NPR News

While the rest of the federal government shut down Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court was open for business as usual — at least long enough to hear two cases argued.

It is hardly the first time that the high court was the macho guy in town, staying open when the rest of the government was closed. The reason appears to be tradition, albeit a modern tradition.

Even before making landfall in the United States, Sandy is already causing some massive travel headaches:

-- In the air, 8,000 flights have been cancelled through Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Wherever you look these days, it seems labels that strive to send a message about our food are on the table. In California, there's a vote coming up on whether genetically modified foods should be labeled. A few weeks ago, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission updated its guidelines for "green" labeling.

Small, medium and large. That's basically what Google announced today: That they will now offer touch-screen devices in three different sizes.

Like Apple — which has the iPhone, the iPad Mini and the iPad — Google now has the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10.

The 4 is a smartphone, the 7 is a medium-size tablet and the 10 is a large tablet.

President Obama urged Americans in Sandy's path Monday to "please listen" to local officials, and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, urged help for those affected by the superstorm.

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan, in Washington. We've followed Sandy for more than a week now as the late-season storm developed in the Caribbean, pounded Cuba, Haiti and other islands, brushed past Florida and headed up the East Coast.

Unusually, it's taken a sharp turn to the west. Even more unusually, it's combined with a more winter-like system to become an enormous event that's already dumping snow in the Appalachians, surging water ashore in Lower Manhattan and slashing winds and rain from Virginia to Massachusetts.

In a piece in the Washington Post, retired Army officer John Nagl argues that the U.S. has forgotten what losing a war really looks like. Nagl talks about what's been accomplished in Afghanistan, and the concerns that remain.

With just over a week left before what may be another very tight election, many offices are seeing more and more heated conversations about politics. But what are the rules? Employment lawyer John Barr and human resources expert Lynn Taylor talk about the collision of politics and the workplace.