McDonald's May Drop Health Plan  —  McDonald's Corp. has warned federal regulators that it could drop its health insurance plan for nearly 30,000 hourly restaurant workers unless regulators waive a new requirement of the U.S. health overhaul.  —  The move is one of the clearest indications …

Senate blocks recess appointments with deal between Dems, GOP  —  Senate Democrats agreed Wednesday night to a Republican demand to block President Obama from making recess appointments while Congress is out of town campaigning for the midterm elections.  —  Democratic leaders have agreed …

Paladino and Post reporter square off  —  Tweet  —  Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino and Post State Editor Fredric U. Dicker last night got into an angry confrontation — during which Paladino threatened, “I'll take you out.”  —  It started when Dicker asked Paladino …

Angry Voters Push Rubio To Top In Florida Senate Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Say Republican Most Shares Their Values  —  Republican Marco Rubio holds a solid 46 - 33 percent likely voter lead over Gov. Charlie Crist, running as an independent in the race for Florida's U.S. Senate seat …

Private Moment Made Public, Then a Fatal Jump  —  It started with a Twitter message on Sept. 19: “Roommate asked for the room till midnight.  I went into molly's room and turned on my webcam.  I saw him making out with a dude.  Yay.”  —  That night, the authorities say …

$27 million to change NYC signs from all-caps  —  Tweet  —  The Capital of the World is going lower-case.  —  Federal copy editors are demanding the city change its 250,900 street signs — such as these for Perry Avenue in The Bronx — from the all-caps style used for more than a century …

Democrats Find Many Big Donors Cutting Support  —  Many wealthy Democratic patrons, who in the past have played major roles financing outside groups to help elect the party's candidates, are largely sitting out these crucial midterm elections.  —  Democratic donors like George Soros …

Grading the Governors  —  A new Cato Institute report on the fiscal best and worst.  —  It's been a rough couple of years to be a Governor, but some have adjusted to austere times better than others.  The Cato Institute today releases its 10th biennial survey of the best and worst Governors …

Tony Curtis, Hollywood Icon, Dies at 85  —  Tony Curtis, a classically handsome movie star who earned an Oscar nomination as an escaped convict in Stanley Kramer's 1958 movie “The Defiant Ones,” but whose public preferred him in comic roles in films like “Some Like It Hot” (1959) and …

In a Computer Worm, a Possible Biblical Clue  —  Deep inside the computer worm that some specialists suspect is aimed at slowing Iran's race for a nuclear weapon lies what could be a fleeting reference to the Book of Esther, the Old Testament tale in which the Jews pre-empt a Persian plot to destroy them.

Romney, Palin at Front of GOP Presidential Field  —  Preferences for leaders similar among conservative, moderate/liberal Republicans  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin lead other potential candidates in Republicans' preferences for the party's 2012 presidential nomination.

Spokesman: Obama may get chance to add more ‘fresh legs’ at White House  —  President Obama might have more opportunities to get some “fresh legs” in the White House, according to a top administration spokesman.  —  White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton hinted on Thursday …

Democrats Aren't Staging A Comeback  —  Democratic strategists have recently started experiencing a new feeling of optimism.  There are indications, they say, that the party is showing the smallest signs of a turnaround, and that rumors of their electoral demise have been premature.

Rep. Mike Castle says no to write-in bid  —  Longtime Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) announced late Wednesday that he will not launch a write-in bid for Senate this fall, ceding the stage to Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell (R) and New Castle County Executive Chris Coons (D).

Waxman says net neutrality bill dead, FCC should assert regulatory authority  —  Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) confirmed Wednesday afternoon that his net neutrality bill was effectively scrapped after Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) declined to support the legislation.

Congress cools on Colbert  —  Members of Congress have been fooled time after time after time by Stephen Colbert, and after last week's mockery, they have a message for the satirist who makes a living lampooning them: Colbert, you're dead to us.  —  Colbert's act had steadily been losing cachet …

In Tax Cut Plan, Debate Over the Definition of Rich  —  Much of the debate about whether to extend the Bush tax cuts has focused on big economic issues: how the decision might affect the fragile economy, the widening federal deficit and hiring by small businesses.

Compare and Contrast: Karl Marx' 10 Point Program of Communism and the Obama-Pelosi-Reid Agenda  —  According to Karl Marx, the following ten elements were requisite conditions for “a transition from capitalism to communism.”  —  1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.

Senate Confirms Yellen, Bloom Raskin as Fed Board Members  —  WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed two of the three outstanding Federal Reserve Board governor nominees on Wednesday night, filling key slots on the central bank's board.  —  Lawmakers approved Janet Yellen …

Fake pimp from ACORN videos tries to ‘punk’ CNN correspondent  —  Editor's note: CNN takes an unprecedented look inside the young conservative activist movement in the documentary “Right On The Edge,” which airs Oct. 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. EST.  —  Lusby, Maryland (CNN) …