Chicago Sun-Times

Deadline missed, government shuts down for first time in 17 years

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 10:54:33 -0500

Congress plunged the U.S. government into a partial shutdown Tuesday for the first time in nearly two decades, as a conservative attempt to derail President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul stalled a temporary funding bill.

For many US Jews, religion not tied to belief

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 09:34:00 -0500

A new survey of U.S. Jews has confirmed some of the community’s worst fears: One in five American Jews say they have no religion, and their ranks appear to be growing.

Rock slide victims all in same family: authorities

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 12:45:39 -0500

All five people who were killed in a Colorado rockslide and a teenage girl who survived with the help of her father were members of the same family, authorities said Tuesday. The girl was airlifted to a Denver hospital with a broken leg after being dug out by rescuers.

Health insurance markets open; site slow to respond

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 12:23:12 -0500

Millions of Americans can now shop on the insurance marketplaces at the heart of President Barack Obama’s health care reforms, but efforts early Tuesday to access the online marketplace in Illinois prompted a message saying traffic to the site was heavy. The website churned slowly to the log-in page, but eventually got there. Whether consumers will be pleased with the experience, the premiums and the out-of-pocket costs of the plans offered to them will finally start to become clear Tuesday. The nationwide rollout comes after months of buildup in which the marketplaces, also known as exchanges, have been both praised …

Ohio trial opens for man accused in Navy vets scam

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 12:16:00 -0500

A onetime fugitive charged in a $100 million multistate fraud under the guise of helping Navy veterans is going on trial after losing a bid to subpoena U.S. House Speaker John Boehner and other leading Ohio politicians.

Life in prison for NJ chemist who poisoned husband

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:43:05 -0500

A judge in New Jersey has sentenced a chemist to life prison for fatally poisoning her husband during a contentious divorce.

Judge hears claims BP lied to feds about oil spill

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 13:17:47 -0500

BP lied to the U.S. government and withheld information about the amount of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico after its well blew out in 2010, attorneys told a judge Monday.

Small number of schools drop out of lunch program

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 08:24:00 -0500

The Agriculture Department says 524 schools — out of about 100,000 — have dropped out of the federally subsidized national school lunch program since the government introduced new standards for healthier foods last year.

Blinking art exhibit closed after patrons fall ill

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 08:22:00 -0500

Authorities have temporarily shut down a room-sized art installation with blinking lights in Pittsburgh after three visitors reported seizure-like symptoms.

No survivors expected in fiery Calif. jet crash

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 12:16:56 -0500

Investigators awaited the arrival of a crane Monday at a Southern California airport where a private jet crashed into a hangar after landing, but they did not expect to find any survivors on the flight from Idaho, officials said.

New commercial supply ship reaches space station

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 08:16:00 -0500

NASA’s newest delivery service made its first-ever shipment to the International Space Station on Sunday, another triumph for the booming commercial space arena that has its sights set on launching astronauts.

Shutdown showdown intensifies over Obamacare delay

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 01:42:53 -0500

The United States braced for a partial government shutdown Tuesday after the White House and congressional Democrats declared they would reject a bill approved by the Republican-led House to delay implementing President Barack Obama’s health-care reform.

Justice Dept. to sue North Carolina over tough new voting rules

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 00:58:00 -0500

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department will sue the state of North Carolina for alleged racial discrimination over tough new voting rules, the latest effort by the Obama administration to fight back against a Supreme Court decision that struck down the most powerful part of the landmark Voting Rights Act and freed southern states from strict federal oversight of their elections.

Closed for business: Government shutdown history

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 00:02:28 -0500

The potential for a partial government shutdown on Tuesday is a quirk of American history. So if you’re bored with blaming House Republicans or President Barack Obama, you can lay some responsibility on the Founding Fathers. A history of government shutdowns, American-style.

Fear permeates young lives of Newtown witnesses

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 12:08:00 -0500

Hundreds of children at Sandy Hook Elementary School survived the shooting, but the horrors have been especially difficult to overcome for some of the 6- and 7-year-olds who witnessed the bloodbath. Among the survivors are a dozen first-graders from the two classrooms where the gunman opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle.

USC fires coach Kiffin after 7th loss in 11 games

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 13:40:04 -0500

Southern California fired Lane Kiffin early Sunday morning, ending the coach’s tumultuous tenure a few hours after the Trojans lost 62-41 at Arizona State.