How Democrats Got a Spine  —  The Republican Party taught them how to be uncompromising.  —  It's easy to forget, but this year began with a nick-of-time congressional compromise.  At the 11th hour, with Washington's supply of clichés nearly depleted, the House and Senate approved a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff.

NBC: Police Remove Vietnam War Veterans at Memorial Wall  —  Via William Jacobson, NBC's affiliate in Washington, D.C. reports that police ordered tourists and Vietnam war veterans who were visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall to leave the memorial at one point on Friday.

Arizona Is Only State To Stop Welfare Checks During Shutdown  —  Arizona appears to be the only state to have stopped cutting welfare checks during the federal government shutodown, the Arizona Republic reported Friday.  —  Republican Gov. Jan Brewer's administration announced this week …

FEDS TRY TO CLOSE THE OCEAN BECAUSE OF SHUTDOWN  —  Just before the weekend, the National Park Service informed charter boat captains in Florida that the Florida Bay was “closed” due to the shutdown.  Until government funding is restored, the fishing boats are prohibited from taking anglers into 1,100 square-miles of open ocean.

Police: Man on fire at National Mall dies  —  A man who set himself ablaze on the National Mall Friday has died of his injuries, according to authorities.  —  The individual passed away shortly before 9pm on Friday at a local hospital, a D.C. police spokesman told The Hill on Saturday.

Some in G.O.P. Try to Pick and Choose Amid Spending Fight  —  WASHINGTON — Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a hard-core leader of House conservatives who helped force a government shutdown in a fight over the scope of federal health care spending, sent out a statement on Wednesday bragging …

IMMEDIATE RELEASE  —  Statement by Secretary Hagel on the Pay Our Military Act  —  Today I am announcing that most DoD civilians placed on emergency furlough during the government shutdown will be asked to return to work beginning next week.  —  Immediately after President Obama signed …

Federal Judge Smacks House Republican For Demanding Exemption From Republican Shutdown  —  Countless lawsuits where the United States is a party are now in limbo, thanks to the fact that the Justice Department lacks the resources to litigate them so long as the government is shut down.

U.S. Says Navy SEALs Stage Raid on Somali Militants  —  NAIROBI, Kenya — A Navy SEAL team targeted a senior leader of the Shabab militant group in a raid on his seaside villa in the Somali town of Baraawe on Saturday, American officials said, in response to a deadly attack on a Nairobi shopping mall …

Rick Perry: California's bad on every front.  Vote for me?  —  Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks to reporters at a news conference at the California Republican Party convention in Anaheim on Friday.  (Reed Saxon / Associated Press / October 4, 2013)  —  Just for the record …

OBAMA TO PUBLIC: DON'T GIVE UP ON HEALTH SIGN-UPS  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Defending the shaky rollout of his health care law, President Barack Obama said frustrated Americans “definitely shouldn't give up” on the problem-plagued program now at the heart of his dispute with Republicans over reopening the federal government.