Boehner Puts Off Vote as G.O.P. Balks  —  WASHINGTON — On the brink of a historic default, House Republicans on Tuesday put off a vote on their latest proposal to reopen the government and raise the debt limit, as a major credit agency warned that the United States was on the verge of a costly ratings downgrade.

Exclusive: Glenn Greenwald Will Leave Guardian To Create New News Organization  —  The reporter who broke the NSA story promises “a momentous new venture.”  A “very substantial new media outlet” with serious backing, he says.  Updated.  —  Greenwald in Rio de Janeiro in July.  —  Sergio Moraes / Reuters

Fitch puts US AAA rating on rating watch negative  —  Fitch puts US credit rating on negative watch  —  Fitch has put the U.S. credit rating on negative watch, reports CNBC's Dominic Chu.  —  Fitch Ratings put the US government's “AAA” credit rating on ‘rating watch negative’ Tuesday …

KEY VOTE: “NO” ON HOUSE SPENDING AND DEBT DEAL  —  Tonight, the House is scheduled to vote on a plan that would extend government funding to December 15 and the debt ceiling through February 7 in exchange for overturning the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) ruling that created the congressional exemption.

I, Rielle Hunter, Apologize  —  I behaved badly.  That may seem obvious to you but it's taken me a long time to admit that, even to myself.  For years I was so viciously attacked by the media and the world that I felt like a victim.  I now realize that the attacks are actually beside the point.

Senate GOP Aide: ‘Ted Cruz And His Tortilla Coast Republicans Are Leading Us To A Default’  —  With the possibility of breaching the debt limit looking more and more plausible as House Republicans struggle to appease their caucus and come up with a plan to re-open the government and increase the debt ceiling …

A Bleak First Week: 99.6% of Healthcare.gov Visitors Did NOT Enroll in Obamacare  —  Since October 1st, Americans living in the 50 states and Washington, D.C. can purchase healthcare through exchanges as part of the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare.)

As Debt Limit Deadline Nears, Concern Ticks Up But Skepticism Persists  —  Despite Image Problems, GOP Holds Ground on Key Issues  —  With just two days to go before an Oct. 17 deadline to raise the nation's debt limit, 51% of the public views a rise in the nation's debt limit as …

Hillary who?  Bloody-minded London traffic warden defies five furious secret service agents to give Hillary Clinton a ticket  —  This is the extraordinary moment that Hillary Clinton's security staff got into an argument with a traffic warden after he issued her car with a parking ticket.

Boehner to Tea Party: Shut Yourself Down  —  “Thank you, Mr. President.  Signed, John Boehner.”  —  Deep beneath the year-round tan, the Camel Ultra Lights and the merlot, there beats a grateful heart.  Somebody had to take on the Tea Party that has turned Boehner's tenure as House speaker into a living hell.

OFA hits the Hill  —  And on the 15th day of the government shutdown, President Barack Obama's supporters came to a rally on the Capitol steps.  —  It was a somewhat disorganized group, composed at its peak of about three dozen out-of-work federal employees, still-employed federal employees …

Ex-Mayor Bob Filner pleads guilty to false imprisonment, battery  —  SAN DIEGO — Ex-Mayor Bob Filner, who left office in a scandal over allegations of sexual harassment of women, Tuesday pleaded guilty to one felony count of false imprisonment and two misdemeanor counts of battery.

The default has already begun  —  The big question in Washington this week is whether, in the words of the NYT, we're going to see “a legislative failure and an economic catastrophe that could ripple through financial markets, foreign capitals, corporate boardrooms, state budget offices and the bank accounts of everyday investors”.

The Top Ten Reasons The Government Shutdown Isn't All Bad  —  10. Approximately 15,000 EPA employees are furloughed, making it less likely fake CIA agents at EPA will be ripping off the taxpayer  —  Last month, John C. Beale, a former EPA senior official in the Office of Air & Radiation …

What This Cruel War Was Over  —  It is not so much the behavior of the lone idiot that matters, but the tenor of the crowd around him.  —  On Sunday, a group of conservative radicals held a protest in Washington.  Eventually they walked to the White House.

'The Kelly File's' surge is legit, Nielsen says  —  MSNBC had questioned Fox News show's 100% ratings increase  —  Megyn Kelly hosts the Fox News Channel's new show “The Kelly File.”  —  Nielsen has conducted an investigation into the ratings for Megyn Kelly's new Fox News Channel show …

13 THINGS THAT DEFINE THE NEW AMERICAN CENTER  —  It is bigger than you think...  An exclusive Esquire-NBC News survey shows us that everything we are told about politics in America today—that there is no middle ground between left and right, blue and red, us and them—is wrong.

Huckabee Mulling White House Bid  —  Mike Huckabee told David Brody he's considering another presidential bid in 2016.  —  Said Huckabee: “Absolutely.  Yeah, no hesitancy to say, for sure.  Does that mean I will?  I don't know.  Does that mean I won't?  I don't know.  But am I thinking about it?