And now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine...
Priority Check
Death benefits for families of fallen soldiers?
Not essential.
Funding the National Institutes of Health and cancer trials there?
Not essential.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)?
Essential?
The Obama administration gave the CPB $445 million on the first day of the partial shutdown.
That means funding of PBS "NewsHour", NPR, and "Sesame Street" continues.
The news drew outrage from several conservatives.
And Media Research Center notes PBS has hosted two very friendly interviews with President Obama in recent weeks.
Adding quote -- "It certainly looks like 'you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours.' Liberals see PBS and NPR as their own personal sandbox."
In a statement to FoxNews.com CPB says the money is indispensable and provides jobs for thousands of people.
So Long
Say goodbye to perhaps the greatest symbol of sportsmanship.
Kentucky has banned post-game handshakes at sporting events because violence has broken out.
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association is not enforcing that rule yet, but if a fight does happen it's on the coaches and officials right now.
This Is Scary
Meanwhile, a Pennsylvania Middle School is doing away with another long-standing tradition -- Halloween.
A letter to parents says -- quote -- "Some holidays observed in the community that are considered by many to be secular -- for example Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Valentine's Day -- are viewed by others as having religious overtones."
As you might imagine -- a lot of parents aren't too happy with that letter.
Open & Shut?
Finally, here's a new one.
An Ohio man walks out of a courtroom still legally dead.
A 61-year-old living, breathing, talking man says he went underground due to struggles with alcohol and paying child support.
His ex-wife asked that he be declared legally dead so their children could receive social security death benefits.
Now he has resurfaced -- after almost 20 years -- and wants his social security number and driver's license reinstated.
The judge said no, citing the three-year limit for changing a death ruling.
Quote -- "I don't know where that leaves you, but you're still deceased as far as the law is concerned."
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