Poll: 71% shun GOP handling of debt crisis  —  CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.  —  Americans are unimpressed with their political leaders' handling of the debt ceiling crisis, with a new CBS News poll showing …

News and Its Critics  —  A tabloid's excesses don't tarnish thousands of other journalists.  —  When News Corp. and CEO Rupert Murdoch secured enough shares to buy Dow Jones & Co. four years ago, these columns welcomed our new owner and promised to stand by the same standards and principles we always had.

Coburn of Oklahoma to Offer $9 Trillion Budget-Cut Plan to Spur Debt Talks  —  Republican Senator Tom Coburn said he will unveil a plan tomorrow that would cut $9 trillion from the federal budget over the next 10 years in an effort to curb spending and avoid a default on U.S. debt.

Phone Hacking: John Yates ‘to be suspended’ over Neil Wallis links  —  One of Scotland Yard's most senior officers, John Yates, is likely to be suspended on Monday pending an investigation over the phone hacking scandal and his links to Neil Wallis, sources have told The Daily Telegraph.

The Slow, Painful Coming Death Of The Independent, Conservative Blogosphere  —  Way, way back in 2001, when I got started in the blogosphere, the Right side of the blogosphere was bigger and more influential than the Left.  Why?  Well, in American politics, the energy tends to be with the party that's out of power.

How Much Longer Can Obama Defy Political Gravity?  —  ANALYSIS By AMY WALTER (@amyewalter): Although President Obama's job approval rating of 48 percent (according to Pollster.com average) isn't exactly stellar, it is remarkably high given the level of economic pessimism and despair among American electorate.

David Petraeus hands over Afghanistan command  —  Gen John Allen said his intention was ‘to maintain the momentum of this campaign’  —  Gen David Petraeus, US commander of Nato troops in Afghanistan, has handed responsibility for the military campaign there to his successor, Gen John Allen.

Video of a brutal Taliban execution of Pakistani policemen emerges  —  Warning, the video below is extremely graphic in nature.  If you choose to watch this video, you will see the Taliban brutally execute more than a dozen bound Pakistani policemen.  The Taliban then proceed to pump rounds into those who survived the initial firing.

A Big Week for the New Consumer Agency  —  This is a big week for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).  Today, the President will announce his intent to nominate Richard Cordray to serve as the first Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Chance for quick budget deal fades  —  Timing of special session is in doubt as GOP legislative leaders try to line up enough votes to end state shutdown.  —  Four days after the announcement of a budget deal, fresh signs emerged Sunday that the agreement is not coming together as first hoped …

BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL  —  Author who debunked Obama insurance tale doesn't want to talk  —  Many authors of newly-published books are eager to discuss their work, especially if the book has made news.  But Janny Scott, author of A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother …

Get Ready for a 70% Marginal Tax Rate  —  Some argue the U.S. economy can bear higher pre-Reagan tax rates.  But those rates applied to a much smaller fraction of taxpayers than what we're headed for without spending cuts.  —  President Obama has been using the debt-ceiling debate …