The due-process-free assassination of U.S. citizens is now reality  —  (updated below)  —  It was first reported in January of last year that the Obama administration had compiled a hit list of American citizens whom the President had ordered assassinated without any due process, and one of those Americans was Anwar al-Awlaki.

Requiem for a Governor Before He's in the Ring  —  Look, I'm sorry, but New Jersey Governor Chris Christie cannot be president: He is just too fat.  Maybe, if he runs for president and we get to know him, we will overlook this awkward issue because we are so impressed with the way he stands up to teachers' unions.

Declaration of the Occupation of New York City  —  As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together.  We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

Huckabee looks again at Republican presidential bid  —  (Reuters) - Mike Huckabee has been approached by Republican and conservative activists unhappy with the current crop of presidential hopefuls and he is considering entering the fray, two sources who have spoken with Huckabee told Reuters.

Connecticut a Toss Up?  —  Connecticut isn't a place that would go on anybody's list of swing states but Barack Obama is in a statistical tie with Mitt Romney there, leading only 47-45.  —  Obama's poor showing in Connecticut is mostly a function of his own unpopularity.

A Thin Line on Skirts  —  Note to women in the South Park Slope and surrounding Brooklyn: You might want to think twice before wearing shorts or skirts when you walk home alone at night.  —  That's the message some women say police officers are spreading as they step up patrols in the area …

California breaks from 50-state probe into mortgage lenders [Updated]  —  California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris will no longer take part in a national foreclosure probe of some of the nation's biggest banks, which are accused of pervasive misconduct in dealing with troubled homeowners.

Did Congress Kill the Debit Card?  —  Some Americans are outraged that Bank of America intends to charge its customers a $5 fee for using their debit card.  And simply switching banks might not help: others are expected to follow.  While frustration over yet another bank fee is understandable, this one should surprise no one.

Warren Buffett sparks storm over millionaires' tax-rate hike  —  Investment guru Warren Buffett set off a political firestorm Friday with a series of interviews in which he appeared to distance himself from the tax policy proposal President Obama introduced under the billionaire's name.

Cornell Belcher: Cain's “Brainwashed” Remark Was “Racist, Bigoted”  —  Democratic strategist Cornell Belcher says there is a media “double-standard” over Herman Cain saying blacks have been “brainwashed.”  Belcher calls Mr. Cain a bigot and a racist and says this incident is a “teachable moment.”

The Top 10 Supreme Court Previews  —  Can't get enough pre-season Court coverage?  A legal analyst rounds up the case previews worth reading this weekend.  —  Reuters … Previewing The Previews  —  It's the last Friday in September, just hours before the first Monday in October …

Republican, Democratic Party Images Equally Negative  —  Approval of Republicans, Democrats in Congress at or near record lows  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans have similar, mostly negative views of the Republican and the Democratic parties.  Gallup's Sept. 8-11 update on party favorable …

NEIN, NEIN, NEIN, and the death of EU Fiscal Union  —  Judging by the commentary, there has been a colossal misunderstanding around the world of what has just has happened in Germany.  The significance of yesterday's vote by the Bundestag to make the EU's €440bn rescue fund (EFSF) more flexible is not that the outcome was a “Yes”.

Defeatism  —  Martin Wolf is getting frantic, as well he should.  The austerians have brought us to the brink of a vast disaster.  A recession in Europe looks more likely than not; and the question for the United States is not whether a lost decade is possible, but whether there is any plausible way to avoid one.

U.S. Economy Tipping into Recession  —  Early last week, ECRI notified clients that the U.S. economy is indeed tipping into a new recession.  And there's nothing that policy makers can do to head it off.  —  ECRI's recession call isn't based on just one or two leading indexes …

Bicycles Are Cheap  —  One of the stranger political phenomena of the past 10 years has been the extent to which the non-automobile transportation in many cities has been coded a “white” area of concern.  When someone writes a piece about the growing market for automobiles in China …