Obama Against a Compromise on Extension of Bush Tax Cuts  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama on Wednesday will make clear that he opposes any compromise that would extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy beyond this year, officials said, adding a populist twist to an election-season economic package …

Daley won't run for re-election: ‘I have done my best’  —  Mayor Richard Daley, with his wife and members of his family, speaks at a City Hall press conference to announce that he will not run for re-election in 2011.  (Antonio Dickey / Mayor's Press Office) |  MORE PHOTOS

AP Exclusive: Murkowski says she's not a quitter  —  JUNEAU, Alaska — A week after conceding the GOP primary, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she's not a quitter and is “still in this game.”  —  Murkowski told The Associated Press on Tuesday that she's been inundated with calls and e-mails from supporters …

Fidel to Ahmadinejad: ‘Stop Slandering the Jews’  —  (This is Part I of a report on my recent visit to Havana.  I hope to post Part II tomorrow.  And I also hope to be publishing a more comprehensive article about this subject in a forthcoming print edition of The Atlantic.)

Parties Tied at 46% in Generic Ballot  —  Latest weekly update shows more competitive contest  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Republicans and Democrats are tied at 46% among registered voters in Gallup's weekly tracking of congressional voting preferences, marking a shift after five consecutive weeks in which the Republicans held the advantage.

Obama Left Largely Helpless As Judicial Vacancies Reach Crisis  —  What's Your Reaction: … The Obama administration is aware of the growing alarm over its inability to fill long-standing judicial vacancies.  White House officials frequently voice displeasure with the pace …

State Gains Would Give Redistricting Edge to G.O.P.  —  The midterm elections are being closely watched for the answer to a high-stakes question: Will Republicans have a majority in Congress for the next two years?  But it is the outcome of a lower-profile battle over state legislatures …

The Mind of America  —  A new Washington Post poll is out.  Selected questions are shown below.  Summary: Americans trust Democrats more to handle the country's problems, they think Democrats represent their values better, they think Democrats are more concerned with the needs of people like them …

KY-Sen: Rand Paul staffer caught posing as progressive at Daily Kos  —  As you probably know, there's a moneybomb underway to raise money for Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway's campaign challenging Rand Paul for U.S. Senate.  —  Well, it turns out that at least one member …

Rome is Burning  —  There is a critical point that I fear the commentariat is just not getting.  In my darker moments I fear that some of my fellow economists aren't getting it either but we aren't going to go there.  —  Look at these two graphs because they tell you the fundamental problem in America today:

The United States of Inequality  —  In 1915, a statistician at the University of Wisconsin named Willford I. King published The Wealth and Income of the People of the United States, the most comprehensive study of its kind to date.  The United States was displacing Great Britain …

Florida pastor weighs plan to burn Quran  —  Feeling passionate about this story?  Put your thoughts on video and share them with CNN iReport.  —  (CNN) — A Florida pastor told CNN on Tuesday that while his congregation still plans to burn Qurans to protest the September 11, 2001 …

Building on Faith  —  AS my flight approached America last weekend, my mind circled back to the furor that has broken out over plans to build Cordoba House, a community center in Lower Manhattan.I have been away from home for two months, speaking abroad about cooperation among people from different religions.

Obama channels Hendrix on critics: ‘They talk about me like a dog’  —  Has President Obama been listening to a lot of Jimi Hendrix lately?  With just under two months to go before Election Day, Obama kicked off the fall campaign season Monday with an aggressive speech targeting Republicans.

When ‘Bite Me’ Is ‘Off the Record’  —  A day after Rolling Stone Magazine published an explosive profile of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, featuring raw comments and salty language, a sort of self-generated audit of Washington's journalistic conventions took off inside the Beltway.

Boxer Tied to Dubious Waters Cash-for-Endorsement Scheme  —  Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee, has paid some $30,000 since 2004 for the endorsement of embattled Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) in the context of a scheme that critics charge is unethical and amounts …