Shutdown: Day 9. President Obama yesterday said he will not negotiate with the Republicans until they agree to re-open the government and raise the national debt ceiling. “You don’t get a chance to call your bank and say I’m not …

Shutdown Throwdown: Day 8. President Obama challenged House Speaker John Boehner to hold an open up or down vote on whether to fund the federal government. “Let every member of Congress vote their conscience and they can determine whether or …

Shutdown: Day 7: House Speaker John Boehner is shifting the political fight to the national debt ceiling, now saying that unless the president sits down to discuss the deficit, “The nation’s credit is at risk.” Boehner said on ABC News …

Winning!: Day 5. The focus of debate turned to the words of an anonymous “senior White House official” quoted as saying it doesn’t matter how long the federal shutdown lasts because,  “We are winning”. A flustered and frustrated House Speaker …

ShutUp: Day 4. Some Republicans fearing damage to their own party may now be looking for a way out of the shutdown deadlock with a bargain that gives them something, anything, to say they won. House Republicans would have to …

Italy Disaster: A 66-foot boat loaded with African migrants caught fire and sank in the Mediterranean east of Tunisia yesterday. At least 94 people are dead and 250 missing. The boat was loaded with 500 Eritreans when it left Libya …

Shutdown, Day 2: President Obama this morning cancelled his planned trip to the Philippines and Malaysia because of the government shutdown. He’s still going to the Asian summit in Bali.   The Senate yesterday rejected a piecemeal House bid to …

It Happened Last Night: Major portions of the federal government are shutting down this morning, but the website Healthcare.gov is up and running. About 800,000 federal workers are being sent off on furlough, although the president signed a bill to …

Time’s Up. Unless there is a miracle of political agreement today, the federal government turns into a pumpkin at midnight.   The consequences:   More than half of all 1.2 million federal employees will be furloughed, including 400,000 who work …

Iran: President Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani made a diplomatic breakthrough yesterday speaking to each other on the telephone. It’s the first time since 1979 that leaders of Iran and the US have spoken to each other. Obama said …