Sheila Stewart’s Funeral: President Obama, First Lady Michele Obama, RGIII’s Mom, and Redskins Owner Pay Tribute to News Anchor / Public Service Director Sheila Stewart

Radio One’s Sheila Stewart was remembered as a connector, a booster and champion of everyone during her home-going celebration at University Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday.

On a bright sunny Thursday, reminiscent of Stewart’s radiant smile, hundreds paid their respects for the radio personality remembered for her love of faith, friends and family. The Obamas, Robert Griffin III’s mother, and Redskins Owner also paid tribute to Stewart.

“Sheila was always family,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Patrick Cannon. “She was always a friend and she was a never a foe. She always made sure that she treated people with kindness, respect and love.”

Stewart died following a car accident last week in Atlanta. Her school-age son Jonathan survives her, along with her mother and sisters.

“This hurt so much. When you lose people that you love so soon, it takes time,” said Diane Tucker, former general manager Infinity Broadcast. “We have a responsibility to let (Jonathan) know what great mother she was.”

Tucker was one of more than a dozen people who paid tribute to Stewart during the service. Everyone from Jacqueline Griffin, mother of Washington Redskins’ quarterback Robert Griffin III to President of the Radio Division to Charlotte Mayor Pro-Tem Patrick Cannon to Stewart’s bodyguard/driver shared memories.

Griffin said Stewart helped acclimate her to Washington, and pushed her to share a story. The mother of RGIII needed to how she raised such a wonderful son to help other mothers like herself.

“Sheila wanted nothing,” Griffin said. “She wanted to make sure I knew the right people and nobody took advantage of my family.”

Stewart’s classmates from her hometown of Great Falls, S.C. attended, as did a contingent of friends from the DMV.

The tributes ranged from poignant to humorous such as her love of hair, make up and fashion. She was remembered for dedication to the community, connecting people to each other and championing others.

“Sheila made all of us seem bigger than we really were,” Tucker said.

Radio One’s Wegmann read a letter from the White House and the Obamas. Redskins’ Owner Daniel Snyder sent a flag for Stewart, who was friends with Snyder’s wife Tanya. The Redskins flag was draped over Stewart’s coffin for the recessional.

Drawing on lyrics from Michael Jackson’s hit and the book of Isaiah, Bishop Claude Alexander, Jr. said Stewart’s death and recent death’s in his family made him question why the good and godly die early and the devilish live long.

“When people go too soon it is God keeping them from something more worse than they can imagine,” he said.

Listing people such as Alexander the Great, JFK, MLK, Malcolm and others, Alexander said although Stewart died too soon, she led a full life.

New Radio One President

Story by Inside Radio

Radio One has promoted regional vice president Chris Wegmann to president of the company’s radio division. He’ll report to Alfred Liggins, who remains CEO. Wegmann has been at Radio One since March 2009. “Chris is a seasoned radio broadcaster with a track record of excellence in managing teams and delivering revenue and cash-flow growth during his 35 year career in broadcasting and we are fortunate to be able to have someone with his expertise fill such a critical role,” Liggins said in a statement announcing the promotion.

Radio One founder Cathy Hughes joins MGM in Maryland casino bid for National Harbor

Story by Washington Post
Written by Jonathan O'Connell

Nevada-based gaming giant MGM Resorts International announced Friday that it will bring Radio One founder Cathy Hughes and her son on as investors in their plans for a $925­­ million resort casino at National Harbor.

MGM is one of three firms bidding to land a single casino license for Prince George’s County and disclosed the partnership with Hughes in presenting its plans to the Maryland Video Lottery Facility Location Committee.

Hughes and her son, Alfred C. Liggins III, plan to invest $40 million in the project, adding a well-known African American ownership stake to MGM’s casino proposal.

“Radio One is a great partner because it has the capability to add a diverse perspective to our management of the project, help us communicate our vision to the community and give us the ability to build brand awareness in the various markets where they have a presence,” Jim Murren, chairman and chief executive of MGM Resorts International, said in a news release.

Hughes rose to prominence in Washington after working her way up at Howard University’s radio station in the 1970s and going on to found the largest African American-owned radio broadcasting company in the country. Radio One, headquartered in Silver Spring, owns or operates 54 radio stations in 16 urban markets across the country. The TV One cable network, in which Radio One owns a majority interest, reaches 58 million homes.

Lorenzo Creighton, president and chief operating officer of MGM’s National Harbor project, said Hughes and Liggins, Radio One’s chief executive and president, had “transformed one radio station into a national broadcast operation as well as building one of the fastest growing, most successful cable TV networks in the last decade. That’s the kind of local partner we want.”

MGM’s plan calls for a casino-resort overlooking the Capital Beltway, with 3,600 slots, 140 table games (including poker), a 300-suite hotel, 35,000 square feet of meeting space, a spa and a theater.

The proposal also includes seven restaurants, including those headed by Food Network stars Gina and Pat Neely, New York chef Andrew Carmellini and brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio.

The company pledged to create 4,000 permanent jobs, though officials did not immediately designate how many would be full time, as well as the 3,500 jobs it projected in the area around the casino.

MGM is the last of the three teams to present to the commission. On Monday, Penn National Gaming offered to direct hundreds of millions of dollars to the state and county should it be granted the license for a $700­­ million Hollywood Casino at Rosecroft Raceway.

On Wednesday, owners of the Parx casino outside Philadelphia pledged to fund $100 million in improvements to Indian Head Highway and build an $800 million casino in Fort Washington.

President Obama Weekly Address: Enrolling in the Affordable Care Act Marketplace

President Obama discusses the launch of the Health Insurance Marketplace for the Affordable Care Act, which gives millions of Americans the opportunity to have access to affordable and reliable healthcare—many for the first time.

News Anchor/Reporter for Radio One Sheila Stewart dies in car accident

Video by WRC-TV a DC NBC TV station

Cathy Hughes, Founder and Chairwoman of Radio One: "I am so saddened by the untimely passing of Sheila Stewart, a trusted friend and employee. Sheila had a passion for our community and she let it shine through in her work each and every day. Her magnetic personality will be remembered by us and all of her friends in the Washington, DC community. The entire Radio One Family extends our sincere condolences to her family and friends."

Charlotte Observer link: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/10/24/4412045/former-power-98-personality-dies.html#.Umrh9BD5mSq
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: http://www.ajc.com/news/news/breaking-news/dc-radio-personality-killed-in-wreck/nbXp9/

Story below by NBC Washington

A local radio personality was killed in a car accident in Atlanta, Ga., Thursday morning.

Sheila Stewart was on her way to work when she was involved in a car accident, Chris Wegmann, the Regional VP and General Manager for Radio One, confirmed.

She was driving westbound on Interstate 20 when her Mercedes Benz came to a full stop for an unknown reason, according to DeKalb County police. She was struck from behind by a westbound box truck.

Stewart was pronounced dead at an area hospital. No one else was injured.

Stewart, who worked for D.C.'s Radio One stations, had been staying with her sister and working from Atlanta at the time of her death.

Stewart's work in media spanned over 20 years. She most recently served as the News and Community Affairs Director for Radio One's D.C. stations, delivering the news for 93.9 WKYS-FM, Praise 104.1, WOL-AM 1450, Spirit 1340, and Majic 102.3.

Those who knew remember her for her work in the community.

"If you say, 'I have this community event, can you come?' not only is she going to show up, she’s going to make sure the whole radio station is involved," Russ Parr Morning Show co-host Georgia Alfredas said.

“A talented colleague, Sheila’s contributions will long be felt by her Radio One family and the lives she touched through her various charitable connections and community organizations,” Cathy Hughes, Founder and Chairperson Radio One, Inc. said in a statement published on Praise 104.1's website.

“Stewart represented Radio One with the utmost professionalism, passion and persistence in working with our county’s faith community, non-profits and the county government itself," read a statement

A South Carolina native, Stewart graduated from Benedict College and also worked as an adjunct professor at several colleges.

Roland Martin begins national radio talk show daily 10a - 1p eastern time

News One with Roland Martin national radio show link 10a to 1p eastern time: http://newsone.com/category/newsone-now/

President Obama Speaks on the Affordable Care Act

President Obama says that the health insurance that’s available to people through HealthCare.gov is high quality and affordable, and his Administration is working around the clock to address problems that make the site slow and difficult to use.

The Government Shutdown Is Over

Last night, President Obama signed legislation to reopen our government and pay our bills.

“Because Democrats and responsible Republicans came together, the first government shutdown in 17 years is now over,” he said today in the State Dining Room. “The first default in more than 200 years will not happen. These twin threats to our economy have been lifted.”

There was no economic rationale for all this, President Obama said.

“Over the past four years, our economy has been growing, our businesses have been creating jobs, and our deficits have been cut in half,” he said, “but nothing has done more to undermine our economy these past three years than the kind of tactics that create these manufactured crises.”

The way business is done in Washington has to change, President Obama said.

Because we’ve all got a lot of work to do on behalf of the American people – and that includes the hard work of regaining their trust. Our system of self-government doesn’t function without it. And now that the government is reopened, and this threat to our economy is removed, all of us need to stop focusing on the lobbyists, and the bloggers, and the talking heads on radio, and the professional activists who profit from conflict, and focus on what the majority of Americans sent us here to do – and that’s grow this economy, create good jobs, strengthen the middle class, lay the foundation for broad-based prosperity, and get our fiscal house in order for the long haul.

President Obama laid out three places where he believes we can make progress right now: Pursuing a budget that grows our economy faster and shrinks our long-term deficits further; fixing our broken immigration system; and passing a farm bill.

“I will look for willing partners wherever I can to get important work done,” President Obama said. “And there's no good reason why we can't govern responsibly, despite our differences, without lurching from manufactured crisis to manufactured crisis.”

Those of us who have the privilege to serve this country have an obligation to do our job as best we can. We come from different parties, but we are Americans first. And that’s why disagreement cannot mean dysfunction. It can't degenerate into hatred. The American people’s hopes and dreams are what matters, not ours. Our obligations are to them. Our regard for them compels us all, Democrats and Republicans, to cooperate, and compromise, and act in the best interests of our nation –- one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Corey Booker wins US Senate race in New Jersey

Newark Mayor and U.S. Senate candidate Cory Booker leaves a polling station after casting his ballot during the Senate primary election in Newark, New Jersey, October 16, 2013

Story by NBC News
Written by Jessica L. Taylor

Newark Mayor Cory Booker will soon be headed to Washington as the next New Jersey senator.

The Democratic nominee easily bested Republican Steve Lonegan in Wednesday’s special election to succeed the late Frank Lautenberg. With 52 percent of the vote in, Booker led with 55 to 44 percent, according to The Associated Press, which called the race for Booker.

The famous mayor, who has touted his ability to bring people together while growing his own social media presence and popularity, will head to a polarized Washington where he’s certain to be a rising star within the Democratic Party and another outsized presence in D.C.

In his victory speech late on Wednesday, Booker thanked New Jersey voters, his campaign staff and the volunteers "who knocked on doors." The senator-elect also promised to be dogged and determined in Washington, where he said he will not get involved in "shallow politics," but would instead engage "in the kind of hard, humble service that reaches out to others."

President Obama says shutdown caused 'completely unnecessary damage' to economy

Story by NBC News
Written by Erin McClam

President Barack Obama said Thursday, as the federal government blinked back to life, that the 16-day shutdown and threat of national default had inflicted “completely unnecessary damage on our economy.”

“The American people are completely fed up with Washington,” he said from the White House. “Nothing has done more to undermine our economy these last three years than the kind of tactics that create these manufactured crises.”

He spoke hours after Congress swerved at the last minute to dodge a threatened economic catastrophe and ended the standoff, leaving Republicans with little to show for the fight.

Hundreds of thousands of furloughed workers were ordered back on the job. At the Capitol, where two nighttime votes ended the stalemate, tours — for a clearly frustrated American public — were set to resume.

The U.S. Geological Survey, the people who map mountains and measure earthquakes, posted a simple message on Twitter at sunrise, 16 days after its last tweet: “ … and we’re back.”

Barricades came down at national monuments. A Park Ranger took down the “THIS SITE IS CLOSED” sign at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

The Smithsonian museum said it would open again Thursday, but other institutions needed a little more time to get back to business. The gates of the National Zoo will open Friday, the halls of the National Gallery of Art on Saturday.

Panda Cam, which allows admirers to check in on Mei Xiang and her cub, was still blacked out, but the National Zoo said it should be back later Thursday.

The Office of Management and Budget, which oversees the executive branch, posted a notice: “All employees who were on furlough due to the absence of appropriations may now return to work. You should reopen offices in a prompt and orderly manner.”

The restart came after votes in the Senate, by 81-18, and the House, by 285-144, to end the shutdown and extend the government’s power to borrow money.

Independent economists and the treasury secretary had warned that, at an undetermined point as early as Thursday, the government was at risk of running out of money and defaulting on its bond payments.

Obama on Thursday credited “Democrats and responsible Republicans” for coming together to end the shutdown. And he encouraged lawmakers to stop focusing on lobbyists, bloggers and radio talking heads, and start focusing on economic growth.

“These twin threats to our economy have been lifted,” he said, referring to the shutdown and default threat. But he added: “There are no winners here. These last few weeks have inflicted completely unnecessary damage on our economy.”

Republicans, who had insisted on delaying or defunding Obama’s signature health care law, were left with only a small concession — tighter income verifications for people getting federal subsidies for insurance.

The party was left bearing the brunt of public blame for the shutdown, bruised by historically low approval ratings and plagued by infighting.

A primary challenger to Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell in his re-election campaign next year accused him of “selling out conservatives” by working with Senate Democrats to negotiate a compromise to end the shutdown.

Sen. Ted Cruz, a Tea Party favorite, suggested that the outcome of the fight would have been “very, very different” had Senate Republicans stood by their counterparts in the House.

And beleaguered House Speaker John Boehner, the top elected Republican in the country, offered: “We fought the good fight. We just didn’t win.”

Obama said between the votes: “We’ll begin reopening our government immediately and we can begin to lift this cloud of uncertainty from our businesses and the American people.”

Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Citizenship Education Fund's Annual Symposium November 15th, 2013

House GOP to move its own proposal to end shutdown, lift debt ceiling

Story by NBC News
Written by Michael O'Brien

As the Senate puts the finishing touches on a bipartisan plan to raise the debt ceiling and reopen the government, House Republicans will craft their own counter-proposal to mollify conservatives within the GOP.

House Republicans will vote as early as Tuesday on their own legislation to avert a default on the national debt and end a two-week-old closure of the federal government, tailored in a way to win over conservatives who have expressed skepticism toward an emerging Senate deal.

The decision by the House GOP follows past instances where conservatives have balked at Senate legislation to end some sort of fiscal standoff as a deadline rapidly approaches. In almost every instance, the House's efforts have fallen flat with Democrats, and the chamber eventually accedes to the Senate plan.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, told fellow Republicans the House would take up work on the alternative on Tuesday.

According to Republican sources, the House bill would extend government spending through Jan. 15 and the debt limit until Feb. 7 -- about the same length of time as the Senate's proposal.

The House bill would also delay the medical device tax in Obamacare for two years and strip members of Congress (not staffers) of subsidies to purchase insurance under the Affordable Care Act's exchanges, among other provisions.

The House Republican plan is a remarkable concession in its own regard, even though it's unlikely to win over Senate Democrats and President Barack Obama. House Republicans had initially insisted on defunding or delaying Obamacare as a condition of funding the government for only a few months, a hard-line stance which contributed to the shutdown in the first place. Moreover, the measures attached to the new House proposal represent a scaled-back list of demands for raising the debt limit.

NBC News’ Luke Russert and Frank Thorp contributed reporting.

LA Riot remembered - Los Angeles Police Differ Sharply With Prosecutors on Arrest Totals

Story by New York Times - May 10, 1992
Written By Jane Fritsch

Reflecting the confusion that has characterized this city's response to the violence that broke out 10 days ago, prosecutors and the police are giving widely different estimates of the number of riot-related arrests.

Police officials said today that they had arrested 18,000 people from Wednesday night, April 29, the day the riots began, through this morning. But prosecutors said they could not account for as many as 10,000 of those people.

"We don't know where these people are," said James K. Hahn, the Los Angeles City Attorney. "It is a mystery to a lot of people in the system right now." Difficult Job Ahead

Prosecutors said they had finished the initial processing of all those arrested during the riots, and only about 8,000 defendants had come through the courts. The police said they could not explain the discrepancy, but they stood by their number.

Whatever the case, prosecutors anticipate unusual difficulties in proving the charges against the thousands of defendants arrested by harried police officers amid the chaos of the riots, in which more than 50 people were killed and hundreds of businesses were looted and burned.

President Obama Delivers a Statement and Answers Questions from the Press

President Obama delivers a statement and answers questions from the press on the government shutdown and the upcoming debt ceiling increase in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House.

Time for a Dignified Minimum Wage

Commentary by Benjamin Todd Jealous - NAACP National President

This summer, minimum wage workers in California abandoned their posts at fast food restaurants and retail stores for spots on the picket line. They joined workers in cities across the country to demand an increase in the minimum wage.

Their efforts paid off last month when California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to raise the state minimum wage over the next three years to $10 an hour.

For the first time in years, widespread minimum wage reform is a real possibility, and we need to keep the pressure on. The current federal minimum wage is inadequate, outdated, and out of touch with the modern cost of living. In this country, a full-time job should be enough to keep a family above the poverty line and off of welfare.

Imagine a mother working a steady, full time, year round job at the federal minimum wage - $7.25 an hour. Her annual salary will amount to just $15,080. That puts her below the poverty line for a family of two, and well below the poverty line for a family of four. To make matters worse, her paltry salary depreciates in value each year, since the federal minimum wage is not tied to inflation.

At this rate, she could put in 45, 50 or even 60 hour weeks in an effort to keep her family off welfare, but she would still qualify for - and most likely need - public assistance.

This is hardly a hypothetical situation. Thirty three U.S. states and territories use the federal minimum wage, and there are over three million mothers and fathers just getting by on full-time jobs. These are not the unemployed. These are not the underemployed. These are the over employed and underpaid.

It is a travesty that millions of Americans work full time but still struggle to support their families. They are making a decision to be hard-working employees and responsible parents, but their employers are also making a decision - to pay them poverty wages.

Raising the minimum wage is imperative, and the potential cost to businesses and consumers is less than you might think. According to a recent study by DEMOS, raising the federal minimum wage to $12.25 ($25,000 for a full-time, year round worker) would cost large retailers just one percent of total annual sales, and it would cost consumers just 12 to 18 cents extra per shopping trip. At the same time, this change would lift more than 700,000 people out of poverty.

There are several opportunities to make this a reality.In November, New Jersey voters will decide whether to raise the state minimum wage to $8.25 and tie it to the cost of living. President Obama recently suggested increasing the federal minimum wage to $9. Even below the Mason-Dixon Line, two Maryland counties are considering bills to raise their minimum wage to $11.25.

It is time for a new social contract for people at the bottom of the economic ladder. We need to stand up with workers in California and other states and demand a dignified minimum wage on the federal level and in our communities. We can no longer afford not to.

Benjamin Todd Jealous is the president and CEO of the national NAACP.
This column was first published in USA TODAY. Contact: Ben Wrobel 917-846-0658 bwrobel@naacpnet.org @NAACPPress

Car Chase Video at the US Capitol

Video courtesy Alhurra TV - with audio of gunshots

The O'Jays Foundation Weekend in Las Vegas October 25th - 27th

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE O’JAYS ANNOUNCE 8TH ANNUAL STAR-STUDDED CELEBRITY SCHOLARSHIP WEEKEND TO BE HELD IN LAS VEGAS OCTOBER 25TH-27TH

Stevie Wonder, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Mike Epps, Jeffery Osborne, Johnny Gill and Roland S. Martin Among Stars Supporting The O’Jays Weekend

Enter Raffle To Win a 2013 Chrysler 300, Motown Edition, Sponsored by UAW and Chrysler Motor Corporation To Raise Money for Scholarships


LAS VEGAS, NV (OCTOBER 4 2013) – The 8th Annual O’Jays Celebrity Scholarship Foundation Weekend will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, Friday, October 25th through Sunday, October 27th. The weekend celebration kicks off with The O’Jays’ members, Eddie Levert, Sr., Walter Williams, Sr. And Eric Nolan Grant hosting an exciting weekend of events including; a Masquerade Ball, All-Star Concert and Celebrity Golf Tournament.

The Masquerade Ball on Friday, October 25th will be held at the TW Theater and Event Center located at 3765 Las Vegas Blvd and hosted by Civil Rights Icon and Entrepreneur Danny Bakewell, and, Author and Fitness Guru,Donna Richardson Joyner with special guests Shirley Murdock and Zapp. The party continues on Saturday, October 26th with The O’Jays Benefit Concert hosted by Earvin “Magic” Johnson and The O’Jays to include celebrities such as Stevie Wonder, Jeffery Osborne, Johnny Gill, comedian Mike Epps, Roland S. Martin and more.

The annual O’Jays Scholarship Fund Celebrity Golf Tournament will be played at the Las Vegas National Golf Club on Sunday, October 27th. The weekend will conclude with the Scholarship Awards Banquet immediately following with Keynote Speaker Steve Perry. Tickets are available for all events at www.ojaysfoundation.org.

Fans are encouraged to enter into the $5 raffle drawing for a chance to win a 2013 Chrysler 300 Motown Edition (www.ojaysfoundation.org). The winning raffle will be drawn on October 27th and the proceeds will go toward the scholarship fund (you do not have to be present to win). To purchase car raffle tickets, visit;http://www.ojaysfoundation.org/#!chrysler-300

“Education is an issue that impacts all of us,.Educated citizens make better neighbors, responsible community members, parents and employees. We have an obligation to assist every young adult in acquiring the knowledge and skill-set necessary to be well prepared and to reach their full potential” states Eddie Levert, Sr., Co-Founder, The O’Jays.

With tremendous growth of the organization over the past nine years, the goal is to make this weekend the most successful weekend of the foundation’s history. The O’Jays foundation has currently helped to raise approximately one million dollars to date. This year’s Sponsors include UAW (United Auto Workers), Chrysler Motor Corporation, Southwest Airlines, BET Network, Soul Train Holdings and Beasley Broadcasting.

Tickets or Sponsorships for all events can be purchased at http://www.ojaysfoundation.org or by calling 1-855-866-6994 or email OjaysWeekend@gmail.com

About The O’Jays Foundation:

The O’Jays Foundation was founded in 2005 by Eddie Levert and Walter Williams of the O’Jays. The goal of the organization is to continue their legacy of helping the community. The purpose of O’Jays Foundation is to strengthen the community and provide opportunities by empowering the youth through education.

For more event information visit; www.OjaysFoundation.org.
Email: OjaysWeekend@gmail.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@ojaysweekend
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ojays.weekend

Media Contact: Priscilla Clarke, Clarke & Associates (Tel. 202-723-2200,
Cell. 240-476-9643), ojaysweekend@gmail.com or priscilla@clarkepr.com

President Obama Speaks on the Economic Impact of the Government Shutdown

President Obama visited M. Luis Construction, a local construction company that has grown in recent years thanks to increased access to capital through the President's Small Business Jobs Act and other SBA programs. While here, the President highlighted the impacts that Congress's inability to act on a shutdown and default would have on our economy and our nation's small businesses.

Woman killed at Capitol apparently feared President Obama was stalking her, "sources" say

The Connecticut woman at the center of the dramatic shooting and car chase near the White House and U.S. Capitol had a history of mental illness and believed she was being stalked by the president, police say (Photo Courtesy Dr. Barry Weiss)

Story by NBC News
Written by Pete Williams and Erin McClam

The woman who led authorities on a chase from the White House to the Capitol before she was killed by police may have thought that President Barack Obama was stalking her, law enforcement sources told NBC News.

The sources said that the woman, Miriam Carey, had a history of mental health problems.

The chase, on Thursday afternoon, stirred panic in the capital and briefly stopped the mechanisms of government. It happened two weeks after a man shot 12 people to death at the Washington Navy Yard.

Members of the House and Senate, in a standoff over the government shutdown, were ordered to stay in place. One lawmaker was cut off mid-sentence during a speech. A swarm of police startled tourists who were taking in Washington on a summery day.

Carey, 34, was a dental hygienist living in Stamford, Conn. Details of her background began to emerge in the hours after the episode.

Dr. Barry Weiss, a dentist, told NBC Connecticut that Carey was working for him in January 2012 when she suffered a fall and missed two to three weeks. He said that she appeared increasingly stressed after an unplanned pregnancy. Relatives have said that she may have suffered postpartum depression.

Weiss said that he fired her in August 2012 after patients complained that she was too rough.

Carey was driving a black Infiniti sedan when, just after 2 p.m. ET, she struck a security fence outside the White House. She took off after hitting a Secret Service officer with her car.

From there, police said, she sped up Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Capitol, reaching 80 mph at one point. Police and the Secret Service stopped her at the foot of the Capitol, but she jammed the car into reverse and took off again as police opened fire.

Carey led police on a chase around the perimeter of the Capitol and crashed her car outside a Senate office building a few minutes later, police said. The police shot at her, and she died a short time later. The chase was captured on video.

A Capitol police officer was hurt as he was speeding to confront her and hit a barrier that popped up in the street. The two injured officers were exempt from the government shutdown and required to work but were not being paid.

Carey had an 18-month-old child, believed to be her daughter, in the car, authorities said. The girl was taken to a hospital and found to be unharmed. She was in the protection of social services Friday.


Katy Tur of NBC News contributed to this report.

Shots fired at U.S.Capitol, female suspect killed

Story by NBC News Written by Michael O'Brien, Pete Williams, Richard Esposito and Tracy Connor

Link to woman suspect speeding away from the US Capitol (credit: AlHurra TV) http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/03/20805397-shots-fired-at-us-capitol-female-suspect-killed?lite

The United States Capitol was placed on lockdown Thursday afternoon after a woman tried to ram a car into the White House gate, was chased by Secret Service and exchanged shots with police, sources said.

The suspect — who sources said had a child in the car — was shot and killed, and a shelter-in-place order was lifted at about 3 p.m. At least one Capitol Police officer was injured during the pursuit. "This appears to be an isolated incident," said Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine. "Both scenes are under control."

President Barack Obama was briefed about the harrowing incident, which came in the midst of the government shutdown that has created a tense atmosphere on Capitol Hill.

It started at 2:18 p.m. when the woman in a black car tried to breach White House security at 15th St. and E, law-enforcement sources said. She did not get through and was chased at high speeds for about 12 blocks, the sources said. Her car hit a Capitol Police vehicle at Second St. and Constitution Ave. and then crashed into barricades a few blocks away, Dine said. Law-enforcement sources said she began firing and was shot. The child was reported to be safe. Her motive was unknown but Dine said there was no reason to think it was an act of terrorism.

Rep. Gerry Connolly, who was on the balcony talking to his colleagues, described a "burst" of gunfire from the House side of the Capitol, towards the House office buildings. "It was like the first volley in a 21-gun salute," Rep. Matthew Cartwright told MNSNBC. Travis Gillbert, who watched the chase from the roof of the Newseum, said vehicles involved "had several close encounters with other vehicles during the case." "It was very dangerous," he said.

An NBC satellite truck operator saw several police cars with lights flashing near the gardens below the Capitol when he suddenly heard rapid-fire shots. Several police cars could then be seen chasing the black car, he reported.

The FBI responded to the scene, and a helicopter landed in front of the Capitol to medevac the injured officer.

A message from the Capitol Police ordered anyone in a House office to "shelter in place," but that order was lifted a short time later.

The House recessed, and the Senate went into a quorum call — dispensing momentarily with its official business — shortly thereafter.

“We’ve locked the doors. We closed the window shades. And we are awaiting further instructions,” Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) told MSNBC during the lockdown. “We’re more or less cut off here. We’re watching TV and just trying to figure out what happened.”

Though it was over quickly, nerves were still jangled.

"Shaken is a good word to describe how I'm feeling," said Peter Plocki, a government worker furloughed during the shutdown who was on Capitol Hill to take a tour of the Supreme Court building and heard the shots.

The House reconvened at 3:30 p.m., and Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, asked for a brief moment of silence in tribute to members of the Capitol Police injured in the incident. The House immediately pivoted back to debate over a small stopgap bill to reinstate funding for veterans’ affairs.

Congress has been locked for the past week and a half in a contentious debate over funding the government, a disagreement in which contributed to a government shutdown that began Monday.

Last night, Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy, R, was the victim of a "minor incident" outside of the Capitol complex.

"A random individual, unknown to the Congressman, began screaming at him and grabbed his arm," a spokesperson for Duffy said in describing the incident. "Mr. Duffy was unharmed. He reported the incident in compliance with House security procedures. Congressman Duffy has requested no further action be taken and there will be no further comment on the matter at this time."

On September 16, a deadly shooting occurred blocks south of the U.S. Capitol complex which contributed to a partial lockdown of the Capitol at that time.

A shooting on July 24, 1998 left two Capitol Police officers dead. And at a constituent event in her district in January 2011, then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was seriously injured and six others were killed in a shooting.

U.S. Capitol shooting; Suspect killed; Child removed from car

Story by WABC

Police say the U.S. Capitol lockdown has been lifted after shots were fired outside the building.

People standing outside the Supreme Court across the street from Congress were hurried into the court building by authorities.

U.S. Capitol police said they had received reports of gunshots and one police officer has been injured.

ABC News reported initial reports say someone tried to ram a gate or barricade at the White House with a car. A chase then ensued and ended up on Capitol Hill. Sources say the female suspect is dead.

A young child was found unharmed in the suspects car. The suspect did not have any identification on her. The car is said to have been leased with out of state plates.

"We heard pops that sounded like shots," said Senator Bob Casey, D-Pa.

It is not clear who was injured.

"We heard shots. They told us to get behind a car," said Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio

AEG Live found not liable in Michael Jackson's death

AEG attorney Marvin Putnam, right, shakes hands with Katherine Jackson attorney Kevin Boyle at the conclusion of the Jackson vs. AEG Live civil trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Jackson's mother and three children had alleged that AEG LIve was liable for the singer's death. (Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times / October 2, 2013)

Story by Los Angeles Times
Written by Jeff Gottlieb

A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found that concert promoter AEG Live was not liable for the death of Michael Jackson, capping a marathon civil trial that laid bare the troubled singer's health problems, struggles with drugs and fateful attempt at a comeback tour.

The verdict came four years after Jackson received a fatal dose of an anesthetic from his doctor as he was about to launch a concert series produced by AEG aimed at reviving his stalled career.

Jackson's mother and three children filed the lawsuit, alleging that AEG was to blame for the King of Pop's death because it was negligent in the hiring and supervision of the doctor, Conrad Murray. AEG argued that Jackson had a history of abusing drugs, including the anesthetic, and was responsible for his own death.

The outcome marked a decisive victory for AEG. The jury was left with five questions that it had to answer affirmatively to find AEG liable. The jury agreed with the first question, that AEG hired Murray. But it rejected the second question, which asked whether Murray was unfit or incompetent. That finding made the rest of the questionnaire moot.

The jury foreman, Gregg Barden, said that the five-month trial was "exhausting" and that the three days of deliberations were "extremely stressful."

"We reached a verdict we understand that not everybody is going to agree with," he said. "There are really no winners in this. Somebody had to die for us to be here … it was really a tragic situation."

Barden said the jury was somewhat confused by the question about Murray's competence but understood its ramifications. "We felt he was competent," he said. "That doesn't mean we felt he was ethical. If ethical was in the question, it might have been a different outcome."

Another juror, Kevin Smith, said he didn't believe AEG could have done anything about Jackson's problems.

The stakes for both the Jackson family and AEG were high. The Jackson family's financial expert testified that Jackson would have earned at least $1.2 billion from merchandise, new music, tours, endorsements and a Las Vegas show had he lived.

The Jacksons wanted AEG to pay his children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, $85 million each and his mother, Katherine, at least $35 million.

Katherine Jackson stared ahead stoically as the verdict was read. She was quickly whisked into another courtroom. She then left from the back of the downtown L.A. courthouse. Several Jackson fans, who had been a constant presence during the trial, responded to the verdict with their own coordinated protest. They took off their T-shirts to reveal other shirts underneath bearing slogans such as "AEG bullies Michael."

Jackson family attorney Kevin Boyle said the family was still considering its next move. "We were able to provoke some things that are important for the Jacksons and for the concert industry and the sports industry," he said. "We are of course not happy with the verdict as it stands."

AEG released a statement expressing vindication. "We lost one of the world's greatest musical geniuses, but I am relieved and deeply grateful that the jury recognized that neither I, nor anyone else at AEG Live, played any part in Michael's tragic death," said Randy Phillips, an AEG executive who was named in the lawsuit.

The jury rejected the idea that Murray was unfit even though the Las Vegas physician was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death and sentenced to jail time.

Valerie Wass, Murray's appellate attorney, said a civil jury's conclusions won't change the doctor's criminal case but could help him in "the court of public opinion."

"Hopefully it will vindicate him in a small way," said Wass, adding that Murray is scheduled to be released from the county's Men's Central Jail in 26 days.

The family's attorney painted a picture of a cold, calculating entertainment company pushing the physician to get Jackson ready to tour even though his health was frail and he was crippled by fear.

"They're going to kill me, they're going to kill me,'" Jackson's eldest son testified, recalling one of his final conversations with his father.

AEG tried turning the tables, all but putting Michael Jackson on trial. They presented witnesses who claimed Jackson had been a drug addict for years, including repeatedly using the powerful anesthetic that would eventually kill him. They also said it was Jackson. not AEG, who hired Murray.

During the trial, jurors got a peek into the private life of one of the world's most famous celebrities. They heard of the chronic pain Jackson suffered as a result of burns he received during the filming of a Pepsi commercial in 1984, which led to his addiction to pain medication. They learned about his vitiligo, a disease in which portions of the skin lose pigment, and how he suffered from painful discoid lupus and keloids.

President Obama Delivers a Statement on the Government Shutdown

In the Rose Garden at the White House, President Obama delivers a statement to the press on the Affordable Care Act and the Government Shutdown.

Government Shutdown: What's the Impact?

A government shutdown would have far-reaching consequences for some, but minimal impact on others.

Mail would be delivered. Social Security and Medicare benefits would continue to flow.

But vacationers would be turned away from national parks and Smithsonian museums. Low-to-moderate income borrowers and first-time homebuyers seeking government-backed mortgages could face delays.

A look at how services will be affected now that Congress has failed to reach an agreement averting a government shutdown.

Air Travel

Federal air traffic controllers would remain on the job and airport screeners would keep funneling passengers through security checkpoints. Federal inspectors would continue enforcing safety rules.

International Travel

The State Department would continue processing foreign applications for visas and U.S. applications for passports, since fees are collected to finance those services. Embassies and consulates overseas would continue to provide services to American citizens.

Benefit Payments

Social Security and Medicare benefits would keep coming, but there could be delays in processing new disability applications. Unemployment benefits would still go out.

Federal Courts

Federal courts would continue operating normally for about 10 business days after the start of a shutdown, roughly until the middle of October. If the shutdown continues, the judiciary would have to begin furloughs of employees whose work is not considered essential. But cases would continue to be heard.

Mail

Deliveries would continue as usual because the U.S. Postal Service receives no tax dollars for day-to-day operations. It relies on income from stamps and other postal fees to keep running.

Recreation

All national parks would be closed, as would the Smithsonian museums, including the National Zoo in Washington. Visitors using overnight campgrounds or other park facilities would be given 48 hours to make alternate arrangements and leave the park. Among the visitor centers that would be closed: the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York, Independence Hall in Philadelphia and Alcatraz Island near San Francisco.

Health

New patients would not be accepted into clinical research at the National Institutes of Health, but current patients would continue to receive care. Medical research at the NIH would be disrupted and some studies would be delayed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be severely limited in spotting or investigating disease outbreaks such as the flu or that mysterious MERS virus from the Middle East.

Food Safety

The Food and Drug Administration would handle high-risk recalls, but would suspend most routine safety inspections. Federal meat inspections would be expected to proceed as usual.

Head Start

A small number of Head Start programs, about 20 out of 1,600 nationally, would feel the impact right away. The federal Administration for Children and Families says grants expiring about Oct. 1 would not be renewed. Over time, more programs would be affected. Several of the Head Start programs that would immediately feel the pinch are in Florida. It's unclear if they would continue serving children.

Food Assistance

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, could shut down. The program provides supplemental food, health care referrals and nutrition education for pregnant women, mothers and their children.

School lunches and breakfasts would continue to be served, and food stamps, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, would continue to be distributed. But several smaller feeding programs would not have the money to operate.

Taxes

Americans would still have to pay their taxes and file federal tax returns, but the Internal Revenue Service says it would suspend all audits. Got questions? Sorry, the IRS says taxpayer services, including toll-free help lines, would be shut as well.

Loans

Many low-to-moderate incomes borrowers and first-time homebuyers seeking government-insured mortgages could face delays. The Federal Housing Administration, which guarantees about 30 percent of home mortgages, would still approve single-family loans, but with delays. Multi-family mortgage approvals would be suspended. Action on government-backed loans to small businesses would be suspended.

Science

NASA will continue to keep workers at Mission Control in Houston and elsewhere to support the International Space station, where two Americans and four others are deployed. The National Weather Service would keep forecasting weather and issuing warnings and the National Hurricane Center would continue to track storms. The scientific work of the U.S. Geological Survey would be halted.

Homeland Security

The majority of the Department of Homeland Security's employees are expected to stay on the job, including uniformed agents and officers at the country's borders and ports of entry, members of the Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration officers, Secret Service personnel and other law enforcement agents and officers. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employees would continue to process green card applications.

Military

The military's 1.4 million active duty personnel would stay on duty, but their paychecks would be delayed. About half of the Defense Department's civilian employees would be furloughed.

Prisons

All 116 federal prisons would remain open, and criminal litigation would proceed.

Veterans Services

Most services offered through the Department of Veterans Affairs will continue because lawmakers approve money one year in advance for the VA's health programs. Veterans would still be able to visit hospitals for inpatient care, get mental health counseling at vet centers or get prescriptions filled at VA health clinics. Operators would still staff the crisis hotline and claims workers would still process payments to cover disability and pension benefits. But those veterans appealing the denial of disability benefits to the Board of Veterans Appeals will have to wait longer for a decision because the board would not issue any decisions during a shutdown.

Work Safety

Federal occupational safety and health inspectors would stop workplace inspections except in cases of imminent danger.

ObamaCare Explained as simply as possible - WWW.HEALTHCARE.GOV

WWW.HEALTHCARE.GOV

Here it is, ObamaCare explained.

We've been explaining ObamaCare is detail, but here's the short version of ObamaCare explained for your convenience. ObamaCare, officially called the Affordable Care Act, it is a health care reform bill signed into law in 2010 By President Barack Obama. Many of the laws provisions are already in effect and the rest continues to roll out until 2022.

ObamaCare in 100 Words

The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) increases the quality, accessibility and affordability of health insurance. In exchange most people, who can afford to, must obtain health coverage by 2014 or pay a per month fee. The law eliminates pre-existing conditions, stops insurance companies from dropping you when you are sick, protects against gender discrimination, expands free preventative services and health benefits, expands Medicaid and CHIP, improves Medicare, mandates larger employers insure employees, creates a marketplace for subsidized insurance providing tens of millions individuals, families and small businesses with free or low-cost health insurance, and decreases healthcare spending and the deficit.

ObamaCare Simplified Explanation in Bullet Points

Here is a simplified ObamaCare explanation of what every American should know about our new health care law. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) does a lot, luckily most of us don’t need to know the details, let's take a look at what we do need to know:

• ObamaCare does’t create health insurance, it regulates the health insurance industry and helps to increase quality, affordability and availability of private insurance.
• Most people who currently have health insurance can keep it.
• Young adults can stay on their parents plan until 26.
• If you don’t have coverage, you can use the new Health Insurance Marketplace to buy a private insurance plan.
• Open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace goes from October 1st, 2013 to March 31st, 2014.
• If you don’t obtain coverage or an exemption by January 1st, 2014 you must pay a per-month fee on your federal income tax return for every month you are without health insurance.
• In 2014 the fee is $95 per adult ($47.50 per child) or 1% of income, whichever is higher. The family max is $285.
• The cost of your marketplace health insurance works on a sliding scale. Those who make less, pay less.
• American making less than $45,960 as individual or $94,200 as a family of 4 may be eligible for premium tax credits through the marketplace. Tax credits subsidize insurance premium costs.
• If you are able to get qualified health insurance through your employer you won’t be able to receive marketplace tax credits unless the employer doesn’t cover at least 60% of your premium cost, doesn’t provide quality insurance or provides insurance that exceeds 9.5% of your families income.
• If you are able to get qualified health insurance through your employer you won’t be able to receive marketplace tax credits unless your employer doesn’t cover at least 60% of your premium cost, doesn’t provide quality insurance or provides insurance that exceeds 9.5% of your families income.
• Up to 82% of nearly 16 million uninsured young U.S. adults will qualify for federal subsidies or Medicaid through the marketplace.
• You don’t have to use the marketplace to buy insurance, but you should fill out an application to see if you qualify for assistance before shopping for insurance outside of the marketplace.
• The ACA does away with pre-existing conditions and gender discrimination so these factors will no longer affect the cost of your insurance on or off the marketplace.
• You can’t be denied health coverage based on health status.
• You can’t be dropped from coverage when you are sick.
• Health Insurers can’t place lifetime limits on your coverage. As of 2014 annual limits are eliminated as well.
• All new plans sold on or off the marketplace must include a wide range of new benefits including wellness visits and preventative tests and treatments at no additional out-of-pocket cost.
• All full-time workers who work for companies with over 50 employees must be offered job based health coverage by 2015. Employers who do not offer coverage will pay a per-employee fee.
• Small businesses with under 50 full-time employees can use a part of the marketplace called the SHOP (small business health options program) to purchase group health plans for their employees.
• Small businesses with under 25 full-time employees can use the marketplace to purchase subsidized insurance for their employees.
• Medicare isn’t part of the marketplace. If you have Medicare keep it!
• Medicaid and CHIP are expanded to provide insurance to up to 16 million of our nations poorest.
• When you apply for the marketplace you’ll find out if you qualify for free or low-cost coverage from Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). You’ll also be made aware if you qualify for Medicare.

What Does ObamaCare Do?

ObamaCare helps tens of millions of Americans get access to affordable health insurance through expanding Medicaid and CHIP, improving Medicare and setting up a "Health Insurance Marketplace" where Americans making under 400% of the federal poverty level can purchase subsidized health insurance.

ObamaCare's reforms also increase the quality of care and help to curb the growth in healthcare spending among other things.

ObamaCare's provisions regulate insurance companies and health care standards, but they don't regulate your health care or replace private insurance.

ObamaCare lowers what most middle-to-low income Americans pay for health insurance and their out-of-pocket health care costs (by means of cost-assistance offered through the marketplace), decreases the deficit and improves government run health care programs like Medicare by cutting out wasteful spending.

ObamaCare also expands Medicaid in some States to cover 15.9 million uninsured seniors and low-income individuals.

ObamaCare Explained: Individual Mandate. Most Americans will have to buy insurance by 2014. Those who aren't covered under Medicaid, CHIP or Medicare will have the option to buy private insurance, obtain insurance through the workplace, pay a small tax to not have health insurance (this helps it remain affordable for the rest of us) or buy private insurance through the their State's Health Insurance Exchange. (There are other types of coverage that count as having insurance and will ensure you avoid the fee these include things like TRICARE and COBRA)

ObamaCare Explained: Your State's Health Insurance Exchange / Marketplace. The ObamaCare exchanges are state or federal run (depends on the state) online marketplaces where health insurance companies compete to be your provider. Getting insurance through the the marketplace is as easy as applying for a plan, finding out if you qualify for subsidies and then comparing competing health plans. A State's "Exchange" is commonly referred to as "Health Insurance Marketplace"

ObamaCare Explained: How to Buy Health Insurance. On October 1st, 2013 your State's "Health Insurance Exchange Marketplace" opens up. All eligible Americans will be able to purchase Federally regulated and subsidized health insurance through private providers using side-by-side benefit, rate and network comparisons of plans. When you sign up for the marketplace you'll also find out if you or a family member qualify for Medicaid, CHIP or Medicare. 82% of uninsured young people are expected to qualify for free or low cost health insurance.

ObamaCare Explained: Businesses. Small businesses with the equivalent of 25 full-time employees making less $250,000 a year can get access to tax breaks through the SHOP marketplace to provide insurance to their workforce. Those with the equivalent of 50 full-time employees will have to provide coverage for their full-time workers by 2015. 3% of small businesses will pay an increased Medicare tax on profit over $250,000 as well. The rest of the small businesses, mom and pops specifically, will have better access to cheaper healthcare for them and their employees. If they do decide to provide insurance for their employees they will receive generous tax breaks. Over half of all small business owners and their employees go without insurance each year and small businesses have historically struggled to provide the same quality of benefits as larger firms. ObamaCare's provisions give small business a fair shake.

ObamaCare Explained: Seniors. Seniors greatly benefit from the $716 billion of wasteful spending cut from Medicare and the closing of the donut hole. The money is reinvested in Medicare and ObamaCare to improve coverage and to insure tens of millions of more seniors. Medicare parts A, B, C and D have all had changed and almost all for the better.

ObamaCare Explained: Rights and Protections. ObamaCare includes a number of protections for Americans including better access to preventive services, expands coverage to millions saving countless lives, ensures people can't be denied for preexisting conditions, stops insurance companies from dropping you when you are sick, letting young adults stay on their parents plans until 26, regulates insurance premium hikes, approves the appeals process and more.

Why We Need Health Care Reform Explained?

The health insurance and health care industries are for-profit industries. As such they put profit before health, therefore it is left up to laws to regulate their practices. Truly understanding the law requires an understanding of the health insurance and health care industries, lots of research and a little experience. The necessary complexity of the law and the 2.8 trillion dollar U.S. healthcare system defies any type of simple explanation. Suffice to say: We need health care reform to help America focus less on convenience and profit and more on wellness, prevention and health.

ObamaCare Explained Summary

Obama Care saves millions of lives, trillions of dollars and gives the American worker more freedom by not being dependent on their employers or insurance companies for care. Health care is now in your hands, It's your health care, not the governments. The government just makes sure you get a fair shake and the insurance companies play by the rules. Thanks for checking out our quick ObamaCare explained breakdown. Check out the site for a more detailed explanation of ObamaCare.

WWW.HEALTHCARE.GOV

United States Government shuts down

Story by News One
Written by Ebony McMorris

A wave of last-minute moves by the House, Senate and White House late Monday failed to break a bitter budget standoff over President Obama’s health care law, setting in motion the first government shutdown in nearly two decades.

This means that 800,000 federal workers are to be furloughed and more than a million others would be asked to work without pay.

The Office of Management and Budget issued orders shortly before the midnight deadline that “agencies should now execute plans for an orderly shutdown due to the absence of appropriations” because Congress failed to act to keep the federal government financed.

House Republican leaders won approval in a vote of 228 to 201 of a new plan to delay government spending for one-year to fund the Affordable Health Care Act. The House proposal would also deny federal subsidies to members of Congress, Capitol Hill staff, executive branch political appointees, White House staff, and the president and vice president, who would be forced to buy their health coverage on the Affordable Care Act’s new insurance exchanges. Without debate, the Senate killed the House health care provisions and sent the stop-gap spending bill right back, free of policy prescriptions.

HOW LONG WILL IT LAST AND WHO’S TO BLAME?
DO YOU TRUST YOUR ELECTED OFFICALS?

Links:
1. New York Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/30/us/politics/time-short-but-gop-leaders-say-shutdown-can-be-avoided.html?_r=0
2. Washington Post - http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/government-shutdown-begins-senate-expected-to-reject-latest-house-proposal/2013/10/01/ef464556-2a88-11e3-97a3-ff2758228523_story.html?hpid=z1
3. USA Today - http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/01/government-shutdown-real-people/2900677/
4. Bloomberg - http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-01/government-shutdown-begins-as-deadlocked-congress-flails.html

The Affordable Health Care Open Enrollment begins today October 1, 2013

• Affordable Health Care – HOW DOES IT WORK? WILL THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DELAY IT?
• TODAY a key component of the Affordable Care Act will take effect when the new Health Insurance Marketplace opens for business, allowing millions of Americans to shop for a variety of quality, affordable health plans that best meet their needs.
• The open enrollment period runs from Tuesday, October 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014, go to www.Healthcare.gov / Coverage begins on January 1, 2014.
• You can also get help by phone by calling 1-800-318-2596. Line open 24 hours a day. Local help can be found by visiting LocalHelp.HealthCare.Gov.