10 things you need to know today: October 5, 2013

Republicans won't budge on ObamaCare, details emerge about the suspect in the Capitol Hill car chase, and more

John Boehner
(Image credit: (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite))

1. Republicans aren't backing down on the government shutdown

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) refused to sign a "clean" federal spending bill on Friday, saying Republicans just wanted to "sit down and have a discussion, reopen the government and bring fairness to the American people under ObamaCare." A CBS News poll shows that 72 percent of Americans disapprove of shutting down the government over the Affordable Care Act. [CBS News, New York Times]

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2. Details emerge about woman shot during Capitol Hill incident

Miriam Carey, the 34-year-old woman who allegedly crashed her car into the barricades outside of the White House and then was shot dead by police after a car chase, had been hospitalized for postpartum depression, according to her mother. Law enforcement officials told reporters that she might have also been delusional and believed that President Barack Obama was trying to communicate with her. [Daily Beast, USA Today]

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3. President supports House bill to pay furloughed workers

The White House announced on Friday that President Obama would sign a bill proposed by the Republican-led House that would provide back-pay to workers who have been forced to take furloughs as a result of the government shutdown. Congress is scheduled to vote on the bill on Saturday. [Fox News]

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4. Famous Vietnamese general dies

Vo Nguyen Giap, the general who led North Vietnamese forces against the U.S. military in Vietnam during the 1960s and 1970s, died in a military hospital in Hanoi. He was 102. Despite his involvement in a war that claimed more than 2.5 million lives, he supported closer ties with the U.S. government once the conflict was over. [New York Times]

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5. Protesters killed in Egypt

At least four people died on Friday after the Egyptian military fired at protesters who had gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square to demand an end to military rule and show support for ousted President Mohammed Morsi and his party, the Muslim Brotherhood. Protests are expected to ramp up in anticipation of Oct. 6, the 40th anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. [BBC]

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6. Governor gets in trouble for comparing gay marriage to incest

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (R) was attacked by his political opponents on Friday after he compared gay marriage to incest on a local TV news show. Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.), his likely Democratic opponent in 2014, called Corbett's comments "an insult to thousands of gay and lesbian Pennsylvanians who simply want equality." [Philadelphia Inquirer]

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7. Federal government fails to release jobs report

The government shutdown put a wrench in the plans of the Federal Reserve, Wall Street firms, and journalists after the Labor Department failed to release a jobs report on Friday. Economists believe it would have shown modest growth from last month. The delay could complicate the Fed's plan to potentially start winding down its bond-buying program. [Wall Street Journal]

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8. Gulf states declare emergency as Tropical Storm Karen approaches

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant announced a state of emergency on Friday as Tropical Storm Karen moved north through the Gulf of Mexico maintaining wind speeds of 60 m.p.h. Officials predict that Karen won't become a hurricane but could still create dangerous waves and flooding along the coast. [U.S. News & World Report]

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9. A-Rod sues Major League Baseball

New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez filed a lawsuit on Friday against Major League Baseball and commissioner Bud Selig, accusing them of improperly gathering "evidence that they hope to use to destroy the reputation and career of Alex Rodriguez." Rodriguez is facing a 211-game suspension for his alleged involvement in the Biogenesis performance-enhancing drug scandal. [ESPN]

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10. Instagram to start featuring ads

Instagram, the photo-sharing social network site bought by Facebook in 2012 for more than $700 million, announced that it would display advertisements in users' feeds starting sometime in the next few months. The service has more than 150 million users, none of whom pay to use it. [Bloomberg]

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Keith Wagstaff is a staff writer at TheWeek.com covering politics and current events. He has previously written for such publications as TIME, Details, VICE, and the Village Voice.