Starbucks takes a stand against the government shutdown

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is fed up with lawmakers inability to resolve the government shutdown. He wants Congress to come together to fix the problems in Washington and he is willing to give away free coffee to generous customers who set an example. Earlier this week, Starbucks announced plans to offer a free cup of coffee to any customer that purchased a beverage for someone else.  In a memo to staff, Schultz said the offer was a way to help his fellow citizens "support and connect with one another, even as we wait for our elected officials to do the same for our country."

The coffee giant has also started a petition-- a peacemaking effort of sorts--that asks officials to reopen the government, pay U.S. national debts on time & pass a long-term budget deal by the end of the year. Schultz plans to share the petition with business leaders and anticipates they will gather "a lot" of signatures.  The petition will be available starting today [Friday] at all 11,000 U.S. locations--

So what do you think about all of this? Should a business CEO take matters into his own hands? What kind of impact--if any-- will this have? Would you sign the petition?  Share your thoughts with us on the blog or via Twitter @BretBaier and if you have photos please send them our way! We will share them on social media! 

Photos: A message from the Starbucks iPhone app advertising free coffee to customers who purchase a drink for another person. Second photo was taken at a Starbucks location on Capitol Hill about 2.5 blocks from the U.S. Capitol as a way to help furloughed workers. 

Thousands gather on ‘closed’ National Mall for immigration reform rally

By Gabriella Morrongiello

(Photo: Getty Images)

WASHINGTON-- Despite restricting veterans’ access to war memorials and limiting sightseeing and museum-going for tourists visiting the Nation’s capital, the government shutdown and subsequent closure of National Parks, open-air monuments and memorials did not prevent thousands of immigrants – both legal and illegal – from marching on the National Mall Tuesday to support comprehensive immigration reform.

The March for Immigrant Dignity and Respect, dubbed the “Camino Americano” or American Walk, included participants from groups like the Service Employees International Union, United Farmworkers and CASA de Maryland. Thousands turned out and listened as speakers like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and vibrant immigration reform advocate Rep. Luis Guiterrez called for a path toward citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

Furthermore, leading immigrants’ rights activists - joined by eight Democratic lawmakers – were arrested by Capitol Police in an act of civil disobedience with onlookers chanting “let them go” and the popular rallying cry “Sí, se Puede,”-- Yes, we can.

Though the march drew a large crowd and served to reenergize immigration reform advocates, critics questioned its clearance in the first place granted that veterans and Americans have been turned away from National Parks and memorials closed during the shutdown.

“It was troubling, the ease with which illegal immigrants can rally on a supposedly closed facility. That suggests a kind of warped priority on behalf of the administration,” said Steven Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies-- an organization dedicated to studying the fiscal consequences of immigration.  

On its face, Camarota believes that allowing the rally to occur after veterans were turned away from the WWII memorial just last week suggests “the administration is more accommodating to people who aren’t supposed to be in the country than they are to our veterans.”

Susana Flores, a spokeswoman for the immigrant advocacy group CASA de Action who organized the march, refuted such claims.

“They [National Parks Services] allowed us to have it because it is part of the First Amendment of the constitution,” Flores told the Daily Caller.

Leslie Arias, a college student from New York who came to the march with a student group called the John Jay DREAMers, believed that “veterans should have the right to come in and see the monuments and everything because they also fought for the country,” noting, however, that the she doesn’t feel the march taking place was unfair.

“I mean I wouldn’t say it’s unfair because I feel this is a different cause, a completely different cause and it’s a different matter—I think it’s a larger matter,” said Arias. “Not to say that veterans like don’t matter, but it’s like you guys are allowed, you guys have your rights, you guys are citizens, you guys are veterans in the country. These are people that are fighting for something.”

However, other organizations fighting for various causes that also planned to hold events on the Mall weren’t as fortunate and have had to cancel or make alternative arrangements for their events. The Kicking for Kids Who Can’t Kick-a-thon sponsored by the Amputee Coalition was scheduled for Oct. 19 on the Mall, but was cancelled by organizers in light of the shutdown. Additionally, organizers of the Children’s National Medical Center’s 5k Race for Every Child had to move Saturday’s activities off of Freedom Plaza and onto Pennsylvania Ave., though the actual 5k route remained unchanged.

Interns, work-study students furloughed during shutdown

 By Gabriella Morrongiello

WASHINGTON-- Numerous college students pursuing internships or federal work-study positions inside the Beltway have been asked to stay home amid the government shut down. 

Like many college students, those attending school in D.C. often work part-time to help cover the costs of textbooks and tuition. For these students however, rather than serving coffee at a campus java shop they often have the unique benefit of seeking internships and part-time jobs at a variety of federal agencies and institutions within the District. 

Nonetheless, until Congress can reach an agreement and end the government shutdown students employed at federal agencies may be wishing they'd chosen the campus coffee shop instead.

"We want people to understand that there aren't necessarily big, impending disruptions coming. Your financial aid is not going to disappear," Kent Springfield, Director of Federal Government Relations told George Washington University's online newsletter, noting however that "if you're a student who has a federal work study job at a federal agency you will not be able to go into work."

Amanda Rewarts, a sophomore at the George Washington University just recently secured a Federal Work-Study position at the National Archives and was eager to begin her second Friday on the job. As political ping pong continued however, her boss told advised her to “watch the news to know if the government was going to shutdown” in order to determine whether she could come into work on Friday. 

“I have only missed one day of work, but it will significantly reduce my hours…” said Rewarts. “But there is not much I can do besides wait. And I really want to get started because I will probably have to be trained again [since] I have forgotten everything I learned on the first day.”

According to Michelle Sherrard, Executive Director of Communications for The George Washington University, there are plenty more students like Rewarts.

"We have about 50 students who work at agencies affected by the shutdown. We have been in touch with the students since early this week to keep them informed," said Sherrard.

Timeline of Capitol Hill Chaos

Breaking: Gunshots reported on Capitol Hill

Message that staffers have received on Capitol Hill:

SHELTER IN PLACE.  Gunshots have been reported on Capitol Hill requiring all occupants in all House Office Buildings to shelter in place.  Close, lock and stay away from external doors and windows.  Take annunciators, Go Kits and escape hoods; and move to the innermost part of the office away from external doors or windows.  If you are not in your office, take shelter in the nearest office, check in with your OEC and wait for USCP to clear the incident.  No one will be permitted to enter or exit the building until directed by USCP. All staff should monitor the situation. Further information will be provided as it becomes available.

.

Message from Senate Sergeant-at-Arms:

There have been shots fired reported. There is no indication that there is a threat in the building. Stay in your offices with your doors locked. 

400,000 Twitter Followers!

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So tweet it out and spread the word! Let's get Bret to 400,000 followers and mail out some awesome Fox News prizes!!

Key Obamacare provision may hamper Millenial participation

By Gabriella Morrongiello

When the President's healthcare legislation was first introduced young adults were drawn to a provision allowing them to remain on their family's health insurance plan until their 26th birthday. The popularity of that provision however, may now prove to have unintended consequences.

Last June, the Department of Health and Human Services reported that "3.1 million young adults have gained health insurance because of the health care law" and the proportion of insured adults ages 19-25 had increased "by nearly 75 percent."

With more young adults remaining on their family's plans, less will enter the exchange system Oct. 1 seeking health insurance coverage of their own. And to prevent skyrocketing premium costs, the law needs those healthy young people to sign up for coverage.

"The exchanges are built on the idea that young people will subsidize the older and sicker patients.  But I think, and others do too, that the individual plans in the exchanges are going to cost much more than the young  are going to want to pay," said Sally Pipes, invincibles President of the San Francisco-based Pacific Research Institute.

For those young adults unable to stay on a parent's plan, Pipes believes many will choose to pay the penalty of $95 or 1 percent of income beginning in 2014 rather than purchase an individual health insurance plan.

Despite the $95 penalty being far less expensive than purchasing an individual insurance plan, Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Fabien Levy believes young adults should choose the latter.

"Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, more than 3 million young adults have been able to stay on their parent's plan, and when open enrollment begins for the Health Insurance Marketplace on October 1, young adults will be able to access new, affordable options that provide them with the care they need," Levy said.

HHS and the Administration has recently launched several initiatives aiming to encourage young adults to sign up for coverage instead of paying the penalty.

According to the White House Budget Office spokeswoman Jessica Santillo, senior administration officials met in July with a group of "actors, musicians, writers and producers, who have each expressed a personal interest in educating young people about the Affordable Care Act." Additionally, HHS launched the "Healthy Young America" video contest involving a $30,000 prize pool asking young adults to submit videos that show they're "not invincible" and therefore "need health insurance."

The Washington Post recently reported that "of the 7 million people the Obama administration expects to enroll for coverage in 2014, officials say 2.7 million need to be young adults."

While the number of uninsured young adults decreases due to the provision allowing them to remain on their parents' insurance plan, so do the Administration's chances of enrolling those 2.7 million young adults.

"Clearly there’s a large number of young people who at this point are signed up under there parent’s policy and frankly, I think that’s an important thing. But for those who aren’t covered the focus needs to be on the purpose of insurance,' said Dr. Wade Horn, former assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families at HHS. "We’ve got 6 months to get the message out to young people [but] I think that if young people don’t show up in droves on October 1 no one should panic."

RIP Cosmo

We just received word (via Twitter) that Jonah Goldberg's beloved dog has passed away. Jonah will join us tonight on the panel-- share your thoughts here or via social media for him and we will pass them on.  

RIP Cosmo