.Tuesday Must Reads: GOP Shuts Down Federal Government Over Obamacare; Deep-Pocketed Investors Sign On to Oakland Coliseum Project

Stories you shouldn’t miss:

1. Congressional Republicans refused to pass a bill last night that would have kept the federal government operating — unless it also delayed aspects of Obamacare for a year. Democrats and President Obama, in turn, refused to back GOP legislation that tied government funding to delaying the democratically approved Affordable Care Act, so the federal government shut down this morning, with national parks, including Yosemite National Park, and other government facilities locking out the public. It was the first government shutdown since the 1990s, when Republicans voted back then to not fund the government during disputes with President Clinton.

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Coliseum City

  • Coliseum City

2. A Dubai financier and a major real estate firm from Los Angeles have decided to invest in Oakland’s Coliseum City project, the Tribune reports. The deep-pocketed investors are interested in financing the project, which is to include sports venues, hotels, restaurants, bars, retail, office space, and housing. “I’m thrilled,” Mayor Jean Quan said about the new investment team. “They are very successful and they have very deep pockets, so they can probably afford to do the project exactly how we would like it.”

3. A new city audit found that Oakland’s risk management department drastically overspent its budget and allowed some city officials to accept expensive gifts from a private contractor in 2007 and 2008, the Chron reports. Most of the problems occurred during the Dellums administration. City Administrator Deanna Santana requested the audit and said the city has already taken steps to address some of the issues.

4. The Affordable Care Act launched today across the country, despite the federal government shut down. Uninsured Americans have until January 1 to sign up for private insurance under Obamacare.

5. A new poll found that 72 percent of Americans disapprove of shutting down the federal government over Obamacare. The Quinnipiac University poll also found that 74 percent of voters disapprove of the actions by Congressional Republicans — the lowest rating ever for the GOP in the poll.

6. And even though national parks are closed to the public during the shutdown, at least twelve of the parks nationwide will remain open for oil drilling and natural gas extraction, Think Progress reports.

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