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Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Tainted Chicken
A Salmonella outbreak linked to a California poultry producer has sickened nearly 300 people in 18 states, health officials say. As of Tuesday morning, no recall had been issued.
Raw chicken products from Foster Farms plants have been identified as the likely source of this outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg.
The CDC first alerted FSIS to a growing number of Salmonella cases on July 1, USDA spokesman Aaron Lavallee told CNN. At the time, 18 people had been sickened in four states, and Foster Farms was a possible link between the patients. USDA investigators began "site sampling," or testing Foster Farms facilities on September 9, and concluded their analysis of the majority of the samples collected on October 7.
"The partial government shutdown did not affect the investigation or communication with the public," Lavallee said.
The Salmonella outbreak comes one week after CDC Director Tom Frieden tweeted: "CDC had to furlough 8,754 people. They protected you yesterday, can't tomorrow. Microbes/other treats didn't shut down. We are less safe."
That raises the question: With government agencies like the CDC on furlough due to the partial government shutdown, is our food supply safe?
The shutdown notice issued by the USDA indicates the the FSIS will continue to inspect birds and animals intended for use as food both before and after slaughter, supervise the further processing of meat and poultry products, ensure that meat, poultry and egg products are safe and also prevent the sale of adulterated meat or poultry products. Despite furloughing 1,218 employees, the USDA says no meat and poultry inspectors have been put on leave.
But future outbreak investigations could be affected by the government shutdown if it continues much longer, some experts say.
"The CDC is the central coordination point and often the leader of the investigation, and the state health departments all collaborate under the umbrella of CDC guidance," says Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University. "The CDC invariably is the conductor of the investigative orchestra."
Obama Says He'd Talk On GOP's Terms - If They Raise Debt Ceiling, Fund Government
President Barack Obama is ready to talk even on Republicans' terms, he insisted Tuesday, so long as Congress acts first to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling - even for a short period.
At a news conference, Obama indicated Republicans could essentially set the agenda for budget negotiations, but only if Congress agrees first to a short-term spending plan to fund the government and to raise the federal borrowing limit to avoid a possible first-ever U.S. default next week.
"I will talk about anything," the president said.
White House Signals Possible Opening On Debt Ceiling
Is it a glimmer of hope, or more rhetoric as the deadline for possible government default gets closer?
After weeks of near silence without any hint of a potential compromise between the Obama administration and congressional Republicans over raising the nation's debt ceiling, the White House may be offering some conciliatory language that could help lead to a deal to prevent a potential default on October 17.
As recently as Friday, White House officials declined to specify any demand for the length of a deal to increase the nation's debt ceiling.
Official: Navy SEAL Team Pulled Out When It Couldn't Capture Suspect Alive
U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six pulled out during a raid in Somalia to capture suspected Al-Shabaab leader Ikrima when it became clear that he couldn't be taken alive, a senior U.S. official told CNN.
"Their mission was to capture him. Once it became clear we were not going to (be) able to take him, the Navy commander made the decision to withdraw," said the official, who has direct knowledge of the entire Somalia operation but declined to be identified publicly.
The official said the SEALs faced heavy opposition and an intense firefight broke out, leading to the withdrawal.
The mission's aim - to capture Ikrima - is the reason the team went in rather than using a drone to attack the heavily guarded seaside villa, the official said.
Another U.S. official told CNN the Navy SEALs reported seeing children at the compound, part of the reason the mission was stopped during the firefight.
Send Us Your #MorningRhyme
This really isn't complicated, we want your creative side to be sated.
So get involved and you can submit small poems on Twitter and Facebook with the #MorningRhyme #EarlyStart and we may read them on air.
They can be about our "Early Start" anchors, news stories of the day, or anything you'd like to share.
Here's an example of something funny Twitter user @RaymonWright submitted Tuesday that we shared on TV:
@RaymonWright: Berman's ok, but I can not lie. Zoraida's the real reason I wake up before 5. #MorningRhyme @JohnBerman @ZoraidaCNN
Boehner Vows No Deal On Budget Or Debt Limit Without Spending Talks With Obama
As the partial shutdown of the federal government enters its seventh day Monday, the countdown to a government debt default drops to ten days.
A default is widely regarded as a much bigger economic disaster than the shutdown of non-essential services. President Barack Obama has demanded that Congress raise the debt ceiling, and avoid default, without conditions.
But House Speaker John Boehner said Sunday there will be no debt limit increase, and no end to the partial shutdown, unless President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats negotiate with House Republicans.
Boehner told ABC News that President Obama and some objective observers are wrong about the number of House Republicans who would vote for a so-called "clean" continuing resolution to re-open the federal government without conditions.
"There are not the votes in the House to pass a clean CR," the speaker said
U.S. Terror Raids: Two Operations. Two Outcomes. Many Questions
Two secret blitzes. Two high-value targets. Two very different outcomes.
U.S. forces conducted dual raids on northern and eastern coasts of Africa over the weekend in the hunt for two suspected terrorists: Abu Anas al Libi, a suspected al Qaeda operative wanted for the deadly 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa; and an Al-Shabaab foreign fighter commander named Ikrima.
American forces snatched al Libi in the Libyan capital Saturday morning. But 3,000 miles away, the plan to catch Ikrima didn't go as planned. Navy SEALs came under heavy fire during their raid and had to retreat - not knowing whether Ikrima was dead or alive
GOP Legislator: Boehner Won't Let Government Default On Its Debt
The federal government may not be hit with a double whammy on top of the ongoing shutdown, as House Speaker John Boehner told a group of fellow GOP legislators that he won't let the nation default on its debt, according to a House Republican. CNN's Brianna Keilar reports.
Boehner said that he'd set aside the "Hastert Rule" - that Republicans would only bring measures up for a vote if they are backed by a majority of their caucus - and rely on Democrats to pass a measure to raise the nation's debt limit, said the House member. This legislator attended a meeting Wednesday involving Boehner, but requested anonymity because that gathering was private.
Congressional Republicans remain divided on how to structure legislation to raise the government's borrowing level. And an aide to the House speaker downplayed the development, saying, "Boehner has always said the United States will not default on its debt, so that's not news."
Investigators Search For Clues Behind U.S. Capitol Car Chase And Shooting
After all the chaos and gunfire, still remains the question: Why did a woman with a young child try to drive into a blocked entrance near the White House?
The woman, identified by law enforcement officials as Miriam Carey, was shot dead Thursday, CNN's Joe Johns reports.
But why?
Investigators searched for clues at the woman's Stamford, Connecticut, home into the evening, law enforcement sources said. Police and bomb squad units surrounded an apartment complex there. But authorities gave little official word on what was found.
No End In Sight To Government Shutdown After 'Unproductive' White House Meeting
After weeks of talking past each other, congressional leaders and President Barack Obama talked to each other Wednesday evening - only to emerge evidently no closer to a deal to halt the government's budget stalemate, CNN's Brianna Keilar reports.
The White House meeting, coming a day after the start of the federal government shutdown, served at least one purpose, in that key players in the debate gathered together in the same room for over an hour: Obama called it "useful," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said it was "worthwhile," and House Speaker John Boehner cast it as a "polite conversation."
But while the sides talked, there was no indication they agreed on anything or even shifted their views.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, for instance, went so far as to call it "unproductive." Neither side discussed any potential compromises, with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden doing most of the talking and Boehner making clear he won't go forward with a "clean" funding bill - with no Obamacare amendments - a GOP congressional source said.
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