Washington Post-Pew Research Center Poll  —  This poll was conducted for The Washington Post and the Pew Research Center by telephone October 13 to 16, 2011, among a random national sample of 1,007 adults, including users of both conventional and cellular phones.

U.S. Capital Now Richer Than Silicon Valley  —  Federal employees whose compensation averages more than $126,000 and the nation's greatest concentration of lawyers helped Washington edge out San Jose as the wealthiest U.S. metropolitan area, government data show.

West counters Obama: MLK would not have backed Wall Street protests  —  Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) rejected President Obama's comparison between Martin Luther King Jr. and what he called the “Occupy Wall Street gangs.”  —  “Martin Luther King Jr. would not have backed these types of protesters …

Student loan debt hits record levels  —  Students and workers seeking retraining are borrowing extraordinary amounts of money through federal loan programs, potentially putting a huge burden on the backs of young people looking for jobs and trying to start careers.

Transcript: ABC News' Jake Tapper's Exclusive Interview With President Obama  —  President Obama sits down with ABC News' senior White House correspondent Jake Tapper for an exclusive interview in Jamestown, N.C. (Courtesy the White House)  —  The following is a transcript …

Animals Loose in Ohio: Town Under Lockdown  —  An Ohio town is under lockdown as dozens of wild animals including bears, wolves and tigers have escaped from a private preserve are and are on the loose after the owner of the preserve has been found dead.  —  Terry Thompson of Zanesville …

GOP Rep. Asked Paper To Keep Town Hall Secret, Selected Residents Who Were Invited  —  Freshman Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) told a town hall gathering Monday that “the whole purpose” of the meeting “is to hear from you.”  But apparently Herrera Beutler isn't interested in hearing from everyone.

What Percent Are You?  —  To get the full experience of this page, please upgrade your Flash Plugin  —  The Occupy Wall Street movement seeks to speak for the bottom 99% of the population by income, which includes pretty much everyone who makes less than $500,000 a year.

‘Too Big to Fail’ Is Simply Too Big  —  There is no evidence huge banks add sufficient value to offset the systemic risk they pose.  —  Is Dodd-Frank an appropriate regulatory response to the 2007 financial crisis?  Tragically, no. That legislation ignores the government's pervasive role …

Bexar County Courthouse Break-In May Have Been Prank  —  5 Foreign Nationals In Custody  —  SAN ANTONIO — Five foreign nationals accused of breaking into the Bexar County Courthouse early Wednesday morning may have been playing a prank, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said.

Protest mob is enjoying rich diet  —  They may sleep in the park, but they eat like kings.  —  Hundreds of grimy protesters laying siege to Wall Street and stuffed into the now-smelly Zuccotti Park dine each night on gourmet meals prepared by a former hotel chef using only the finest organic ingredients.

President Obama's strategy on jobs is working — even if Americans aren't  —  It's certainly not pretty, but darn if it doesn't appear to be working.  —  President Obama's newfound message discipline on jobs and his two-pronged attack on the GOP are providing the beleaguered president …

David Graeber: On Playing By The Rules - The Strange Success Of #OccupyWallStreet  —  Yves here.  I have to note that David DeGraw of Amped Status is widely credited as the originator of “We are the 99%.” … Just a few months ago, I wrote a piece for Adbusters that started with a conversation …