A Mood of Gloom Afflicts the Romney Campaign  —  SALT LAKE CITY - Mitt Romney's traveling press secretary walked to the back of the candidate's plane midflight on Tuesday and teasingly asked a pair of journalists in an exit row if they were “willing and able to assist in case of an emergency.”

Poll: In 2-point presidential race, Romney trips over 47%  —  The good news for Republican challenger Mitt Romney: After three rocky weeks, he remains within striking distance of President Obama in the battleground states that matter most.  The bad news: His latest misstep could upend that.

France to close embassies in fear of cartoon backlash  —  France announced Wednesday it will close 20 embassies across the Muslim world on Friday after French weekly Charlie Hebdo published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed naked, amid growing unrest over an anti-Islamic film that has left dozens dead.

Romney's missteps could cost party the Senate, strategists say  —  Republicans believe Mitt Romney's mistakes could prevent them from winning back the Senate.  —  Romney's failure to close the gap with President Obama less than 50 days before the election, as well as a variety of high-profile gaffes …

Obama Holds Edge Over Romney In Wisconsin, Poll Shows  —  RACINE, Wis. — To Mitt Romney, the 10 electoral votes in Wisconsin may be more essential than extra, a critical backup plan if a first-tier battleground state falls out of reach.  —  Seven weeks until the election …

I'll deliver recovery, not dependency  —  Since our founding, America has promoted personal responsibility, the dignity of work and the value of education.  Those values made our nation the hope of the earth and our economy the envy of the world.  —  Efforts that promote hard work …

Chicago Public Schools teachers' strike over  —  The Chicago teachers' strike is over.  —  The Chicago Teachers Union's House of Delegates voted Tuesday to end its strike after seven days, meaning classes will be in session Wednesday for 350,000 Chicago Public Schools students.

Mitt Romney's ‘Severe Conservatism’  —  “I was a severely conservative Republican governor,” Mitt Romney told the crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February 2012.  —  Severely conservative?  —  Conservatives snickered.  “I may be a little giddy here,” Rush Limbaugh said.

Ann Romney: Mitt Doesn't Disdain The Poor  —  The saddest rapid response... The Romney campaign just uploaded a video with the title “Ann Romney to FOX31: Mitt Doesn't Disdain the Poor.”  UPDATE: Apparently the campaign has removed the video from their official account.  —  Zeke Miller  —  an hour ago

Vladi­mir Putin says of Mitt Romney: At least he's direct  —  View Photo Gallery — Vladi­mir Putin has been watching the U.S. election campaign and says Romney sounds like an open and sincere man.  Click here to see photographs of Vladi­mir Putin.

Obama to Romney: ‘You have to work for everyone’ as president  —  President Obama on Tuesday lectured Mitt Romney for “writing off a big chunk of the country” in his first remarks about the GOP presidential nominee's controversial statements at a closed-door fundraiser.

Beyoncé & Jay-Z host NY Bam ba$h  —  WASHINGTON — Nix the flags and the podium.  Cue the opulent 18-foot tower of gold-bottled French champagne.  —  When President Obama addresses an elite roster of hipsters and multimillionaires, including hosts Beyoncé and Jay-Z …

Romney's Right—Palestinians Have Rejected Peace  —  Mideast: Maybe you heard the kerfuffle over Mitt Romney's comments about those who don't pay taxes.  But you likely didn't hear his other remarks — that Palestinians don't really want peace.  He was right about that, too.

Arctic Resources, Exposed by Warming, Set Off Competition  —  NUUK, Greenland — With Arctic ice melting at record pace, the world's superpowers are increasingly jockeying for political influence and economic position in outposts like this one, previously regarded as barren wastelands.

The IRS and healthcare: A heavy lift  —  Now that the Supreme Court has issued its ruling on the Affordable Care Act, many are taking a closer look at how the law will be implemented, including at the new enforcement duties given to the IRS.  The Government Accountability Office has said the IRS faces “a massive undertaking.”

WBUR Senate Poll: Warren Leads Brown By 5  —  BOSTON — A WBUR poll of 507 likely Massachusetts voters (PDFs — topline, crosstabs) finds Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren leading Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, 45 percent to 40 percent.  The survey has a 4.4 percent margin of error.