Washington

After focus groups and polls indicated that replacing the vice president with Hillary Clinton wouldn't boost the president's re-election effort, the idea was dropped. Former White House Chief of Staff William Daley says the campaign was simply doing "due diligence."

President Obama said he's willing to talk about anything, as long as Republicans reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling. He took questions for more than an hour about the standoff, which has led to a partial government shutdown and has now transitioned into a fight over the debt ceiling.

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.

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.

At the beginning of his second term, President Obama invited Republicans to a series of fancy dinners, but he now seems to be giving up on his attempts to woo the GOP. Still, even if the White House had sustained its overtures, some question whether any amount of socializing could avert the latest budget crisis.