Peter Schorsch @SaintPetersblog

Now confirmed with multiple sources, Republican Congressman C.W. "Bill" Young has died at 82.

Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes leads Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in a new poll.

The Public Policy Polling survey, released a day after McConnell inked a deal with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to avert a debt default, shows Grimes leading McConnell 45 percent to 43 percent in the 2014 race.

Among Independents, 40 percent said they support McConnell while 34 percent said they support Grimes. Twenty-four percent said they are unsure.

RT @toddzwillich: "Praise be to GOD!" House stenographer Diane Reidy is rushed off the floor and into an elevator...

Sean Lengell @SeanLengell

Staff stenographer disrupts House vote, shouts "he will not be mocked" and "this nation is not under God" after escorted off floor

RT @SuzyKhimm: Apparently the House stenographer had a breakdown and started raving "God bless America" and had to be dragged off the floor.

RT @Bencjacobs Stenographer removed shouting about God not being mocked and the free masons

In an interview, DCCC chair Steve Israel told me a number of new recruits would be announced in coming days, thanks to GOP damage sustained in the crisis.

“Conservatively, you will see another three — it could be as many as five,” Israel told me. “In a number of districts we had top-tier, all-star potential candidates who several months ago didn’t see a path to victory. They reopened the doors. These are competitive districts. They tend to be moderate and have large concentrations of independent voters. Those voters are now seeing the Tea Party implement their agenda.”

Three to five new top recruits would not be insignificant, since Dems need to flip 17 seats to take back the House, but Dave Wasserman, who tracks House races for the non-partisan Cook Political Report, estimates that Dems are well short of the number of recruits they need. He says that given how few seats are truly competitive, Dems need between 35 and 40 high-quality recruits to have any shot at putting the House in play, and estimates that they only have two dozen serious recruits at present.

Israel says Dems will meet that goal. “I think we’ll get it into the range of 40,” he said. “I don’t accept that we’re at 20-25 top recruits. I would put it right now in the mid-30s.”

Breaking News @BreakingNews

Bipartisan deal in hand to reopen government, avoid default, Republican senator says - @AP

KateNocera @KateNocera

aaaand there's the FreedomWorks email telling supporters to call Boehner/Cantor/McCarthy to hold the line on defund.