>> those of us who are opposed to the federal government running healthcare in this country do so not out of pettiness, not out of meanness, not out of lack of concern for our fellow citizens. but because we want to diminish the role of the federal government in our lives. >> mike viqueira is at the white house, and mike, the president is summoning the leadership to

the white house this evening. is this a positive sign? >> reporter: well, it could be. they've been talking past each other. they haven't been talking to each other at all. at least now they'll be in the same room, stephanie. that's a breakthrough in the context of everything that has been happening before. what has happened before and continues to happen in the second day heading into the third day of the government shutdown is people are making the same rhetorical points over and over again. there is no negotiation whatsoever. each side waiting for the other to blink. each side waiting for the house and senate floors as messaging devices to put the other side in a box try to make them look back. try to gain some political advantage. all that translates to is utter gridlock as the government remains shutdown. as a matter of fact, the danger now is that this en pass could last a couple of more weeks. at that point it leads into the next fight that we're going to have, a fight that has much more dire consequences for the country. that is whether to raise the

debt ceiling or allow the government continue to borrow money and pay the bills it has already racked up. harry reid is the democratic leader in the senate. the white house all along has allowed him to carry the load here tactically on the senate floor rejecting every gambit the house tries to make to send him some bill that will delay or defund the president's healthcare law in some way. democrats are taking out after john boehner saying there are the votes in the house that passed a clean spending bill. here is harry reid doing just that. >> we actually work for the american people. they sent us here to get things done. not to play these silly games. here's what i propose. he's sitting on a bill that would reopen the government right now. this bill would pass in a matter of minutes. we just let democrats and republicans vote. >> reporter: that is the fundamental problem here. there are the votes in the house of representatives. however, a part of the speaker of the majority party, in this

case, the republicans are not done, stevie. as ridiculous as it sounds to put something on the floor that would pass with the hatest opposition. >> there is growing sentiment among republicans that they should breakaway from this strategy of tying the budget to the healthcare law. if enough republicans decide to break from a that strategy could they have the votes they need to get a clean bill through the house? >> reporter: that is a great point and the essential irony in all of this. by most estimates there are 150 republicans, the majority of the republicans in the house of representatives who think this is the wrong way to go, never mind season republicans who are vocal against the house conservative strategy. but the way this works in the house of representatives, the core constituency of your party, the base of your matter. the most motivated voters are the people most willing to give money to your party to conduct these campaigns, do you not betray them. even though those members of the

house in the tea party and the hard-core conservative caucus are in the minority, even within their own party the speaker is unwilling to go back on what they're willing to do. democrats are united. republicans are not. >> mike viqueira reporting from the white house, mike, thank you. wall street is starting to show uneasiness about what is going on in washington. stocks have been down since trading opened this morning. investors now fail the stalemate. and they may not agree on the borrowing limit. in that case the damage to the economy could be worse. you can see the dow is down by 70 points at this hour. it's not just here in the u.s. people around the world are trying to make sense of what the government shutdown means. we're joined by phil ittner live from london.

what is the feeling with this debt deadline looming. >> reporter: right now they're holding their breath. they don't know how this is going to play out. there has been some damage to the dollar. some markets here in you were have taken a dip, not a large one. everybody is waiting to see what that debate on the debt ceiling will result in. that's what european in particular are most concerned about. the recovery here is that even more anemic than the recovery in the u.s. the euros could easily slip back into a serious crisis. it has been said before when america sneezes the world catches a cold. that's what a lot of people here are wait to go see. and they're deeply concerned. obviously if wall street takes a

bad turn then tomorrow when markets open in europe we might see a larger down turn. for now it's just holding the breath and watching. >> not quite seeing a sneeze from wall street just yet. how is this effecting america's global reputation if at all from your vantage point? >> it's bad. you know, america's reputation has taken a number of hits over the last few years. now on the heels of the syrian debacle where there was debate domestically and it did not come very well as though america had clear leadership and decisive direction. now what we're looking at with the shutdown of the federal government the europeans are scratching their heads. they're very confused. obviously in conjunction with many americans. what is troubling for many european. it seems america has lost it's

way. it's no longer in a leadership position but domestically and internationally and a lot of people around the globe are now looking at what is happening in america saying, boy, does america know what it's doing any more? >> that's worrying, indeed. phil ittner, live from london. thanks, phil. if the shutdown continues for several days or several weeks employees furloughs will not be collecting a paycheck. not every federal employee earn this much. look at the workers at the museum and park system on average they earn $30,000 a year and stand to lose $128 a day. the shutdown means more than 400 national parks, monuments are closed and the employees that run them are on unpaid leave. visitors at mount rainier national park in washington

state have one day to get out. but no one can get in. >> at mount rainier national park there is trouble in paradise. the mountain is hit with an early and heavy snowstorm. down blow at the park's main entrance there is a cold reception of a different kind. park visitors are being turned away. >> we thought we would be hiking for days and days in the national park. >> ann and her family planned their two-week vacation months ago, flying in from fort myers, florida. >> our own government is holding us hostage practically because they can't figure out a way to deal with situations. >> as part of the government shutdown 192 mountai 192 mount r employees are now furloughed. they received their notices on tuesday. >> we're not going to have adequate staffing to provide the type of access, the type of services or certainly to respond to emergencies that people do get into here. >> only essential staff and law

enforcement are staying on. no one knows if they'll get paid for their work. mount rainier national park is 370 square miles of wilderness and beauty. october usually brings 130,000 visitors. every day the park is closed it loses $2,000 in entrance fees. the impact of this shutdown expands well beyond the park and employees. businesses like this one have notified workers their hours will be cut, and depending on how long the shutdown lasts they may have to close. >> this whole thing is ridiculous. it affects so many people. >> i feel bad for everybody working here. coming down i thought they can't do that. they can't do that. >> reporter: pat and anthony longo stay at the inn has been cut short. thursday the inn will close and all its visitors asked to leave. >> oh, boy. here is my shut down folder back at park headquarters the superintendent is also being

furloughed. >> the park belongs to the people. and not to be able to open them and enable them to serve their purpose. that's a sad situation for the country. >> reporter: the parks 114 year history it has only closed four times. two of them now for government shutdowns. tonya mosley, al jazeera, washington. >> the bureau of the interier said it will lose $450 in entry fees each day while all the parks are closed. people trying to sign up for health insurance coverage are still experiencing problems. heavy traffic at the www.healthcare.gov website. the exchange is part of the president's health reform law. the number of means visiting the changes have far exceeded his expectation. the full effect of the insurance on obamacare exchanges won't be filled for months when

americans are covered. the next key days and why they matter to individuals and business owners. >> obama: today americans who have been forced to go out insurance may now go to www.healthcare.gov and look for insurance. >> look at what happens tomorrow. the earlier day coverage kicks in if you purchase insurance on the exchanges. consumers have six months to sign in. other parts of the law also kicks in. the term "pre-existing condition" becomes a think of the pass. suinsurers can no longer deny coverage if your sick or raise your premiums if you're a woman. if you suffer in an illness and you want to take part of a

clinical trial your insurer can't drop you, and medicaid expansion will be give to those who are eligible. what if you're an employer. big changes come to you, too. exchanges for small businesses are scheduled to open. businesses with fewer than 25 employees could be eligible for tax credits. if you run a bigger company, 50 or more employees you have until january 1, 2015, before you're required to cover all of your full-time workers. now starting january 1, 2018 the law imposes a excise tax for plans $10,200 per year and $27,500 for families. as america's new health exchanges roll out all eyes are focused on how many people actually sign up. al jazeera new york. >> and nearly 3 million people

have visited the federal healthcare website. coming up next on al jazeera america, syrian refugees desperately need aid. now the u.s. security council is stepping in. come, it is here. >> yes, let the games begin. he is fighting for his baseball life and some $46 million. a-rod and all of his attorneys were there fighting his 211-game suspension. the

hearing is expected to last less than five days, after that the group will decide to uphold, reduce, or overturn the suspension. if the suspension is upheld, rodriguez would lose some $32 million in salary, and he wouldn't be back on the field until he is 40 years old. the big story tonight, people, the rays will be taking on the rangers in a tiebreaker in arlington, so we decided to bring in our mlb columnist rob parker.

>> the team is now in syrian finding and destroying the country's chemical stock pile. a second group will arrive later in the week. their locations will remain secret for security reasons. the u.n. security council is asking for access for humanitarian services. aid organizations warn of the threat of starvation in many parts of the country. the u.n. has urged stirran government to remove hurdles. we're live from the u.n.

headquarters. kristin, for two and a half years the security council basically silent on syria. now we have this statement on the humanitarian statement just days after the resolution of the destruction of the chemical weapon, what has changed? >> the humanitarian situation is becoming increasingly desperate and hard to ignore for the security council. we have reports of children dying of starvation. earlier last week i should say the organization "save the children" put out a report that 4 million syrians are now at risk because they don't have enough food to eat. on top of that there are reports of hospitals being bombed so the wounded can't be treated. the list goes on and on and on. the humanitarian groups have been pushing the security council for this measure for a long time. they've been asking for some help to try to get better access into these areas where it's so

desperately needed. the security council was able to respond after the unity of the chemical weapons resolution. there are some better cooperation of the council if you will and they're able to get the statement red out today. >> that's a key question, how will the u.n. get access to the liberated portion of the country where there is no presence. >> the aid groups can cross borders into some of those rebel-held areas. it's easier to get there through neighboring countries than through damascus, say. but even if they're coming across borders they're supposed to have the permission of the syrian government to do that, and there has been so much red tape from the syrian government in the past very few have been able to get that access. this resolution calls on the syrian government to open up the borders to allow this access, and the syrian government has responded by saying that's fine,

but we need to control the aid that's coming into our country. have a listen to the ambassador. >> the syrian government is an part of the providing humanitarian assistance to syrian people wherever they are. wherever they are. everything should go through the cooperation of the syrian government and the office of the united nations. >> the syrian government stressing the need of the government to maintain control of aid efforts, but also pledging to cooperate with this latest detective from the security council. >> let's hope that is the case. thank you. across the country tourists hoping to visit landmark monuments is discovering they've been shut down. there are 59 the national parks nationwide. 108 national monuments and 40

national museums in the u.s. including the statue of liberty where jonathan bets spent the day. >> reporter: for hundreds of tourists it's it's not the greeting they expected. >> we came in from paris, france. >> reporter: visitors were caught off guard to learn that the statue of liberty was closed, employees told to stay home including the superintendent. >> seeing the visitors today, especially the foreign visitors. for most people like that this is an once in a lifetime opportunity. it's hard to tell them that we're closed. will it be open tomorrow? i don't know. it's sad. >> reporter: ferries to the island pushed off carrying grumpy passengers who bought their tickets weeks ago. >> stupid. what else can i say? it's stupid. >> reporter: this is the view but not what they were hoping for. they can only circle the island,

no longer allowed to dock. this was supposed to be the campenedos to see the statue of liberty. >> people come here to see the statute of liberty. people come from europe all over the world to vacation and tour all these things, and it's a shame. >> reporter: visitors to the statue of liberty generate $174 million a year from souvenir stands to the ferries. >> companies can handle this for a few days but if it drags on, it's just not right. >> reporter: as the national beacon of freedom now stands out of reach. jonathan betz, al jazeera new york. >> mother nature puts on a beautiful show. nicole mitchell will talk about the northern lights.

on inside story, we bring together unexpected voices closest to the story, invite hard-hitting debate and desenting views and always explore issues relevant to you. my name is jonathan betz.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. here are your headlines. there is some movement in the stand off over the federal government shutdown. president obama is set to meet with house speaker john boehner. glitches kept people from signing up for government-backed healthcare. millions of americans tried to log on. computer experts are working to fix the bugs. the u.n. humanitarian council is claiming that syrian government is impeding relief efforts. the syrian government said all aid must go through the government. pope francis said it's focused on servicing itself than it's followers. he made the comments in a magazine, and recalled that many of the church narcissists are not doing the work of god. it's the second widely publicized interview the pontiff has granted this week. he has called for tolerance on

abortion, contraception and homosexuality. he's meeting with cardinals to discuss church reforms energy today we travel to sri lanka where the boo book tear has doc. reading is popular in the country but the old fashion book is receiving a rival in technology. >> eager for more this mobile library service for children is very popular. she has borrowed it's books for almost ten years. >> i've enjoyed books since i was very young. books are nice and meaningful. >> the project run by the public library comes to the area every two weeks. they hope to entice new readers into the world of books. >> children who are introduced to books at this age continue to

read when they are older. >> reporter: for those who don't the world of technology is where they turn for entertainment. >> what children can read on these devices others are not receiving to the same degree. >> the audio field has extended greatly and it is a reason for children moving away from reading. >> reporter: but the new world of technology has not spelled the end of paper text. the largest floating book fair with a recent stop. >> with books i think its refreshing experience. >> with over 5,000 titles on sale and another half million in stock the ship's captain said there is still a market for books in many of his ports. >> we do see more and more electronic books, but for many of the places we visit it's

going to be far, far in the future. >> sri lanka's online gaming community has a different feel. >> they are part of it, and it will explode very soon. reading, all those things can be done through the internet. >> they say they're not taking any chances. he has initiated a project to provide books to sri lanka school children and develop a network of libraries in rural schools. >> the increasing availability in most areas of sri lanka is moving children away from books. but for these children nothing beats a good, old fashioned read. is it. >> we have made it halfway through the week. this is a look at the northern

lights what happened are sun storms and sun spots can project particles in the atmosphere when they come in contact with the earth's atmosphere then you get an incredible light show that we see from time to time closer to the pole. that's why in the united states you're likely to see them in minnesota where this video is from, or alaska, and closer to the south policy antarctica and some of the other southern climbs. the dazzling show was last night versus tonight because we have that cloud shield. we already have rain in places, that is pretty light, but this is the precursor. we're also getting cooler air with this next system and that's what we'll feel. a fair amount of rain in the system moves through. and it could pick up a little bit as the system moves along. we have the temperatures in the 50's.

the northwest has been cooler for the last few days. while the rest of the country has been very comfortable. finally the midwest is going to get back snapped to reality going from 70s and 80s to 50s and 60s with the 20-degree temperature drop that is seasonable for this time of year. northwest still has those showers. but the northern part of the rockies where this moisture is coming down, some of that will be areas of snow. montana, wyoming especially, and it has been with the last couple of systems the higher elevations. some of this will make it in the lower elevations over the next couple of days combined with wind. no wind on the roads. that does not make for a pretty situation especially after not driving in it for possibly a year be very careful out there. >> nicole mitchell. thank you. and thank you for watching al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. and "techknow" is next. we have updates throughout the day. go to our website at www.aljazeera.com. have a great morning.