Obama says he can’t ‘Jedi mind meld’ a budget deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — A combative President Barack Obama blamed Republican lawmakers Friday for failing to stop automatic spending cuts from beginning to kick in late in the day, arguing he can’t perform a “Jedi mind meld” to get Republicans to agree on a deal. But he and GOP leaders displayed no appetite for letting the fight shut the government down later this month.

Meeting on the day that $85 billion in federal spending cuts were to begin to take effect, the nation’s top government officials made no progress on how to avoid what they all agreed would be damaging reductions in defense and domes...