question: Washington (CNN) -- A late evening meeting between President Barack Obama and the leaders of the House and Senate failed to reach agreement Wednesday on a spending plan to avert a government shutdown, but all the participants said progress was made and talks would continue.

If there is no deal by midnight Friday, when the current spending authorization measure expires, parts of the government will close down.

Obama called the 90-minute talks with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, "constructive" and he said they narrowed and clarified the outstanding issues.

"I remain confident that if we're serious about getting something done, we should be able to complete a deal and get it passed and avert a shutdown," Obama said in brief remarks to reporters. "But it's going to require a sufficient sense of urgency from all parties involved" to prevent a shutdown that "could have real effects on everyday Americans."

Both Reid and Boehner told reporters in their own brief comments that the meeting made progress in narrowing their differences, and that their staffs would work through the night to try to reach further consensus.

"I have confidence we can get this done," said Reid, who criticized Boehner and Republicans earlier in the day for intransigence. "We're not there yet."

Boehner, standing next to Reid, said "we do have some honest differences," and he emphasized there was no agreement on either a specific figure for spending cuts for the rest of the current fiscal year or on policy issues that the Republicans want included in the measure, such as specifically prohibiting funding for abortions.
1. When is the deadline?
2. What will be out of time then?
****
answer: 1. by midnight Friday,
2. when the current spending authorization measure expires

question: (CNN) -- With Walter White dead, fans everywhere are mourning, celebrating, tallying up bets and discussing what just happened. Was the series finale of "Breaking Bad" satisfying? Did it tie up all loose ends? Did the character you wanted to live survive and did the ones you wanted to die get their just deserts? Is it sending you back to the beginning to binge watch it all over again?

Just when it seemed Walt was heading out of his New Hampshire hideaway to exact revenge on Elliot and Gretchen Schwartz (for dismissing his involvement with Gray Matter Technologies in the episode previous), he pulled the first of several surprises of the evening. Instead of threatening to kill them outright, he asks them to set up a trust fund so that his children would benefit from the money he'd illegally amassed (presumably the goal of his entire meth enterprise to begin with).

Gretchen and Elliott of course are terrified by his sudden appearance in their ritzy new home, but had they been paying attention, they would have seen Walt waltz on in. His entrance is a bit ironic, considering their wealth and legitimacy is in some way a result of his earlier contributions. He's always been there, in the shadows, whether they acknowledged him or not.

Bryan Cranston, man of the moment

Walt wants them to "make it right," but of course, he knows he can't trust them to take care of his kids on a handshake alone, so he brought backup -- two "hitmen" who shine sniper-style red lights on the Schwartzes to lend credibility to Walt's threat that if for any reason his children don't receive the money, "a kind of countdown begins," in which they would be killed. It's a bluff, but they don't know that, so it's a win-win. Walt's children will get the money in a semi-legal fashion, and no one will actually die in the process.
1. Who is Bryan Cranston?
2. What show was he in?
3. What was his business?
4. Who will get his money?
5. Who is going to help get the money to them?
6. Why do they help him"
7. What did the Hitmen do?
8. Where was Walt's hideout?
9. What company were the Schwartz's involved with?
10. Is the threat to them a bluff?
****
answer: 1. Walter White
2. Breaking Bad
3. meth enterprise
4. his children
5. Elliot and Gretchen Schwartz
6. So they won't die
7. shine sniper-style red lights
8. New Hampshire
9. Gray Matter Technologies
10. yes

question: CHAPTER XL

"For once," Lady Carey said, with a faint smile, "your 'admirable Crichton' has failed you."

Lucille opened her eyes. She had been leaning back amongst the railway cushions.

"I think not," she said. "Only I blame myself that I ever trusted the Prince even so far as to give him that message. For I know very well that if Victor had received it he would have been here."

Lady Carey took up a great pile of papers and looked them carelessly through.

"I am afraid," she said, "that I do not agree with you. I do not think that Saxe Leinitzer had any desire except to see you safely away. I believe that he will be quite as disappointed as you are that your husband is not here to aid you. Some one must see you safely on the steamer at Havre. Perhaps he will come himself."

"I shall wait in Paris," Lucille said quietly, "for my husband."

"You may wait," Lady Carey said, "for a very long time."

Lucille looked at her steadily. "What do you mean?"

"What a fool you are, Lucille. If to other people it seems almost certain on the face of it that you were responsible for that drop of poison in your husband's liqueur glass, why should it not seem so to himself?"

Lucille laughed, but there was a look of horror in her dark eyes.

"How absurd. I know Victor better than to believe him capable of such a suspicion. Just as he knows me better than to believe me capable of such an act."
1. Who was to wait in Paris?
2. Why?
3. and his name?
4. and who was she discussing this with?
5. Did she think it was a good idea?
6. Why not?
7. Who does she have distrust now for?
****
answer:
1. Lucille
2. for her husband
3. Victor
4. Lady Carey
5. No
6. blame for poisoning him
7. I know Victor better than to believe him capable of such a suspicion., Victor