Romney's ‘huge freaking deal’  —  At this point in the morning yesterday, it looked like the biggest political screw-up of the day would be Rick Perry's latest Birther flirtations.  As it turns out, though as ridiculous as this was, it was eclipsed rather easily.

Police Fire Tear Gas at Occupy Protesters in Oakland  —  Last Updated 9:48 a.m. Riot police in Oakland dispersed hundreds of protesters with tear gas on Tuesday night as crowds tried to re-enter a plaza outside of City Hall that the authorities had cleared of an encampment earlier in the day.

New Poll Finds a Deep Distrust of Government  —  With Election Day just over a year away, a deep sense of economic anxiety and doubt about the future hangs over the nation, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, with Americans' distrust of government at its highest level ever.

Pizza Magnate Leads GOP Presidential Pack In Ohio, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Romney Stalled As Perry Vanishes  —  Former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain has jumped to the front of the line among GOP presidential contenders with 28 percent support among Ohio Republicans.

Rick Perry: Obama is an American citizen  —  ST PETE BEACH - Texas governor Rick Perry clarified Wednesday that he has no doubt that Barack Obama was born in the U.S., saying that he was only kidding around when he voiced doubts in a TV interview earlier this week.

Obama education chief: student loan reform to address income inequality  —  President Obama's education reform efforts will address growing income inequality in the U.S., Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said Wednesday.  —  Speaking on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Wednesday …

Gupta to Face Criminal Charges  —  For decades, Rajat K. Gupta was the face of business success, leading global consulting giant McKinsey & Co. and serving on the boards of several prestigious American companies, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc.  —  Now, prosecutors say …

Obama: If We Lose in 2012, Government Will Tell People 'You're on Your Own'  —  At a million-dollar San Francisco fundraiser today, President Obama warned his recession-battered supporters that if he loses the 2012 election it could herald a new, painful era of self-reliance in America.

Obama Wrote Fewer Rules Than Bush, Cost More  —  President Barack Obama's “tsunami” of new government regulations looks more like a summer swell.  —  Obama's White House has approved fewer regulations than his predecessor George W. Bush at this same point in their tenures …

The next front in the abortion wars: Birth control  —  Mississippi debates a “Personhood” initiative that could ban the pill — but ultimately aims at Roe v. Wade  —  Dr. Freda Bush has a warm, motherly smile.  In her office just outside Jackson, Miss., she smiles as she hands me a brochure …

Record-Low 26% in U.S. Favor Handgun Ban  —  Support for stricter gun laws in general is lowest Gallup has measured  —  PRINCETON, NJ — A record-low 26% of Americans favor a legal ban on the possession of handguns in the United States other than by police and other authorized people.

EXCLUSIVE: ACORN Playing Behind Scenes Role in ‘Occupy’ Movement  —  The former New York office for ACORN, the disbanded community activist group, is playing a key role in the self-proclaimed “leaderless” Occupy Wall Street movement, organizing “guerrilla” protest events and hiring door …

Health cases set for Nov. 10  —  The Supreme Court will take its first look at the challenges to the new federal health care law at its Conference on Thursday, November 10.  Five of the six pending petitions (the sixth is not ready yet) were distributed to the Justices' chambers on Wednesday, for consideration at that private session.

As the Data Show, There's a Reason the Wall Street Protesters Chose New York  —  When the federal income tax was first imposed in 1913, the richest 0.1 percent of households reaped 8.6 percent of the nation's income.  In 2007, as the recession began, the share going to that sliver of megarich Americans was 12.3 percent.

Leno Goes Easy on Obama  —  You'd hardly know from Jay Leno's softball questions Tuesday night that Obama was presiding over a tanking economy.  Lloyd Grove on the well-orchestrated sit-down.  Plus, watch video.  —  Barack Obama is looking long in the tooth.