later. now the caveat here, guys, we're seeing other moving parts besides the shutdown, but this would be one reason why investors aren't all that concerned. of course, with the debt ceiling debate, that's a complete other story. >> maybe we should shut down the government every year with that kind of return. >> i feel a lot better already. thanks. thanks very much. a delay in the release of market-moving economic data, that includes today's august construction spending report, which was never released by the bureau of economic analysis. thursday, though, we do expect to get last week's figure on initial jobless claims, because that data was already collected, but the real biggie, the report that all of wall street waits for every month may not be coming out this friday, that is the labor department's september jobs report. right now officials say it's not expected to be released until government funding is resumed.

>> here's another possible causality of the shutdown, the justice department's trial to stop the merger of american airlines and us airways might be postponed. right now it's slated late november. federal issuing asked to postpone the proceedings due to a cutoff in federal funding. meanwhile, just today, the texas attorney general announced a split from the justice department saying that his office now supports that airline merger. shares of us airways and americans' american company, which trades on an alternate exchange, both closed higher today. >> a 27-month-long streak of sales gains for the u.s. car business has ended. ford sales did rise nearly 6% and chrysler had its best september in six years, but sales fell sharply at general motors, toyota, volkswagon. gm said weak demand for its redesigned full-sized pickups was a big driver of its 11%

sales drop last month. the annual sales rate dipped to 15.3 million units last month, down from 16 million in august. over in the commodity markets, gold prices took a tumble today, settling at a two-month low after the government shutdown sparked a lot of investors to put their money into less risky assets like cash. gold prices fell more than 3%, losing more than $41 an ounce. pharmaceutical giant merk is slashing costs, as well as thousands of jobs, as it battles competition from cheaper generic drugs. investors, though, rallied around the dow component today, sending shares nearly 2.5% higher. mary thompson has more on merk's restructuring and what's next for the company. >> drug giant merk is slashing expenses to sharpen its focus. here's ceo kenneth fraser. >> this is not a change in our strategy. this is all about greater focus and about generating greater

operational efficiencies. >> the changes betting merk's future on four areas, vaccines, diabetes, oncology, and acute care. to get there, it's cutting $2.5 billion in costs by 2015. it's trimming 8,500 jobs, on top of the 7,500 cuts already announced. shrinking its workforce by 20%. it's reducing its real estate footprint and abandoning research products with little promise. and while merk still expects to earn $3.45 and $3.55 a share this year, independent consultant barbara ryan says recent product delays and the failures from key drug trials forced merk to act now. >> clearly, that hasn't delivered results for shareholders that are competitive with their peers, so i think this represents the fact there's pressure for them to find ways to improve their return. >> the expense cuts seen helping merk's bottom line in the near term while it works on the key

to long-term health, that being its pipeline. analyst tony butler says the company has two important drugs in the works. >> one in oncology and one in alzheimer's. just to be clear, there are others, but those two are the biggest opportunities that merk's seen in a long, long time. >> merk's been hampered by slowing sales of its diabetes drug and generic competition for singulare. recent successes like gardisil have been few and far between. for "nightly business report," i'm mary thompson. we begin market focus tonight with earnings from the largest u.s. drugstore operator. we're talking about walgreen. strong sales of generic drugs offset spending on nonessential items. the company also said its customer loyalty card program helped boost sales and that it sees the trend improving. walgreen was one of the

top-performing stocks on the s&p today, rising 4.5% to $56.24. more investors bailing out of jcpenney. this time it's perry capital. it sold about half its position in the retailer only a month after it had increased its holdings. the move comes days after jcpenney said it would issue $1 million in new sales. the stock is down more than 30% just over the past four weeks. well, a weak outlook pressuring sales of diamond foods, recorded a wider than expected quarterly loss and agreed to pay $96 million in a securities lawsuit. costs associated with the relaunch of emerald nuts and a reduced supply of walnuts. if you're in the nut business, that hurts ya. stock dropped to $10.21. shares of yahoo! getting a lift after citi raised its price

target. the analyst citing user growth and search trends. the chinese e-commerce company yahoo! holds an ownership stake. stocks rose to $34.31. a clerical error was responsible for a proposed cut in the medicare reimbursement rate for one of its tests. the stock took a hit yesterday. today,hey said that low number was the result of a clerical error and will be corrected so the shares bounce back, closing up almost 8% to $25.31. and now is your chance to own a piece of the nation's best-known skyscraper. the empire state reality trust, the owners of the new york city empire state building set prices this morning at $13 a piece. this is at the bottom of the inspected range. the company hopes to raise just

under $1 billion when shares begin trading tomorrow. the ticker symbol, esrt on the new york stock exchange. next, the health care industry undergoes a dramatic shift. first, let's take a look at the international markets today. ♪ well, despite the partial shutdown of the federal government, new health care insurance exchange is open for business today, the most ambitious initiative of president obama's signature legislation, affordable care act. so how did things go on this inaugural day for those state and federal online and telephone marketplaces? bertha coomes joins us now from

albany. bertha? >> reporter: tyler, you know, officials have been saying all along, expect to see glitches on the early stages of this open enrollment process on the exchanges. well, they certainly weren't wrong. we saw plenty of them today. maryland's couldn't come up, hawaii couldn't come up on time today, and a lot of people had trouble logging on. even so, we saw here in new york officials say some 10 million visitors to the site. not necessarily unique visitors, but that gives you an idea of the kind of volumes they were seeing today. in some cases, more volume than they could handle. new york state's call center handled more than 2,500 calls. and its exchange website, more than 2 million hits during their first two hours of operation. >> we certainly anticipated there would be a very high volume, 2 million hits in a couple of hours, honestly,

exceeded even our estimates of the initial need. >> reporter: while new york scrambled to add server capacity, maryland officials struggled with connectivity issues, which prevented the state's health connector from going online until noon. while there were no major problems reported with colorado's exchange, some residents there still preferred in-person information. >> coverage, of course, would start january the 1st and we're going to see if you qualify. >> okay. >> once we help you apply, we'll go through the process with you online. >> reporter: in texas, one of 36 states with a federally built exchange, residents had better luck trying to get information on the phone and at in-person information centers than online. kimberly got the answers she needed after finding she could not log on to healthcare.gov. >> the website was overwhelmed, so we couldn't get on the website to find out how much it would cost. >> reporter: what's key now is getting those issues resolved over the next two months, when

enrollment applications are expected to peak for the january start of coverage. >> our systems folks are able to have capacity added to the system. there's a technical group of experts that are monitoring the performance of the website and will adjust it as needed. >> reporter: federal officials say some 2.8 million people logged on today on healthcare.gov, the federal portal for all of those states where they built the exchanges. imagine if they've had better capacity, it was very slow, they might have had even more people logging on. but what everyone continues to say, this is just the opening day of what is going to be a marathon. back to you. >> thanks a lot, bertha reporting from albany, new york. one company that could benefit in a big way from these exchanges is wellpoint, the nation's second largest insurer, joe swedish recently predicted that the new business could boost his company's revenue by $20 billion by the year 2016.

when i talked with him earlier today, i asked him of the 46 million americans uninsured, how many does he expect will become wellpoint customers? >> our sense is that we're projecting 2 million enrolles coming to wellpoint through the enrollment process into 2014 and beyond, so we believe we're perfectly positioned to bring in those enrollees as the enrollment process unfolds. >> mr. swedish, i know it's a little too early today, but from what you're hearing, how is the signup going so far? >> well, we're very encouraged, and i'll tell you why. one, there's top of mind awareness. number two, people are shopping. and we're seeing that in all of our states, which gives us a lot of encouragement regarding what the next six months will look like. >> but we're also hearing from a lot of people who are saying they just don't think it's worth it to sign up on these insurance

exchanges, that the premiums are still expensive and they are worried they are going to have limited access to doctors they can see. make your case on why they should sign up. >> if there is subsidy that is available to them, i would argue that the out of pocket is substantially less than what they would expect. so, they really do have to do their homework in that regard. regarding network configuration, that is a fundamental part of how the exchanges are built. networks are built to create access, to create quality, and to create price competition. with respect to wellpoint, we believe we have met that test in terms of melding those three objectives together to create a product that is going to be highly desirable to enrollees that believe the exchanges will bring them health care here to for they have not head.

>> big companies, as well as small companies outside of wellpoint are all lobbying to get this new business and consumers also have lots of choices here. is all of that competition going to be bringing down prices? it would seem so, right? >> we believe q seeing that some big companies take walgreens, for example, that's saying to their employees, here, take this money and go buy your own insurance. is that the direction that we're going and that soon all of us will have to buy our own

insurance? >> well, i think it's maybe not quite accurate to say all of us will be buying insurance on the exchange. we believe that there will be a very robust national account activity, large employers will retain their employees. yes, there will be those that move their employees out to private exchanges, maybe ultimately public exchanges. i think we're just witnessing an incredible transformation that has begun on october 1, and we're going to see a lot of moves and changes as the health care landscape changes. and i'd underscore it's a dramatic shift. >> so two, three years from now, what are we going to be saying about obama care, success or disappointment, failure? >> we're betting that it will be a success. we're betting the hallmark that we've administered by way of analysis of what the consumer wants, the consumer censure

approach to delivering health care to these consumers, will translate to success in the long term. >> swedish also told me that the government shutdown is not having an adverse impact on the obama care insurance exchanges, and for all the criticism, the program is getting from lawmakers in washington, he still says it's a quote, successful model. coming up on the program, am zon is expecting a big rush for the crucial holiday shopping season and is hiring thousands to get ready. first, here's how commodities, treasuries, and currencies performed today. ♪

get ready for apartment rents to climb higher. if you can find a place to rend. vacancy dipped to the lowest level in a decade. just 4.2% of the nation's apartment units are currently unrented. the firm says that despite the decline in vacancies, a weak job market and stagnant wages have prevented rents from rising. a big settlement between wells fargo and freddie mac today. wells is paying freddie $669 million, most in cash, to settle claims of mortgage loans that went bad. the nation's biggest mortgage lender will repurchase risky home loans it sold to the government firm at the height of the financial crisis. susie, a big auto recall to tell you about in a year marked by several of them. bmw says it is going to have to recall 176,000 vehicles. the problem, apparently, is with the power brake system. all of the cars are from the

model years 2012 to 2014, obviously, the most recent models there. and the company says that even if the oil is cut off to the brake-assist mechanism, which is apparently the part that's faulty here, the brakes will still work, but drivers may have to press harder on t eer on the. meanwhile, borrowing by small businesses last month hit a six-year high. the thompson reuters small business lending index rose 1% in august, reaching its highest level since 2007, before the start of the great recession. this reading came as investors and business owners were preparing for the federal reserve to announce a reduction in its stimulus program, something the fed decided not to do, citing uncertainty about the u.s. economy. well, walmart is gearing up for a big boost in web-based sales. the world's biggest retailer announced plans to open two e-commerce distribution centers. one center will be in fort

worth, texas, with 275 full-time associates. the other is planned for bethlehem, pennsylvania, which will eventually employ 350 staffers. in the meantime, a company firing on all cylinders, amazon.com is getting ready for an expected boost in online shopping this holiday season. it is hiring, get this, 70,000, 70,000, temporary workers at its u.s. fulfillment centers. that's 40% more than it took on just a year ago. the world's largest e-tailer says so far this year it has turned 7,000 seasonal workers into full-time employees. now even though amazon and walmart are preparing for a boost in online sales this year, a new survey finds that more than half of all americans do not save money for the holiday shopping season. transunion says that more than 64% of people surveyed say they don't plan on putting aside money earmarked for holiday spending. for many, this may mean using

current credit cards, o opening new lines of credit, or taking on extra debt. no matter how you look at it, all harmful for consumer financial health. finally tonight, more and more women are taking the whim and buying cars on their own. one company is running up against roadblocks. jane wells has more. >> reporter: a lot of people put buying a car up there with root canal, minus an thee sha. almost 40% of all new car buyers are now women, yet a survey by capital one suggests the vast majority of them bring a man with them to buy a car. true car is trying to change that in an ad that is driving controversy. >> i talk big, right, and at the dealership i was trying to hold my own. it's kind of tough. >> true car provides free online pricing information on cars. the california-based company

gives buyers prices. true car's business model was challenged by some dealers and regulators and lost about half its network. it survived all that, is now bigger than ever, but is getting new heat over that ad aimed at women, especially this part. >> true car makes it a lot easier to go in by yourself. i don't need to bring a dude with me. >> some call that sexism. ad week said, quote, apparently women have to research pricing while men have the magical ability to match it on the nose. the company's founder has been caught off guard. >> you know, my initial response is look at go daddy, look at carl's jr., these companies that really do exploit women. we're, in fact, positioning the female buyer as a strong buyer, who has the ability now to make great choices with great information, and in no way was it meant to demean anyone. >> has the ad worked? business from women are up 40%. revenues this year should double

to $135 million. as more women are negotiating car prices online, only finalizing the paperwork in person with or without the help of a, quote, dude. for "nightly business report," jane wells, los angeles. you know, switching gears here, big day for health care, october 1st launch, and you gave it a test drive. >> only time will tell whether these health care exchanges will work. i tried to register today, i did have to wait about ten minutes while the thing was overwhelmed with other people, then i had several glitches in trying to register, then you have to click on something. >> did you give up? >> never made it on. i will try again tomorrow. we will report back to you. >> a lot of glitches. >> it's a lot of things that have to go right. that's "nightly business report" for tonight, i'm susie gharib, thanks so much for joining us. for more stories you saw here tonight, join us on our website, nbr.com. >> i'm tyler mathisen, thank you very much for watching this

evening. have a great evening, everybody, see you back here tomorrow. >> announcer: "nightly business report" has been brought to you by -- >> thestreet.com. interactive multimedia tools for an ever-changing financial world. our dividends stock adviser guides and helps generate income during a period of low interest rates. we are thestreet.com. we are thestreet.com. ♪

announcer: outdoors maryld is made by mpt, to serve all of our diverse communities, and is made possible by the generous support of our members. coming up... paddling ancient trails in search of history.

people and critters, up close and personal. and, cruising the bay on the tanqueray . next. outdoors maryland is produced in cooperation with the maryland department of natural resources. dnr...inspired by nature, guided by science. captioned by maryland public television

narrator: it's early morning on the eastern shore and visitors are making their way to turner's creek off the sassafras river. these modern-day adventurists are retracing the steps of captain john smith, an english explorer who charted these waters more than 400 years ago in search of riches and a path to the orient. but, instead of silver and gold, their bounty is the scenic beauty and natural surroundings of the newly-formed "captain john smith trail." joel dunn is executive director of the chesapeake conservancy. joel dunn: the captain john smith chesapeake national historic trail commemorates john smith's routes of exploration in the chesapeake from 1607 to 1609.

narrator: the conservancy is working with the maryland department of natural resources, and others, to help develop and promote the trail, a 3,000-mile "path" through virginia, dc, delaware and maryland. joel: whoa! look at those lotus blossoms! it's a great new resource for modern day explorers to get out on the chesapeake bay and explore its ecological and cultural resources. there are thousands of miles of shoreline in the chesapeake bay, but very few miles of that shore are publicly accessible, and the trail is a mechanism to improve public access and to help people understand what those shorelines look like, and how important they are. narrator: captain john smith explored and mapped nearly every major tributary of the bay, looking for the fabled northwest passage to the orient. and in the process, left a pretty detailed record behind.

joel: really, the map that smith made, opened the door to english settlement and eventually led to the establishment of the united states of america. so it's a great story, and the trail itself tells that story to the public. narrator: the elusive northwest passage never existed, but smith's relentless quest to find it revealed a highly desirable place to live and build a society. nearly a century later, that society was beginning to thrive here at turner's creek. the area's visitors center is situated in a 1600s-era home known as "knocks folly," and is one of the few structures here still standing from that period. ranger john ohler is park manager for this area. ranger john ohler: the house itself, they started construction in the 1700s by a gentleman by the name of knocks. you're going to see some of the old architecture