Obama hosts senior republicans in bid to find impasse

Barack Obama is hosting senior Republicans today to seek an opening in an impasse that has shut down much of the government and threatens a catastrophic federal default.

The White House meeting comes as House Republican leaders contemplate a short-term debt limit increase designed to calm financial markets and allow more time to resolve the partial government shutdown which has entered its 10th day as the US faces a first-ever default between October 17 and the end of the month.