From the federal government shutting down for the first time in nearly seven years to a comet zooming through the solar system that a scientist says could be an artifact of alien technology, here's a look at some of your top headlines for the morning of October 1.

1. Government shutdown begins

What we know:

The U.S. is under its first federal government shutdown in nearly seven years after Senate Democrats rejected a Republican-backed bill to keep funding the government.

Dig deeper:

Government funding legislation was not passed by Congress on Tuesday night, which means many government offices across the nation will be temporarily shuttered, and nonexempt federal employees will be furloughed, adding to the strain on workers and the nation’s economy.

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2. Arizona HOV lane acce

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