National / International News

From the Newtown shootings to the explosions at the Boston Marathon, Americans have faced a number of traumatic events in recent months. But CNN contributor David Frum says that won't change the country's political discourse. He recently wrote about the stalemate in Washington and talks with guest host, Celeste Headlee.

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French finance technology firm Capgemini has said it will create up to 500 new jobs in Inverness over the next three years.

Remember the sequester? All that back and forth over the federal budget that had people in Washington foaming at the mouth and had the rest of us -- well, at least many Americans -- falling asleep. This week, the sequester was back in the news as some federal employees were forced to take a few days per month of unpaid leave -- furloughs, they're called. But as the week went on, it was kind of hard figuring out who was off the clock and who wasn't -- not to mention how things were affecting ordinary working stiffs. But one thing was clear: The nation's airports were hit hard by the furloughs of air traffic controllers -- so much so that members of Congress managed to rouse themselves to do something about it.

Congress moved quickly to end air traffic controller furloughs, which were causing widespread airline flight delays. The FAA says there were at least 863 flights delayed one day this week. A number of federal agencies at this point have received some kind of reprieve, including employees at the Justice Department and some workers at the Agriculture Department, like meat inspectors.

Effects of the sequester, though, will still be seen in some national parks and the cancellation of various air shows. And workers at various agencies, like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Labor Department, have already started their unpaid leave. One question mark is the Defense Department, where some civilian workers could still get furloughed. And even though members of Congress won't be furloughed, some lawmakers say they will take voluntary pay cuts.

We wanted to see what it's like for employees who have to deal with furloughs, so we checked in with Ron Speir. He's a federal employee with the Department of Defense who lives in Richmond Hill, Ga. He wrote to us back in February asking for help with budgeting for sequester-related furloughs, which have still have not yet taken effect. And we called up Kevin Livingston. He's a California state employee who was hired during a recent spate of government furloughs. He discusses adjusting his budget and spending habits working as a furloughed employee.

"[Anxiety] builds slowly and it hits you very quickly," says Speir, who might be hit with a 20 percent reduction of income working one less day a week.

"It's hard," adds Livingston. "The last three years is like being in a coma almost. I was really financially strapped down. The good thing is I'm not at work, I'm spending time with the family."

Click play on the audio player above to hear advice on how to cope with the fiscal uncertainty of a pay cut. Plus, hear how Speir plans to deal with being furloughed and what Livingston's financial situation is like now.

Spanish police have arrested a Dutchman alleged to have been behind one of the biggest ever web attacks.

An electricity substation is on fire near the village of Cottingham in East Yorkshire.

Some 3,000 fighters from one of South Sudan's biggest rebels groups, the SSLA, hand in their weapons, officials say.

A wide-ranging review of data protection within the NHS in England has said patients should be able to access all the data held about them.

New research has found a link between Google search terms and the stock market. In other words, check out what people are searching for and then buy or sell.

U.S. GDP grew at an annual pace of 2.5 percent in the first quarter, falling short of the 2.8 percent that economists predicted and disappointing investors.

But in uncertain economic times, why aren't economists satisfied if GDP simply holds steady? It isn't just about jobs. Economists say that GDP growth affects how we view ourselves as a nation.

Federal election law gives married couples some advantages in making political contributions. The Federal Election Commission this week tried to make those same breaks available to couples in same-sex marriages — but commissioners said they're thwarted by the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

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Sir Winston Churchill will feature on the new design of a banknote which will enter circulation in 2016, the Bank of England announces.

Actress Tilda Swinton kicks off a conga line at the 15th annual Ebertfest, a film festival named for the late film critic.

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There are fresh calls for the ban on the general sale of alcohol during matches at Scottish football stadiums to be lifted.

Starting in 1959 and for decades after, he recorded some of country's greatest songs, including "He Stopped Loving Her Today." Jones was 81.

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Spain's government lowers its forecast for the Spanish economy this year, warning the level of contraction is likely to be worse than previously estimated.

A ‘big cat’ once roamed England's countryside, and other nuggets

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez accepts a 10-match ban imposed for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

There is "limited but growing" evidence that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons, PM David Cameron says.

The symbol of rapprochement between the neighbors is the latest victim of rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

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Many Britons keen to get their hands on Samsung's Galaxy S4 phone look set to be disappointed as stock problems make it scarce.

Two Romanian women are remanded in custody pending their extradition to Sweden on human trafficking charges.