Facing Eviction, Protesters Begin Park Cleanup  —  As the clock ticked down on the occupiers of Zuccotti Park and the prospect of eviction loomed, the Occupy Wall Street protesters' pre-emptive cleanup effort lurched into gear Thursday afternoon.  —  Volunteers taped off sections of the park …

Rabbit-Hole Economics  —  Reading the transcript of Tuesday's Republican debate on the economy is, for anyone who has actually been following economic events these past few years, like falling down a rabbit hole.  Suddenly, you find yourself in a fantasy world where nothing looks or behaves the way it does in real life.

Herman Cain 999 Plan: Did It Come From SimCity? … WASHINGTON — In Herman Cain's America, the tax code would be very, very simple: The corporate income tax rate would be 9 percent, the personal income tax rate would be 9 percent and the national sales tax rate would be 9 percent.

Barack Obama calls John Boehner, gets earful  —  President Barack Obama called House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) Thursday to congratulate him for passing three trade agreements — but ended up getting an earful on the jobs debate.  —  According to an unusually detailed account released …

Professor of Philip Garber, N.J. Stutterer, Defends Actions  —  Calling herself “the victim of a character assassination,” the college professor who asked a student with a severe stutter not to pose questions in class said that her actions were misinterpreted, and that she did not mean to silence him.

“Unusual” meeting between US, Iran over plot  —  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama said Thursday that officials at the “highest levels” of the Iranian government must be held accountable for a brazen and bizarre plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States on American soil …

Coast Guard member spit on near Occupy Boston tents  —  BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - The Coast Guard in Boston confirmed that a woman in uniform was harassed and spat upon near Occupy Boston protesters.  —  The woman was walking to the train and said protesters spit on her twice …

The Panhandler and the President  —  I do not recall another president whose negative drumbeat about large segments of the population has been so relentless.  —  Walking down New York's 55th Street near Park Avenue last Friday evening, our group of seven men in suits and ties was approached by a panhandler asking for money.

Islamic sex guide says wives meet only 10% of husbands' desires  —  BANGKOK: Just months after telling its members to serve their husbands better than prostitutes, prompting widespread criticism, the Obedient Wives Club of Malaysia has stirred further controversy by publishing a guide to Islamic sex.

Editors' Note  —  One of the inviolable principles of journalism, one we live by at POLITICO, is that the work we publish must be genuinely our own.  Whenever we must rely on reporting or ideas that were first produced by others, our policy is to cite and/or link to these sources by name …

“Generic” Republican Continues to Lead Obama in 2012 Vote  —  Lead is 46% to 38% among registered voters  —  PRINCETON, NJ — U.S. registered voters, by 46% to 38%, continue to say they are more likely to vote for the Republican presidential candidate than for Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election.

Iran failed with space monkey launch: report  —  Iran acknowledged as a failure Wednesday its attempt to send a live monkey into space last month — touted as its first step towards launching a man into space.  —  “The Kavoshgar-5 rocket carrying a capsule with a live animal (a monkey) …

China must respect the free-trade system  —  The feckless economic policies of the Obama administration have resulted in a 10 percent decline in our median income, persistent unemployment above 8 percent and collapsing home and asset values.  —  Understandably, some ask whether we should abandon …

Obama Visits Michigan as Auto Jobs Come Back  —  ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. — President Obama arrives here on Friday on another visit to Michigan, seeking not only the electoral votes that are essential to his re-election effort, but a platform for a far bigger message.

Republican Endorsements?  Romney Leads But The Party Has Not Decided … 2012 Elections , Chris Christie , Mitt Romney , Elections 2012 , Video , Power Outsiders , Republican Endorsements , Republican Presidential Endorsements , Thad Cochran , The Party Decides , Pollster Analysis , Politics News

Rick Perry to unveil far-reaching energy plan  —  Texas Gov. Rick Perry is set to unveil a far-reaching energy plan Friday that would dramatically expand oil and gas exploration — and, he may hope, also reboot his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.