Deputy Secretary of the Defense Ashton Carter will step down on Dec. 4, Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Thursday, according to Federal News Radio.

The White House announced Thursday that states can pay to open certain national parks that have been closed due to the shutdown, according to the Associated Press. 

Multiple governors, including those in Utah, South Dakota, Arizona and Colorado have written to the Obama administration asking permission to reopen parks, citing economic needs.

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) came out in opposition of the House Republicans' proposal to extend the debt ceiling for six weeks, according to CBS News. 

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will push to defeat Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) in 2014, according to a TIME cover story published Thursday. 

Pryor voted against a bill that would have expanded background checks for gun purchases in April, and Bloomberg's gun control group, Mayor's Against Illegal Guns, ran ads in May calling for Pryor to change his stance on background checks.

The National Republican Congressional Committee launched an ad campaign on Thursday, calling out six House Democrats for voting against piecemeal bills to fund the government -- a tactic opposed by the White House since it includes a demand to repeal or delay Obamacare.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said that the House should vote on a clean continuing resolution to fund the government on CNN's 'The Situation Room.'

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told his Republican colleagues that the shutdown has improved the GOP's position in a closed-door lunch on Wednesday, according to the Washington Examiner. 

Cruz paid for a poll conducted by Chris Perkins, of Republican polling firm Wilson Perkins Allen. The poll found results similar to those run by national firms this week, which showed Republicans taking the majority of blame for the shutdown. Only 28 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party, according to findings from Gallup released Wednesday.

A gunman fired more than 20 shots at the Wheeling Federal Building in Wheeling, West Virginia on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Wheeling News-Register.

Wolf Blitzer said on CNN Wednesday that the Obama administration should have listened to Republicans and delayed the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

"If they had three years to get this ready, if they weren't fully ready, they should accept the advice Republicans are giving them, delay it for a year, get it to work there are health insurance sites that work great," Blitzer said. "If they didn't get it ready in time, make sure to get it right."

President Barack Obama will announce the nomination of Janet Yellen for Federal Reserve chair at 3:10 p.m. ET. Watch live below: