Axelrod defends White House on Libya, says Romney seeking to ‘exploit’ issue  —  President Obama's senior campaign adviser David Axelrod on Sunday defended the administration's handling of the consulate attack in Libya, accusing Mitt Romney of trying to “exploit” the issue.

Obama leads 51-46 in Ohio  —  PPP's newest Ohio poll finds Barack Obama leading 51-46, a 5 point lead not too different from our last poll two weeks ago when he led 49-45.  —  The key finding on this poll may be how the early voters are breaking out. 19% of people say they've already cast …

The Self-Destruction of the 1 Percent  —  IN the early 14th century, Venice was one of the richest cities in Europe.  At the heart of its economy was the colleganza, a basic form of joint-stock company created to finance a single trade expedition.  The brilliance of the colleganza …

Obama grabs wide lead among those who have already voted: Reuters/Ipsos poll  —  (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney are neck and neck in opinion polls, but there is one area in which the incumbent appears to have a big advantage: those who have already cast their ballots.

SNL's VP Debate: Belligerent Biden, Tough Gal Raddatz, And Water-Guzzling Ryan  —  Tonight's Saturday Night Live opened with a spoof of Thursday night's vice-presidential debate between Vice President Joe Biden and GOP challenger Paul Ryan, sparring no one and hitting everything …

California's retiring state workers cash in vacation for big bucks  —  They could leave their hearts in San Francisco — or any of the Golden State's other big vacation spots — but thousands of California's state workers won't even leave their desks.  —  An analysis of the last three years …

Romney's plan to dump Bernanke sparking anxiety on Wall Street  —  Mitt Romney's promise to replace Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke if elected president is stirring anxiety among some financial analysts — who fear such a move could send the nation's markets tumbling.

A Grand Experiment to Rein In Climate Change  —  LEGGETT, Calif. — Braced against a steep slope, Robert Hrubes cinched his measuring tape around the trunk of one tree after another, barking out diameters like an auctioneer announcing bids.  “Twelve point two!”  “Fourteen point one!”

DO BLACK PEOPLE SUPPORT OBAMA BECAUSE HE'S BLACK?  —  Surviving slavery, segregation and discrimination has forged a special pride in African-Americans.  Now some are saying this hard-earned pride has become prejudice in the form of blind loyalty to President Barack Obama.

Global warming stopped 16 years ago, reveals Met Office report quietly released... and here is the chart to prove it  — The figures reveal that from the beginning of 1997 until August 2012 there was no discernible rise in aggregate global temperatures  — This means that the 'pause …

Romney's Dog-Whistle Campaign Bears Predictable Fruit  —  I'm sure you're about as shocked as I am that this shirt showed up at a Romney campaign event in Ohio.  Which is to say, not even remotely.  —  Via Andrew Kaczynski at Buzzfeed: … Now, candidates can't really be blamed for all the nutcases they attract.