Romney avoids weighing in on Ohio union fight  —  Terrace Park, Ohio (CNN) -Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney stepped into the middle of the charged battle over organized labor in Ohio on Tuesday, but he avoided weighing in on the contentious legislation that would dramatically limit …

10 Questions for Rick Perry  —  Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is seeking to jump-start his Republican presidential campaign by proposing a new tax system: a 20 percent flat rate on individual and corporate income, down from the current 35 percent top rate, and elimination of existing taxes on estates, capital gains and dividends.

It's on: Republicans slam Elizabeth Warren for embracing Occupy Wall Street  —  Wow, this is going to be good: Occupy Wall Street is now officially an issue in what may be the highest-profile and most polarizing Senate race in the country.  —  National Republicans are now attacking Elizabeth Warren …

Herman Cain tops Mitt Romney in latest CBS/NYT poll  —  CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.  —  Businessman Herman Cain is now atop the field of Republican White House hopefuls, squeaking past former Massachusetts …

EXCLUSIVE: GOP governors blast birther gambit  —  Texas Gov. Rick Perry's decision to delve back into birtherism — on CNBC and on the day he is rolling out an economic plan — has struck a nerve with responsible GOP officials and insiders.  Two prominent governors have now gone on record with Right Turn to express their displeasure.

TRENDS IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF HOUSEHOLD INCOME BETWEEN 1979 AND 2007  —  Text-only.  The full version of the summary may include tables, charts, and footnotes.  —  AFTER-TAX INCOME GREW MORE FOR HIGHEST-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS  —  After-tax income for the highest-income households grew more than it did for any other group.

White House backs Republican measure repealing 3% tax rule  —  The White House announced Tuesday that it supports passage of a House Republican bill intended to boost job creation and due up for a vote on Thursday.  —  The bill repeals a requirement that the federal government withhold 3 percent …

Vice President Biden complains after dust-up with conservative reporter  —  Joe Biden's office has complained to the Senate press gallery about a confrontation the vice president had with a conservative journalist last week on Capitol Hill.  —  Biden aides asked whether Senate rules were broken …

Cain's Mark Block says ‘no subliminal message’ in new ad, discourages smoking  —  Mark Block in Cain's new ad.  (thehermancain/YouTube.com)  —  Herman Cain's chief of staff, Mark Block, is still buzzing from a viral campaign ad on YouTube featuring some quick camera work …

A 53% Surge in Poverty Rate Is Reshaping Suburbs  —  PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio — The poor population in America's suburbs — long a symbol of a stable and prosperous American middle class — rose by more than half after 2000, forcing suburban communities across the country to re-evaluate their identities and how they serve their populations.

John Who?  —  A bizarre denial from the New York Times.  —  (Best of the tube tonight: Catch us on “Hannity” discussing Occupy Wall Street, crime and Joe Biden.  Fox News Channel, 9 p.m. ET with a repeat showing at midnight ET.)  —  Kids say the darnedest things.  On Twitter, grown-ups do too.

Cops arrest Occupy Oakland protesters  —  (10-25) 05:58 PDT OAKLAND — Oakland police arrested dozens of people at a plaza outside City Hall, two weeks after the protesters began building an intricate encampment as part of the Occupy Wall Street movement against corporate greed and economic inequality.