Approval of Affordable Care Act Inches Up  —  More Democrats now approve of the law, while most Republicans still disapprove  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Despite the highly publicized technical issues that have plagued the government's health insurance exchange website that went live on Oct. 1 …

HealthCare.gov pricing feature can be off the mark  —  (CBS News) CBS News has uncovered a serious pricing problem with HealthCare.gov. It stems from the Obama administration's efforts to improve its health care website.  A new online feature can dramatically underestimate the cost of insurance.

Why Not Medicaid For All?  —  My Sunday column on the potential consequences of Obamacare's botched rollout ended by sketching a scenario in which the program's Medicaid expansion is deemed a success while its reform of the individual market leads to much-higher-than-expected costs and much-lower-than-expected participation rates.

Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic ties with US over response to conflict in Syria  — Saudi diplomats now promise a ‘major shift’ in relations with the U.S. over inaction in the conflict in Syria  — Secretary of State John Kerry says he is committed to keeping a good relationship with the Saudis

Exclusive: White House Official Fired for Tweeting Under Fake Name  —  A White House national security official was fired last week after being caught as the mystery Tweeter who has been tormenting the foreign policy community with insulting comments and revealing internal Obama administration information for over two years.

The hidden room inside Mitt Romney's new Utah house  —  Holladay » The front door of Mitt Romney's soon-to-be-constructed Holladay house opens to a massive living room, and to your left, around the fireplace, lies a study.  —  If you look closely at the bookshelves there, you find something interesting: a secret door.

In Utah, tea party favorite Sen. Lee faces GOP backlash over government shutdown  —  SALT LAKE CITY — When Mike Lee toppled longtime Republican Sen. Robert F. Bennett here in 2010, it was the tea party's first big triumph.  But now, after a 16-day government shutdown, it's Lee who faces a revolt within his own party.

Durbin: House leader told Obama ‘I cannot even stand to look at you’  —  A top Senate Democrat said that a leading House Republican told President Obama that they could not ‘even stand to look at you’ during negotiations over the government shutdown.  —  Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) …

Alan Greenspan's Bank Capital Fraud  —  I'm a little surprised to find myself saying this, but I think David Dayen's managed to be too soft on Alan Greenspan in his take on Greenspan's new book The Map and the Territory.  It's true that Greenspan's 2004-vintage pimping for adjustable-rate mortgages …

Adelson says Obama should fire ‘atomic weapon’ at Iran, not negotiate  —  Last night in New York, Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire supporter of Israel, said that the U.S. should fire a nuclear weapon at Iran rather than negotiate.  He said that if Obama fires a weapon into the desert …

An apology from Steve Liesman  —  Regarding my recent remark on Squawk Box regarding Senator Ted Cruz, I first want to deeply and sincerely apologize if my remarks were insensitive.  —  Second, I want to explain that it was not intended to be offensive in any way.

14-year-old student held without bail in slaying of Danvers High teacher  —  A 24-year-old Danvers High School teacher has been found dead, and a 14-year-old boy is being held without bail on a charge of murdering her.  —  Math teacher Colleen Ritzer's body was found in the woods behind the school …

What Kind of Problem is the ACA Rollout for Liberalism?  —  “This massive IT launch sure came in on time, under budget, and without headaches” is a statement that nobody has ever said.  But even controlling for that, Healthcare.gov looks to be having a disastrous launch.

Pelosi pushes back on extending health care enrollment  —  Washington (CNN) - The top Democrat in the House is pushing back against calls to extend open enrollment in the new health care exchanges because of the massive technical problems plaguing HealthCare.gov.

Craigslist makes turning food stamps into cash a SNAP  —  Food stamp recipients are turning the government handouts into quick cash with ads on Craigslist, despite efforts to stem fraud.  —  The federally-funded grocery assistance coupons — which are issued by states in the form …

Report: U.S. Spent $3.7 Trillion on Welfare Over Last 5 Years  —  New research from the Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee shows that over the last 5 years, the U.S. has spent about $3.7 trillion on welfare.  Here's a chart, showing that spending versus transportation, education, and NASA spending: