This Week In Washington DC, Oct 9, 2014

This Week In Washington DC

Top 5 Stories

1.      The Supreme Court declined to hear challenges to Appeals Court rulings striking down same-sex marriage bans.  A 3-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit invalidated Idaho and Nevada's prohibitions on same-sex marriage, but Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy granted Idaho officials' request for a temporary stay.

Look ahead: Attention now turns to other federal appellate courts, where pending cases involve same-sex marriage bans in a host of states.

2.      ISIS has captured additional territory in Kobani, Syria, even as the U.S.-led coalition intensifies its air campaign. The Turkish government continues to resist international pressure to join the fight against the militant group.

Look ahead: The Obama administration acknowledges airstrikes are insufficient to repel ISIS, but maintains the Syrian opposition, not U.S. forces, must oppose the group on the ground.

3.      Thomas Duncan, the Liberian citizen diagnosed with Ebola while visiting Dallas, died Wednesday, spurring questions about the speed and efficacy of his treatment. American photojournalist Ashoka Mukpo is receiving experimental drug brincidofovir, and has received a plasma donation from Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly.

Look ahead: Officials will begin screening passengers whose travel originated in West Africa—no matter the number of intermediate stops—for fevers using no-touch thermometers at five major U.S. airports.

4.      The Labor Department reported employers added 248,000 positions to payrolls in September, exceeding economists' projections of 215,000 jobs added, as unemployment dipped to 5.9%.

Look ahead: The minutes from the September meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee reveal policymakers' concerns about a strengthening dollar and slowing inflation, signaling a reluctance to raise interest rates in the near term.

5.      Ahead of the open enrollment period that begins Nov. 15, federal officials previewed a reconfigured, streamlined HealthCare.gov, which CEO Kevin Counihan touts as a vast improvement over last year.

Look ahead: With millions of previously uninsured Americans—including those with preexisting conditions—already covered, the second round of open enrollment will focus on a tougher-to-reach population, for whom the price of insurance remains prohibitive.