Sequester Time: Obama Signs Order

The sequester is here. President Obama has signed an order authorizing the government to begin cutting $85 billion from federal accounts, officially enacting across-the-board reductions that he opposed but failed to avert. This morning's last-minute talks to avert the mess fell through. Obama had insisted on replacing the cuts, known as a "sequester" in government budget language, with tax increases and cuts spread out over time. Republicans rejected any plan that included tax revenue.

The government says the reductions will soon result in furlough notices to government employees and will trim government spending on defense contracts and in domestic government programs. Active military personnel and anti-poverty and low-income assistance programs are largely protected from the cuts. The AP offers specifics on the impact on everything from education to food safety here. (More President Obama stories.)