10 things you need to know today: March 2, 2013

The sequester hits, Taco Bell UK falls victim to horse meat, and more in our roundup of stories that are making news and driving opinion

John Boehner, arrives at the Capitol after discussing the sequester, at the White House with President Obama and the top four congressional leaders.
(Image credit: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

1. OBAMA BLAMES CONGRESS FOR SEQUESTER

As the dreaded $85 billion in government spending cuts known as the sequester took effect Friday, President Obama blamed Congress for failing to agree on a deal that would avert those reductions. Obama said middle-class families will "have their lives disrupted" and as many as 750,000 jobs could be cut. When asked at a press conference why he couldn't reach a compromise with Republicans, the president responded with a somewhat botched mashup of Star Wars and Star Trek references, saying he couldn't do a "Jedi mind-meld and convince them to do what's right." [The Guardian]

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Samantha Rollins

Samantha Rollins is TheWeek.com's news editor. She has previously worked for The New York Times and TIME and is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.