Congress

With a government shutdown nearing its second week, there were no signs of a new deal in Washington Sunday. But several leaders are speaking out about the impasse, even as they look ahead to the next battle: an Oct. 17 deadline to raise the U.S. debt ceiling.

Government workers are convinced that the work they do is crucial for the country, even if they've been deemed "nonessential." They're starting to wonder whether politicians in Washington agree.

Even as hundreds of thousands of federal workers stay home, some members of Congress have kept most or all of their own staffs working. With no end to the government shutdown in sight, that's put Republicans on the defensive.

The driver reportedly tried to ram a security barrier outside the White House, sparking the chase that ended in gunfire and a congressional lockdown. The driver was killed, a federal law enforcement told NPR. A child with her in the car was reportedly uninjured.

In a report, the department warns that a default could do damage to the economy to rival the Great Recession.

Texas Republican Rep. Randy Neugebauer told a Park Service ranger she should be ashamed for carrying out orders that the World War II Memorial, like other national parks and monuments, be closed. That led to a tense exchange with a passerby, who said it's lawmakers who are to blame. See the video.

The partial shutdown continues. The two sides haven't publicly shifted their positions. So once again we turn to that sage of the baseball diamond, Yogi Berra, for the best line on the news that keeps repeating.

If you need to contact Florida Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio, you may be out of luck for a while.They’ve closed their state offices thanks to the…

In addition to shutdowns of national parks (including Alcatraz and Yosemite) and the supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children, the mandatory furloughs are affecting a wide range of government science and health agencies.

All congressional — and some executive branch — staff could end up taking pay cuts of up to $12,000 as the health insurance benefits of some 16,000 congressional staff get caught up in the budget fight on Capitol Hill.