IF DEFAULT CRISIS ABATES, SHUTDOWN HELL AWAITS Thousands Of Workers Still Won't Get Back Pay... Food Safety Inspections Suspended... Families Left Without Baby Food... Evicted Homeowners... AmeriCorps Training Stalled... Nuclear Plant Employees Furloughed... Anti-Terrorism Rules For Chemical Facilities Lapse... Scientific Research On Hold... 6th Grader: 'I'm Really Mad At Congress'...

WASHINGTON -- House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced Thursday that Republicans would seek a deal to raise the country's borrowing limit for six weeks. While potentially a breakthrough for stalled budget negotiations, the proposal wouldn't reopen the government, raising fears the shutdown could drag on for weeks.

The longer the shutdown persists, the worse it'll get. Hundreds of thousands of furloughed workers will miss paydays and some government safety net programs will unravel.

Candace Holmes worries her phone will get shut off soon. Holmes, 65, is a furloughed employee at the Environmental Protection Agency. Since the furlough, she's filed for unemployment and started shopping at the dollar store for her food.

"When are they going to recall us to work?" Holmes said. "You know, something I can tell my landlord. My phone company don't want to hear it -- they want their payments. It's been really bad." read more...