White House, Senate Democrats step up pressure to raise federal debt ceiling  —  The White House and Senate Democrats on Monday sought to increase pressure on House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) to raise the federal debt ceiling — if only for several weeks — with just 10 days until …

A U.S. Default Seen as Catastrophe Dwarfing Lehman's Fall  —  Anyone who remembers the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. little more than five years ago knows what a global financial disaster is.  A U.S. government default, just weeks away if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling …

Reid plotting to stay in power  —  Republicans are eager for November 2016 — and not just because Barack Obama's presidency will be in its final days.  —  It's when Harry Reid, the man reviled by Republicans for his inflammatory rhetoric and hardball tactics during the government shutdown, could be booted from his Nevada Senate seat.

Republicans Lose Ground vs. Obama in the Shutdown Blame Game  —  The Republicans in Congress have lost ground against Barack Obama in blame over the government shutdown, with Americans expressing increasing criticism of both parties in Washington, while the president's avoided that rise in public ire.

Defects Cripple Health-Care Website  —  Six days into the launch of insurance marketplaces created by the new health-care law, the federal government acknowledged for the first time Sunday it needed to fix design and software problems that have kept customers from applying online for coverage.

GOP Rep Blames Cruz For Shutdown: ‘He Took A Lot Of Folks Into The Ditch’ (VIDEO)  —  A Republican congressman said Monday that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is largely responsible for the first government shutdown since 1996.  —  Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that while he believes …

AMBER WEBSITE NOW WORKING - Obama plays POLITICS with LOST CHILDREN, shuts down Amber Alert website  —  This is unbelievable.  The Obama administration has shut down the Amber Alert website because of the government shutdown and it now renders this message when you attempt to access it:

MSNBC Host: “I am Suggesting that” Ted Cruz Doesn't Love America  —  Kudos to Joe Scarborough this morning for calling out his fellow co-anchor.  On Morning Joe today, Mika Brzezinski said that Senator Ted Cruz and all the other conservatives in Congress who want to defund Obamacare …

Want to know why the government is shut down?  This chart explains it.  —  Looking for the roots of the current morass in Washington?  Look no further than the chart — built by the WaPo graphics wizards — below that shows the percentage of the vote that all House Members won with in the 2012 election.

In Conversation: Antonin Scalia  —  On the eve of a new Supreme Court session, the firebrand justice discusses gay rights and media echo chambers, Seinfeld and the Devil, and how much he cares about his intellectual legacy ("I don't").  —  a day that just happened to be the 27th anniversary …

If the 1% stifles New York's creative talent, I'm out of here  —  Rampant inequality is squeezing out the artistic genius that made New York such a vibrant cultural capital.  We can't let that happen  —  I'm writing this in Venice, Italy.  This city is a pleasantly confusing maze …

Anxious Allies Aiding Booker in Senate Bid  —  Cory A. Booker is an undisputed star of a new generation of African-American leaders, electrifying liberal audiences with his oratory and charming the social media set with his digital savvy.  —  But the Senate campaign Mr. Booker, a Democrat …