1. President Obama’s meeting with congressional leaders goes nowhere
President Obama met with congressional leaders on Wednesday to establish terms of negotiation for ending the government shutdown, reiterating that such negotiations would begin only after House Republicans agreed to both fund the government completely and increase the debt ceiling. The House has instead proposed a series of one-off bills, which the Senate has promised to reject. The meeting ended without having made any clear progress toward resolving the differences between the two parties. [The New York Times]
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2. U.S. agrees to broaden military alliance with Japan
In a meeting with their Japanese counterparts, Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel agreed to fortify defensive relations between Japan and the United States. Over the next year, the U.S. will set up a radar system in Kyogamisaki to bolster the region’s missile defense, deploy surveillance drones, and launch joint efforts to stop cyberthreats. In turn, Japan promised stronger military support for global humanitarian relief efforts. [The New York Times]
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3. FBI shuts down Silk Road drug website
The FBI arrested a 29-year-old former physics student in San Francisco on Wednesday after identifying him as the founder of Silk Road, an eBay-like website that allowed users to purchase illicit drugs using the Bitcoin currency system. The suspect, Ross William Ulbricht, allegedly founded the website in January 2011 and earned $80 million from its sales. Court papers also reveal Ulbricht allegedly attempted to pay for two contract killings earlier this year. [Los Angeles Times]
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4. Boat carrying African migrants sinks near Lampedusa
A boat en route from Libya and carrying migrants from the African nations of Eritrea, Ghana, and Somalia has sunk near the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, killing at least 82 people. Reports say that a fire broke out on board, prompting passengers to jump into the water. Nearly 160 people have been rescued, but hundreds of the boat’s approximately 500 passengers are still missing. [BBC News, USA Today]
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5. Boston bombing suspect argues for fewer prison restrictions
The defense team for the Boston Marathon bombing suspect filed a motion Wednesday asking that severe restrictions on their client be lifted. Lawyers for 20-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev argue that the measures, which prohibit visits and communication with other inmates, are based on the nature of the crime he is accused of and not his behavior while in confinement. They also claim the restrictions place undue burdens on the defense. [Politico]
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6. $1 million thrown out of a plane in Bolivia
Bolivian anti-drug police recovered a bag containing more than $1 million after it was thrown from a low-flying plane by suspected drug traffickers. Bolivian Interior Minister Carlos Romero said the money was intended for fellow drug traffickers on the ground, and authorities speculate that the money was to be used for constructing a cocaine production center. Bolivia is among the top three cocaine producers in the world. [BBC News]
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7. Senator Ted Cruz trolls President Obama on Twitter
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), often regarded as one of the government shutdown’s biggest proponents, on Wednesday retweeted a message from President Obama’s account. The message, which asked followers to “Retweet if you want this shutdown to end,” garnered more than 25,000 retweets, including Cruz’s. Last month, Cruz stood on the Senate floor for 21 hours denouncing ObamaCare and the Democrats who were pushing to fund it. [The Atlantic Wire]
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8. Jackson family loses wrongful death trial
The five-month trial brought by the Jackson family against AEG Live was decided Wednesday, with a Los Angeles jury finding AEG Live not liable for Michael Jackson’s 2009 death. AEG Live had been producing and promoting Jackson’s comeback tour, and had hired Dr. Conrad Murray — the man currently jailed for Jackson’s death — who the Jackson family had argued was incompetent. [CNN]
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9. Author Tom Clancy dies at 66
The famed author of such military thrillers as Patriot Games and The Hunt for Red October passed away Tuesday at Johns Hopkins Hospital. In addition to writing his famous novels of espionage and military strategy, Clancy was a co-founder of Red Storm Entertainment, the studio responsible for such video game franchises as Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon. [Forbes]
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10. Companies offer freebies to the furloughed
As the government stays shuttered, local businesses in the Washington, D.C., area have devised marketing strategies to attract its workers. The nearly 800,000 furloughed federal employees can take advantage of such offers as free sandwiches from Chef Jose Andres’ three restaurants, free oil changes from the Silver Spring, Md.-based Koons auto shop, and free knitting lessons at Fibre Space — a $75 value. [USA Today]
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