U S GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN RAGES

   While up to 800,000 federal workers go without pay as day one of the the Government shut down kicked in, Democrats and Republicans persisted in talking past each other without actually agreeing to end the nation's latest fiscal crisis.
   The Republicant led House offered it's latest gambit on Tuesday night but failed in separate votes to approve piecemeal funding for three specific programs- the District of Columbia, veterans affairs and national parks. The measure will be presented again on Wednesday in a way that would require only a simple majority to pass instead of a two- third majority.
   Meanwhile, as most federal workers go without pay in the shutdown, the 533 current members of US congress will be paid. That's because it's in the U S constitution. Most members of congress were surprised that congress still gets paid during a shutdown and promised to donate their pay to charity.