Ezra Klein

Hate the deficit? You should hate a government shutdown.

Herb Silverman

I think Pope Francis is a liberal Christian trapped in a conservative Christian body (the Catholic Church).

Chris Cillizza

How two new stories on Clintonworld expose the (potential) cracks in the political empire.

David Nakamura

But the number could be ticking back upward as the economy improves, according to a new report.

Al Kamen

Zen master instructs World Bank staff on stress reduction techniques as bank President Jim Yong Kim pushes reforms

Brad Plumer

There’s a fairly basic question at the center of the food-stamp debate in Congress: Why has the program grown so rapidly?

Ylan Q. Mui

Central bank’s explicit commitment would seek to assure jittery public, but similar moves have backfired.

Sally Quinn

The Catholic Church is buzzing with every word from the new pope. Some see a sign of God at work.

Charles C. Haynes

If you ask a class of 5th graders to write about someone they “look up to,” don’t be shocked when at least one of them decides to write about God.

Sean Sullivan

A new Gallup survey shows Democrats are more likely than Republicans to want their leaders to compromise.

Emily Heil

Who’s a former folksinger? Who had a younger Michelle Obama as a mentor? Take our trivia challenge and test your Congress IQ.

Robert Christian

A day after criticizing too much Catholic focus on touchy social issues, Pope Francis condemns abortion. What can his radical approach teach us about how to live Christian lives?

Michelle Singletary

A reader questioned the value of saving money for emergencies if you’re still paying down debt.

Niraj Chokshi

Only one state is adding jobs faster than it’s adding people.

Ed O'Keefe

Who will be the main players as this next round of fighting over spending begins with a shutdown looming? Here’s a look at some key characters.

Ezra Klein and Evan Soltas

Democrats are spending the week before a possible government shutdown worrying about potentially breaching the debt ceiling.

Juliet Eilperin

Longtime Clinton aide Doug Band has come under fresh scrutiny for his business practices.

Diana Reese

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius finds the message “disturbing” in ads targeted at young adults to opt-out of Obamacare.

Chris Cillizza and Sean Sullivan

It’s put up or shut up time for the Texas senator.

Michael Peppard

Leading like Pope Francis means that style is substance.

Niraj Chokshi

Josh Hicks

The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs has said it will hold a hearing to examine the issue at a date yet to be determined.

Glenn Kessler

Fact checkers disagree over Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe’s claim that his GOP rival wanted to make it harder for moms to get a divorce.

Valerie Strauss

Valerie Strauss

The American Library Association’s annual event celebrates the freedom to read.

Juliet Eilperin

With the prairie and its wetlands under pressure, conservationists look to farm policy as a solution.

Mohana Ravindranath

The stores deploy software to help determine which campaigns work, and where to invest in the future.

Michael Doyle

James B. Comey must find $800 million in budget savings. Layoffs, furloughs appear inevitable.

A roundup of national news.

Holly Yeager and Aaron Blake

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) is firm on the defunding strategy, while Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) says it won’t work.

Paul Kane

A day-by-day look at what the House and Senate are likely to do.