Democratic cracks open in debt-limit fight  —  For the past several weeks, Senate Democrats and the White House have shown a remarkable amount of unity in the controversial fight surrounding the debt ceiling.  —  Then came shutdown Day Seven.  —  Just as top Senate Democrats began to lay …

The House GOP has nothing to show for its government shutdown  —  WHAT HAVE House Republicans managed to accomplish in a week of government shutdown?  —  Damage the livelihood of millions of Americans?  Check.  Government secretaries, food-truck operators, cleaners who work in motels near national parks: They're all hurting.

Insurers Getting Faulty Data From U.S. Health Exchanges  —  Insurers are getting faulty and incomplete data from the new U.S.-run health exchange, which may mean some Americans won't be covered even after they sign up for an insurance plan.  —  While it's not clear how widespread the problem is …

Why the Government Shutdown Isn't Anywhere Near Over—in 1 Graph  —  Two parties, divided by a common loathing  —  Americans are perfectly, identically, symmetrically split on whether the GOP is justified in demanding major changes to Obamacare in exchange for funding the rest of the government, according to a new Pew Research poll.

ObamaCare chief: 'I don't know' numbers  —  Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Monday night that she did not know how many people have signed up for President Obama's healthcare law since its insurance exchanges went live last week.  —  “Fully enrolled, I can't tell you.

‘Truckers for the Constitution’ Plan to Slow D.C. Beltway, Arrest Congressmen  —  Police must detain ‘accessories’ to ‘treason’ or truckers will, organizer says  —  Tractor-trailer drivers will intentionally clog the inner loop of the Washington, D.C., beltway beginning on the morning of Oct. 11 …

Inside the mind of the Tea Party: Sen. Ron Johnson talks to Salon  —  Sen. Ron Johnson says that Obama is “scare-mongering” — and a debt limit breach should be “no cause for concern”  —  The government shutdown's first week closed with House Speaker John Boehner telling reporters that a …

POLITICO poll: Government shutdown backlash boosts Terry McAuliffe  —  Democrat Terry McAuliffe has opened up a significant lead over Republican Ken Cuccinelli in the Virginia governor's race amid broad public disapproval of the federal government shutdown, according to a POLITICO poll of the 2013 gubernatorial election.

HealthCare.gov simple, user-friendly  —  Engineers are working day and night on upgrades to cope with high demand.  —  CONNECT  —  When the Health Insurance Marketplace opened last week, demand was so high, it exceeded even optimists' expectations.  On the first day alone …

The Attorney General tries to reverse a Supreme Court ruling by the back door.  —  For Eric Holder, American racial history is frozen in the 1960s.  The Supreme Court ruled in June that a section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act is no longer justified due to racial progress …

Bachmann: Obama arming terrorists proof 'we're in God's end times'  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) over the weekend accused President Obama of arming al Qaeda militants in Syria and said it was evidence “we're in God's end times.”  —  “This happened and as of today the United States is willingly …

Obama and the Debt  —  PRINCETON, N.J. — THE Republicans in the House of Representatives who declare that they may refuse to raise the debt limit threaten to do more than plunge the government into default.  They are proposing a blatant violation of the 14th Amendment, which states that …

Exclusive Gyms For Members Of Congress Deemed ‘Essential,’ Remain Open During Shutdown  —  Head Start programs have been shuttered, small businesses can't get loans and hundreds of thousands of federal government employees are furloughed.  But the exclusive gyms available only to members …

Nuclear fusion milestone passed at US lab  —  The achievement is the first of its kind anywhere in the world  —  Researchers at a US lab have passed a crucial milestone on the way to their ultimate goal of achieving self-sustaining nuclear fusion.  —  Harnessing fusion …