“All we’re asking for here is a discussion and fairness for the American people under Obamacare.” 

 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, meanwhile, accuses his Republican colleague of being the one unwilling to move forward on the continuing resolution to fund the government. 

 

“I thought that they were concerned about the long-term fiscal affairs of this country, and we said we are too, let's talk about it. My friend, John Boehner, I repeat, cannot take yes for an answer.” 

 

The standoff over health care has resulted in a now two-day-old partial government shutdown that’s idled 800,000 federal workers and closed national parks, museums and monuments. 

 

Intelligence chiefs say the government shutdown is limiting their duty to guard against terrorism. As NPR's Larry Abramson explains, some members of Congress say the White House should pass special legislation to fund intelligence activities. 

 

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told a Senate panel that's 70% of the nation’s civilian intelligence workers are furloughed because of the shutdown. 

 

“This seriously damages our ability to protect the safety and security of this nation and its citizens.” 

 

Clapper said the harm to intelligence gathering would grow the longer the government is closed. He said he and other intelligence leaders are assessing day to day which works are essential to protect against the most serious threats. Some members of the Senate Judiciary Committee called on the president to authorize special funding for intelligence work. Larry Abramson, NPR News. 

 

House Democrats are taking the wraps off an immigration bill they say opens a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants. The measure unveiled today by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. More than a dozen others would also tighten security along the nation's borders. 

 

The Moody's ADP private payroll report out today shows slower-than-expected jobs growth in the month of September -- around 166,000. NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports the softening is happening because of fiscal cutbacks. 

 

The recent rising interest rate has slowed hiring in the financial services sector and job growth is also lower in retail and leisure and hospitality. But construction is still picking up as the housing market improves. Moody's chief economist Mark Zandi says the real threat to economic growth in the job market is fiscal deadlock -- not just the current government shutdown, but the prospect of Congress not raising the debt ceiling by the deadline of October 17th. 

 

“I think that policymakers will have opened an economic Pandora's box, and it's gonna be pretty hard to get it all back together again, and that will do significant economic damage.” 

 

He says perhaps lawmakers will only act when people really start losing money. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News, Washington. 

 

On Wall Street, the Dow was down 58 points; the S&P 500 lost one point. This is NPR. 

 

(A) US research institute is saying that new satellite images seem to point toward further signs of North Korea restarting a nuclear reactor that could allow for the production of plutonium. North Korea in April announced plans to restart a reactor shuttered under terms of the 2007 disarmament deal, and satellite images taken recently showed steam coming from an adjacent generator building, suggesting the North may be in the process of starting the reactor back up again. 

 

In a report out today from the Death Penalty Information Center says just 2% of counties in the US are responsible for most cases that lead to executions. NPR's Kathy Lohr reports the group found 80% of counties have no inmates on death row. 

 

The center, which opposes the death penalty, says states that use the death penalty the most are Texas, Virginia, Oklahoma and Florida, with Texas accounting for the biggest share at 38%. But the report says even in Texas only a small number of counties -- four of them -- carried out nearly half of the executions. Professor Robert Smith at the University of North Carolina says decisions by a single prosecutor can affect the death penalty more than decisions made across entire state. He said between 2004 and 2009 just 10% of counties in the US accounted for all the death sentences imposed. Kathy Lohr, NPR News. 

 

The nation's largest car rental company is putting up the ‘Help Wanted’ sign. Enterprise Holdings says it's looking to fill nearly 11,000 new full-time positions by the middle of next year, but 8,500 of which will be management trainee posts. All the positions the company will be looking to fill include information technology, administration and support roles at the company's headquarters in suburban St. Louis. In addition, Enterprise Company also owns Alamo and the National Car Rental chain.