Here we go again.

Another big budget battle is brewing on Capitol Hill and the possibility of another shutdown of the federal government becomes more real every day. Republicans are threatening to stop funding the government–by not raising the debt limit–if they can’t simultaneously defund Obamacare. Congressional Democrats and the White House are refusing to make that deal.

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said Tuesday, “There are not and will not be negotiations about the debt limit” and the White House budget office Wednesday directed federal agencies to prepare for a potential government shutdown. President Obama, speaking before the Business Roundtable on Wednesday, accused a “faction” of House Republicans of using the debt ceiling threat to “extort a president” and “governing party.”

Related: Congress Will Play a "Game of Political Chicken" Over Debt Ceiling & Budget: Knox

“There’s a real risk of a government shutdown,” Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of American Action Forum, a

Drastic changes to employee health care plans are underway ahead of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Walgreen Co. (WAG), the nation’s largest drugstore chain, told its 160,000 employees Wednesday that their health care benefits are changing. The company is moving workers to a private health insurance exchange, one that “provides more health coverage choices and an opportunity for most employees to lower their out-of-pocket health care costs next year,” according to a press release. Walgreen employees will be given a cash subsidy that allows them to purchase their coverage directly from carriers.

“We will continue to invest in the health of our employees and their dependents while using a marketplace solution that offers a wide variety of plan options that meet the affordability standard of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” said Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, Walgreen senior vice president and chief human resources officer.

Private employer exchanges will likely