Channel 2 CBS
Federal Workers Protest Possible Government Shutdown, September 30, 2013 2:43 PM http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/09/30/federal-workers-demonstrate-against-possible-government-shutdown/
CHICAGO (CBS/AP) — About six dozen federal workers demonstrated in the Loop this afternoon against a possible government shutdown.
Local Impact Of Federal Government Shutdown, October 1, 2013 5:52 AM http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/10/01/local-impact-of-federal-government-shutdown/
Federal Employees Grateful To Work Again, But Leery Of Congress CBS Channel 2 Chicago October 17, 2013 http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/10/17/with-damage-done-federal-employees-grateful-to-work-again/
Channel 5 NBC
Officials: Chicago Area Won’t Feel Short-Term Shutdown By Emily Florez and Alexandria Fisher Tuesday, Oct 1, 2013 | Updated 8:52 AM CDT http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Officials-Chicago-Area-Wont-Feel-Short-Term-Shutdown-225947151.html
Furloughed Chicago Couple Feel Like “Political Pawns” 30-year EPA veterans forced to stay at home Thursday, Oct 3, 2013 | Updated 1:16 PM CDT http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Furloughed-Chicago-Couple-Feel-Like-Political-Pawns-226240691.html
National Public Radio
Preparing For Shutdown, Government Plans Furloughs by The Associated Press September 27, 2013 5:29 PM http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=226716045
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a third of federal workers would be told to stay home if the government shuts down, forcing the closure of national parks from California to Maine and all the Smithsonian museums. Low-to-moderate income borrowers and first-time homebuyers seeking government-backed mortgages could face delays.
Economic impact of a government shutdown NPR Afternoon Shift, September 30, 2013 https://soundcloud.com/afternoonshiftwbez/government-shutdown
With a government shutdown looming and possibly more than a one million federal workers about to be laid off, what’s the economic impact? Are you concerned about how this will affect the economy? John O’Grady is the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 704. Bob Johnson is the Director of Economic Analysis at Morningstar Inc. Photo credit: flickr / BTC world news
Economists Say Shutdown Will Hurt, But Hard To Add It Up by October 01, 2013 5:14 AM http://www.npr.org/2013/09/30/227889703/economists-say-shutdown-will-hurt-but-hard-to-add-it-up
During Shutdown, EPA Office Finds Old Soup In Office Fridge October 18, 2013 7:12 AM http://www.npr.org/2013/10/18/236797850/during-shutdown-epa-office-finds-old-soup-in-office-fridge
Even after sending home nearly all its staff during the shutdown, the Chicago office of the Environmental Protection Agency managed to detect a potentially toxic substance. A 16-year-old can of Campbell’s soup was discovered in a refrigerator there.
Other News Media
With a federal shutdown looming, Chicago faces layoffs By Paul Merrion September 26, 2013 http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130926/NEWS02/130929855/with-a-federal-shutdown-looming-chicago-faces-layoffs
Here we go again. The likely shutdown of the U.S. government, Chicago’s largest employer, on Oct. 1 will suspend work and pay for many of the 55,000 federal workers in the region.
Feds prepare to furlough up to 800,000 employees in the event of a shutdown, POLITICS — September 27, 2013 at 2:12 PM ET http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/09/federal-goverment-prepares-to-furlough-up-to-800000-employees-in-the-event-of-a-shutdown.html
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a third of federal workers would be told to stay home if the government shuts down, forcing the closure of national parks from California to Maine and all the Smithsonian museums. Workers at the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs wouldn’t be around to process visa and passport applications, complicating the travel plans of hundreds of thousands.
10 Ways a Government Shutdown Might Affect You – Even If You’re Not a Federal Worker Trash pickup, national parks, building inspections (and parking tickets) may be put on hold By Sam Hananel, Carissa DiMargo and Alana Wise Monday, Sep 30, 2013 PM EDT http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/10-Ways-a-Government-Shutdown-Might-Affect-You–Even-If-Youre-Not-a-Federal-Worker-225528942.html
More than a third of federal workers would be told to stay home if the government shuts down — but even if you’re not one of those facing a furlough, your daily life could be affected in ways you might not expect.
Chicago’s Federal Workers To Congress: Stop Political Games, Avoid Government Shutdown (VIDEO) Monday, September 30, 2013 http://www.progressillinois.com/posts/content/2013/09/30/chicago-fed-workers-congress-stop-political-games-avoid-government-shutdown
With the threat of a government shutdown getting closer by the hour, more than 60 federal civilian employees protested at Chicago’s Federal Plaza Monday, calling on Congress to “stop the lockout.” Progress Illinois attended the rally.
Protest of federal shutdown draws Chicago crowd The Associated Press Posted Sep 30, 2013 @ 01:25 PM http://www.pjstar.com/free/x1155168031/Chicago-union-member-plan-rally-against-government-shutdown
CHICAGO — A crowd of government workers in Chicago are protesting the possibility of a federal shutdown. Nearly 100 employees from federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development rallied in a downtown plaza on Monday. Thousands of workers could be furloughed if the shutdown materializes. Protesters held signs reading “Jobs Not Furloughs.”
US Government Shutdown And Science: Curiosity Goes To Sleep, Flu Monitoring Goes Offline [UPDATE] By Roxanne Palmeron September 30 2013 12:14 PM http://www.ibtimes.com/us-government-shutdown-science-curiosity-goes-sleep-flu-monitoring-goes-offline-update-1412850
Federal Workers Nationwide Protest Government Shutdown Allison Kilkenny on October 1, 2013 – 10:06 AM ET http://www.thenation.com/blog/176429/federal-workers-nationwide-protest-government-shutdown#
The US government shut down at midnight as the Republican-controlled House continued to demand changes to Obamacare, and in response workers all across the country are protesting the GOP’s actions. Economic impact of a government shutdown Monday, September 30, 2013 https://soundcloud.com/afternoonshiftwbez/government-shutdown
With a government shutdown looming and possibly more than a one million federal workers about to be laid off, what’s the economic impact? Are you concerned about how this will affect the economy? John O’Grady is the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 704. Bob Johnson is the Director of Economic Analysis at Morningstar Inc. Photo credit: flickr / BTC world news
Federal employees in Chicago protest government shutdown, October 1, 2013 http://www.wlsam.com/common/page.php?pt=Federal+employees+in+Chicago+protest+government+shutdown&id=69483&is_corp=0
Unionized federal workers bracing for a government shutdown angrily called on Congress to end its budgetary stalemate Monday, saying furloughs would hurt the economy and the delivery of important services, the Sun-Times is reporting. Members of the American Federation of Government Employees staged a lunch-hour rally at the Federal Plaza, 230 S. Dearborn.
Federal Workers Nationwide Protest Government Shutdown October 1, 2013 http://irasciblemusings.com/federal-workers-nationwide-protest-government-shutdown/
The US government shut down at midnight as the Republican-controlled House continued to demand changes to Obamacare, and in response workers all across the country are protesting the GOP’s actions. Nearly 100 government employees rallied in downtown Chicago at Federal Plaza on Monday to protest the shutdown, the first in seventeen years, calling Congress’ actions, “political theater of the absurd.” Fox Chicago reports workers carried signs reading: “Jobs Not Furloughs.”
United States federal government shutdown of 2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_government_shutdown_of_2013
From October 1 to 17, 2013, the United States federal government entered a shutdown and curtailed most routine operations after Congress failed to enact legislation appropriating funds for fiscal year 2014, or a continuing resolution for the interim authorization of appropriations for fiscal year 2014. Approximately 800,000 federal employees were indefinitely furloughed, and another 1.3 million were required to report to work without known payment dates. Only those employees and services deemed “excepted” under the Antideficiency Act continued government operations. The most recent previous U.S. federal government shutdown was in 1995–96. The 16-day duration of the October 2013 shutdown was the third-longest government shutdown in U.S. history, after the 18-day shutdown in 1978 and the 21-day 1995-96 shutdown.
Area government workers frustrated by shutdown Plenty of ‘real work’ isn’t getting done, they say October 06, 2013 http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-10-06/news/ct-met-shutdown-illinois-furloughs-20131006_1_shutdown-federal-workers-federal-government
Mike Mikulka was supposed to spend last week in Marinette, Wis., overseeing a $110 million project to clean up the Menomonee River, which is contaminated with arsenic.
AFGE Local 704 President calls Republican federal shutdown irresponsible October 2, 2013 by laborradio By Doug Cunningham http://laborradio.org/2013/10/afge-local-704-president-calls-republican-federal-shutdown-irresponsible/
John O’Grady, president of AFGE Local 704 in Chicago representing Environmental Protection Agency workers, says the House Republican government shutdown caused by the obsession to stop the Affordable Care Act is irresponsible and harmful to workers. O’Grady says with 48 million Americans without health insurance, it’s right and proper for government to step in to help them.
US shutdown hits Obama’s climate agenda as EPA staff are sent home Suzanne Goldberg, US environment correspondent 2 October 2013 12.10 EDT http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/02/us-shutdown-obama-climate-epa
About 94% of the employees of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been sent on leave of absence as part of the US government shutdown. Officials say government shutdown will disrupt monitoring of air and water quality and delay new rules for penalising polluters
EPA Furloughs Not Boding Well For Chicago’s Water Concerns, October 5, 2013 http://chicagoist.com/2013/10/05/the_shutdown_and_chicago_yuck.php
And while its true the EPA won’t be putting out more regulations, there are plenty of other things they won’t be doing…like monitoring superfund sites, cleaning up arsenic-tainted Wisconsin rivers…or keeping an eye on what gets dumped into our rivers and water supplies.
This quote sorta sums it up: “It stinks,” said John O’Grady, a union representative at the EPA’s Chicago office. “No one is going to be out inspecting water discharges, or wet lands. Nobody is going to be out inspecting waste water treatment plants, drinking water treatment plants, or landfills – nothing. None of that is going to be done. The employees are absolutely devastated.”
Government Shutdown Halts EPA Air and Water Monitoring By Clare Foran | National Journal – Oct 2, 2013 http://news.yahoo.com/government-shutdown-halts-epa-air-water-monitoring-163525736–politics.html
With the federal government shutdown in its second day, the Environmental Protection Agency is operating without 94 percent of its staff. As a result, according to the Guardian, air- and water-quality inspections have ground to a halt—raising potential public-health concerns.
4 Ways the Government Shutdown Is Messing with Your Health It’s not just government bickering—your health is on the line while Congress battles over the budget. http://www.rodalenews.com/government-shutdown-impacts
As the government shutdown drags on for a third week, there are lots of stories about weddings being cancelled at federal monuments and national parks being closed to tourists (a situation that’s apparently so economically devastating that the governor of Utah declared a state of emergency for four counties surrounding the state’s popular parks).
Parceled EPA shutdown poses environmental threat By Frank Saverino
08 October 2013 http://www.tcnjsignal.net/2013/10/08/parceled-epa-shutdown-poses-environmental-threat/
The Environmental Protection Agency is one of the federal organizations that has been most affected by the recent government shutdown, with 94 percent of its employees furloughed indefinitely and many of its current activities put on pause. There are over 150 EPA facilities across all 50 states and four U.S. territories, the majority of which have been given a window of five days to cease operations. The EPA has reserved a core group of emergency staff — 1,069 employees — to continue working in case of an environmental incident that might create an “imminent threat to human life,” and only experiments or activities financed by unexpired or unobligated appropriations have continued running.
American Federation of Government Employees Local 704 