Around the Nation

Politics & Government

Shutdown Takes A Toll On GOP In Virginia Governor's Race

6:38pm October 11, 2013

by Brian Naylor

Republican Ken Cuccinelli had been trailing Democrat Terry McAuliffe by a few points in the polls before the partial government shutdown. But since then, McAuliffe's lead has clearly widened in a state that's home to many federal employees.

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Mariluisa and Andrea Caricchia traveled 6,000 miles from Italy to spend their honeymoon at the Grand Canyon. Instead, they are exploring tribal land.

The Shutdown News Isn't All Bad For A Few American Indian Tribes

11:16am October 11, 2013

by Laurel Morales

The government shutdown has some American Indian tribes bracing for the worst. They've seen cuts to food distribution, child care and financial assistance. At the same time, a handful of northern Arizona tribes are seeing an unexpected spike in tourists who were turned away from nearby national parks.

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Edward Avalos, one of the first certified enrollment specialists in California, is a very busy man.

California Trains Helpers To Meet Demand For Health Insurance

11:03am October 11, 2013

by Sarah Varney

The California health exchange has focused on drumming up interest in coverage during the first month of operation. Certified enrollment counselors can barely keep up with the requests for assistance that are rolling in.

Health & Safety

Web Glitches Hinder Mississippians Signing Up For Insurance

11:02am October 11, 2013

by Jeffrey Hess

Mississippi is one of 34 states that has let the federal government run its health insurance exchange. It has had the same glitches and long wait times as other states. Despite the trouble, people are slowly signing up.

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Economy

Commissions From Managed-Futures Market Can Wipe Out Profits

11:02am October 11, 2013

Steve Inskeep talks to David Evans about his investigative piece appearing in the November issue of Bloomberg Markets Magazine. The story, "Fleeced by Fees," is about consumers losing profits on their financial investments due to fees and commissions.

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'Captain Phillips' Review And Why Boston's Accent Isn't Easy

11:02am October 11, 2013

Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks, is based on a real-life case of a freighter overtaken by Somali pirates in 2009. You might know the story, but critic Kenneth Turan says this film will exceed your expectations. Plus, Morning Edition investigates what it takes to have a convincing Boston accent.

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Denver Mayor To Propose Outlawing Free Marijuana

11:02am October 11, 2013

Opponents of a proposed marijuana tax have been handing out free joints at rallies. An ethics group insists the pot must be disclosed as a campaign contribution. Now the mayor of Denver wants to act. He tells Colorado Public Radio he's proposing to outlaw handouts of free weed in city parks.

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Your Chance To Lash Out At Congress

11:02am October 11, 2013

Amid the federal shutdown, the website drunkdialcongress.org offers an outlet. You can call a randomly chosen member of Congress, though you must supply alcohol yourself.

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Furloughed FDA worker Jonathan Derr drums outside a Washington, D.C., Metro station to earn cash during the government shutdown

National

Furloughed FDA Worker Hits The Streets To Drum Up Extra Cash

8:33pm October 10, 2013

by NPR Staff

Jonathan Derr of Silver Spring, Md., works for the Food and Drug Administration. Last week, he was one of the estimated 800,000 federal workers furloughed because of the partial government shutdown.

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Bob Adams is a lab animal veterinarian at Johns Hopkins University.

Shutdown Imperils Costly Lab Mice, Years Of Research

8:33pm October 10, 2013

by Jon Hamilton

A lack of funding to labs is likely to mean an early death for thousands of mice used in scientific and medical research. The loss of specialty mice, many of which have genes that can cause them to develop versions of human diseases, is especially troubling to scientists — and expensive.

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