boehner finds himself in a position he had hoped to avoid all year. With no deal on the budget, questions about whether he can effectively lead the House will only grow louder.

No End In Sight As Government Shutdown Begins

With lawmakers in Washington at loggerheads over the same issues they've been arguing about for more than five years, about 800,000 federal workers are being told to stay home. Essential services will continue.

Transcript And Audio: NPR Interview With President Obama

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks with President Obama about the fight in Congress over the Affordable Care Act and funding the federal government, as well as the coming debt ceiling battle.

Obama: 'Perpetual Cycle Of Brinksmanship ... Has To End'

During a wide-ranging interview with Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep, Obama talked about negotiating with the GOP, his relationship with its leaders and his hardened stance in regards to the upcoming battle over the debt limit.

Unable To Stop Shutdown, Obama Pins Blame On GOP

As the president tries to convince the public that Republicans bear the blame for budgetary gridlock, he faces an entirely different political and media landscape than in the last government shutdown nearly 18 years ago.