The Treasury Department says that some time in the first or second quarter of next year, the government will need to shut down unless Congress raises the debt ceiling so that additional borrowing can occur to keep things running. This could be a battle royale, creating showdowns within the Republican Party between the Tea Party activists and establishment members, as well as between the Republican Party and President Obama.

The Department of Health and Human Services is granting waivers exempting insurers and employers from requirements under the new health care law, according to The New York Times. “Concerned about the potential disruption […] the administration has granted dozens of additional waivers and also made clear that it would modify other rules affecting these policies.”

Today, OMB Watch asked the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) to help ensure the finalization of new government-wide policies on scientific integrity. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy was to have developed recommendations on scientific integrity for review by President Obama, but the recommendations have been delayed for more than a year.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said last week that it will not meet an October deadline for finalizing new air quality standards for ozone, or smog. The announcement marks the second time in two months the agency has delayed the standard.