President Signs Sequester Order

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) – In a move he says was unnecessary, President Barack Obama has signed an order that will force the government, including the Pentagon, to make $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts between now and Oct. 1. The government says the result will be furlough notices to government employees and reduced spending on defense contracts and domestic government programs. Active military personnel and anti-poverty and low-income assistance programs are largely protected from the cuts.