Ted Cruz: The Distinguished Wacko Bird from Texas  —  In less than a year, Texas Republican Ted Cruz has become the most despised man in the U.S. Senate.  He's been likened to Joe McCarthy, accused of behaving like a schoolyard bully, and smeared by senior members of his own party.

Budget drama unfolds again, with Obamacare center stage  —  WASHINGTON — A political drama unfolds in the nation's capital this week as Republicans attempt to dismantle President Obama's health care law, using two budget deadlines that threaten a government shutdown and a national default as their leverage.

Scandal at Clinton Inc.  —  How Doug Band drove a wedge through a political dynasty  —  One Thursday evening last September, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Tony Blair met in New York to conduct what was supposed to be a high-minded discourse on terrorism, geopolitics, and the global economy.

Al-Shabaab: Three Americans Among Gunmen in Kenya Mall  —  Al-Shabaab is claiming that there are American gunmen among those still holed up in the Westgate mall in a standoff with Kenyan and Israeli special forces.  —  The Somali al-Qaeda affiliate tweeted a series of names on its latest account …

Most Americans against defunding Obamacare: Survey  —  A solid majority of Americans oppose defunding the new health care law if it means shutting down the government and defaulting on debt.  —  The CNBC All-America Economic Survey of 800 people across the country conducted by Hart-McInturff …

Why Barack Obama looks so exhausted  —  Barack Obama looks exhausted these days.  He looks about as tired, in other words, as the nation feels.  —  He knows this.  At a speech Saturday, he said that people are always telling him to “hang in there.”  —  “Don't worry about me!”  Obama said.

For Obama, mass shooting overshadowed by other crises  —  President Obama, deluged by crises, is forced to play consoler-in-chief once again.  —  CONNECT  —  WASHINGTON — With a series of domestic and international crises coming to a head at once, President Obama made clear on Sunday …

Free to Be Hungry  —  The word “freedom” looms large in modern conservative rhetoric.  Lobbying groups are given names like FreedomWorks; health reform is denounced not just for its cost but as an assault on, yes, freedom.  Oh, and remember when we were supposed to refer to pommes frites as “freedom fries”?

‘He Will Be a Great Mayor’: Barack Obama Endorses Bill de Blasio  —  Barack Obama.  (Photo: Getty)  —  Bill de Blasio's mayoral campaign just landed the most high-profile endorsement of all: President Barack Obama.  —  With the end of the primary and the Democratic nominee clear …

Atheism starts its megachurch: Is it a religion now?  —  The non-religious Assembly is perhaps the fastest growing church in the world — and it's coming to a mall near you  —  Organized Atheism is now a franchise.  —  Yesterday, The Sunday Assembly—the London-based “Atheist Church” …

Americans' Desire for Gov't Leaders to Compromise Increases  —  By 53% to 25%, say leaders should compromise rather than stick to principles  —  PRINCETON, NJ — At a time when disagreements and inability to reach consensus in Congress pose the threat of a federal government shutdown …

Rick Perry Deserves a Second Chance, Thinks Rick Perry  —  After his comical pratfall of a presidential campaign in 2012, many may have forgotten that it wasn't as though Texas governor Rick Perry's performance came as a surprise.  Oh, he looked pretty good on paper—never lost a race …

Chaos Computer Club breaks Apple TouchID  —  The biometrics hacking team of the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) has successfully bypassed the biometric security of Apple's TouchID using easy everyday means.  A fingerprint of the phone user, photographed from a glass surface, was enough to create …

SHUTDOWN COUNTDOWN: 10 days — ALAN GREENSPAN WARNS: ‘no viable long-term solution to our badly warped economy’ without fixing political system — WHITE HOUSE SIGNALS Janet Yellen nomination coming  —  FIRST LOOK - ALAN GREENSPAN, Fed chairman from 1987 to 2006, in a book out Oct. 22 from The Penguin Press …

Exclusive: Rand Paul wants Chief Justice Roberts, all federal workers, to enroll in Obamacare  —  Arguing federal workers should not get special treatment, Rand Paul says he does not want taxpayers subsidizing the personal health care plans of any federal employee — including Chief Justice John Roberts — anymore.