World: A storm 500 miles wide, described as the biggest in recorded history to make landfall, hit the Philippines early today. Sustained winds were 195 mph and gusts reached 235. One woman said, “Galvanized iron sheets were flying just like kites.” As many as a million people may have been forced from their homes and damages are expected to be severe. Power and communications are knocked out in large areas and there is little information about casualties. The storm passed over the Philippines is back over the ocean.

Nukes: Iran’s foreign minister says a deal regarding his country’s nuclear program could be reached by the end of today. He did not specify whether it’s the end of nuclear weapons development, nuclear power development, or what.

National: The unemployment rate last month rose one tenth of a percent to 7.3% even while private employers added 204,000 jobs. The skewed result is attributed to the government shutdown and furloughs, but you won’t hear that from the Tea Party.

• The Senate approved a ban on anti-gay bias in the workplace with 10 Republicans joining the Democratics. A few Republicans say that despite guarantees in its language, the bill violates the rights of religious employers. It faces an uncertain future in the House. Speaker John Boehner says the law would increase frivolous lawsuits and cost jobs.

Cancelled: President Obama last night on NBC News apologized to Americans who are losing their healthcare policies because of changes brought on by Obamacare. “And it’s scary to them,” the president said to NBC White House Correspondent Chuck Todd. “And I am sorry that they, you know, are finding themselves in this situation, based on assurances they got from me.” The president admitted there were unintended consequences to healthcare reform. “We didn’t do a good enough job in terms of how we crafted the law,” he said. “And, you know, that’s something that I regret. That’s something that we’re going to do everything we can to get fixed.”

Ticking Clock: CBS News’ 60 Minutes  is investigating whether it was lied to by a freelance gunman who said he was in the middle of the fighting in the Benghazi consulate attack last year. The security contractor CBS identified by the pseudonym Morgan Jones had previously told the FBI and his employer Blue Mountain that he had been at his Benghazi beach villa that night and never got to the US diplomatic compound. In a statement CBS said, “60 Minutes has learned of new information that undercuts the account told to us by Morgan Jones of his actions on the night of the attack on the Benghazi compound.”

Military Assault: Despite increased awareness of the problem and congressional attempts to stop it, reports of sexual assaults in the military increased by 46% in the last fiscal year, the Pentagon said. It’s unknown whether the spike can be attributed to more assaults, or increased reporting in response to assurances complaints will be properly investigated.

New Management: The Pakistani Taliban, after losing its leader in a US drone attack, has named a replacement. He’s Mullah Fazlullah, the man behind the shooting of Malala Yousafzai, the schoolgirl who campaigned for educating young women.

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