Occupy Wall Street protesters stay at $700-a-night hotel  —  Hell no, we won't go — unless we get goose down pillows.  —  A key Occupy Wall Street leader and another protester who leads a double life as a businessman ditched fetid tents and church basements for rooms at a luxurious hotel …

Too Much Violence and Pepper Spray at the OWS Protests  —  The dousing of seated, non-violent students with a chemical agent at U.C. Davis should provoke a call for restraint  —  Police dressed in riot gear at U.C. Davis on Friday afternoon used pepper spray to clear seated protesters …

SUPERCOMMITTEE PLANS TO ADMIT FAILURE MONDAY, LIKELY WITH TERSE STATEMENT: ‘This marriage is over’ — ALL 12 MEMBERS HAVEN'T MET IN WEEKS: Hail Mary offers continue today — Biden bday  —  BACKSTAGE - HOW THE SUPERCOMMITTEE FLUNKED: The supercommittee last met Nov. 1 - three weeks ago!

Berkeley woman assaulted for NOT joining OWS protest  —  Looks like the “Join us or else!” mentality is growing violent at Occupy Cal in Berkeley, where an (apparent) OWS protester assaulted a female student when she gave the wrong answer about going to the Occupation protest:

Supercommittee likely to admit defeat on debt deal  —  The congressional committee tasked with reducing the federal deficit is poised to admit defeat as soon as Monday, and its unfinished business will set up a year-end battle over emergency jobless benefits and an expiring payroll tax holiday.

BBC's Mr Climate Change accepted £15,000 in grants from university rocked by global warning scandal  —  A senior BBC journalist accepted £15,000 in grants from the university at the heart of the ‘Climategate’ scandal - and later went on to cover the story without declaring an interest to viewers.

Gingrich brushes off Freddie, leads Republican race: poll  —  (Reuters) - Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has roared into the lead of the Republican nominating race, brushing off concerns about his work for a troubled housing company, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.

Conspiracies, Coups and Currencies  —  The murmurs about Barack Obama being forced out began in Berlin and Beijing.  After his party lost the midterm vote, there were hints that a government of technocrats would be imposed on America, to save the country from a debt crisis and the world from a depression.

Warren Buffett Tells Congress To Raise Taxes On Wealthy  —  Warren Buffett, chairman and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., speaks during an interview with Bloomberg Television on the sidelines of the Allen & Co. Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., July 8, 2011.