Jobs Plan Stalled, Obama to Try New Economic Drive  —  WASHINGTON — With his jobs plan stymied in Congress by Republican opposition, President Obama on Monday will begin a series of executive-branch actions to confront housing, education and other economic problems over the coming months …

Shootings way up in two weeks  —  Bullets are flying over Broadway — and everywhere else in the city.  —  The number of people shot surged 154 percent two weeks ago — to 56 from 22 over the same week last year — and spiked 28 percent in the last month.  —  Last week tallied another increase …

Medical help for illegal immigrants could haunt Mitt Romney  —  On the Republican campaign trail, he derides any such public aid.  But the healthcare law he signed as Massachusetts governor allows it.  —  Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney sharply criticizes public aid for illegal immigrants.

Libya's liberation: interim ruler unveils more radical than expected plans for Islamic law  —  Libya's interim leader outlined more radical plans to introduce Islamic law than expected as he declared the official liberation of the country.  —  Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, the chairman …

Lieberman Irks Democrats Before Race for His Senate Seat  —  WASHINGTON — A few months ago, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut who is allied with the Democratic majority in the Senate, had a surprising guest at his office: Linda E. McMahon, the former wrestling mogul …

Democrats duck Obama  —  Despite President Barack Obama's sagging poll ratings, top Democratic leaders from around the country insist they'd love for him to visit.  From state party chairmen to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the message remains remarkably consistent: No one views the president as a political liability.

Chemical bomb tossed into Occupy Maine encampment  —  PORTLAND — Portland police are looking for the person who threw a chemical bomb at the Occupy Maine encampment in Portland during the early morning hours today.  —  Sgt. Glen McGary said police responded around 4 a.m. today to an explosion …

Seattle's street plan is ‘recipe for disaster’  —  One out of every four major roads in the city is in serious disrepair.  One out of every 10 is in such bad shape that it'll have to be reconstructed, according to the city's transportation department.  In all, 400 miles of major streets need fixing …

The Hole in Europe's Bucket  —  If it weren't so tragic, the current European crisis would be funny, in a gallows-humor sort of way.  For as one rescue plan after another falls flat, Europe's Very Serious People — who are, if such a thing is possible, even more pompous and self-regarding …

The Hill Poll: Most voters say the United States is in decline  —  More than two-thirds of voters say the United States is declining, and a clear majority think the next generation will be worse off than this one, according to the results of a new poll commissioned by The Hill.

‘Focusing on the wrong problem’  —  Ask congressional Republicans what's wrong with the economy, and they'll point to federal regulations.  Recent analyses from CNN, the New York Times, the AP, the Economic Policy Institute, the Wall Street Journal, and McClatchy newspapers — relying on …

Americans Would Swap Electoral College for Popular Vote  —  Majority of Republicans now agree with most Democrats that Constitution should be amended  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Nearly 11 years after the 2000 presidential election brought the idiosyncrasies of the United States' Electoral College into full view …

More Jobs Predicted for Machines, Not People  —  A faltering economy explains much of the job shortage in America, but advancing technology has sharply magnified the effect, more so than is generally understood, according to two researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Michele Bachmann, Husband Marcus Defend Characterizing Being Gay As ‘Personal Enslavement’ … 2012 Elections , Michele Bachmann , Republican Candidates , Elections 2012 , Gay Marriage , Gay Rights , Michele Bachmann 2012 , Republican Primary , Same-Sex Marriage , Video , Bachmann …

The Romney Economy  —  At Bain Capital, Romney remade one American business after another, overhauling management and directing vast sums of money to the top of the labor pyramid.  The results made him a fortune.  They also changed the world we live in.  —  One day early this August …

Where Spots Are Hot … The South Norwalk Metro-North station.  Some Connecticut commuters face long waiting lists for parking permits.  —  FAIRFIELD, Conn.—In the Metro-North parking lots along Connecticut's Gold Coast, the haves and the have-nots aren't defined by their clothes, car or even their net worth.

NASA wants grandma's moonrock  —  A 74-year-old grandmother who was the target of a NASA sting operation to uncover a piece of lunar dust said the incident was so frightening that she lost control of her bladder and was left with bruises from rough handling by federal agents.

U.S. rating likely to be downgraded again: Merrill  —  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United States will likely suffer the loss of its triple-A credit rating from another major rating agency by the end of this year due to concerns over the deficit, Bank of America Merrill Lynch forecasts.

Nevada 2012 Republican Presidential Caucus Survey (10/24/11)  —  Louisville, CO - Magellan Strategies today released the results of an autodial survey of 673 likely Nevada Republican Presidential caucus goers.  The survey finds Mitt Romney leading Herman Cain by 12 points, 38% to 26% respectively, and Newt Gingrich third with 16%.

Google Speaks Truth to Power  —  About the growing regulatory state, even Google's Eric Schmidt—a big supporter of the Obama administration—now feels the need to tell it like it is.  —  Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, gave a remarkable interview this month to the Washington Post.