Today's Times
- The question of whether Mitt Romney's tax plan would help or hurt the middle class has dominated the presidential campaign, a conflict that has focused sharper attention on what many experts agree is one of the tax code's biggest problems: an array of tax breaks totaling more than $1 trillion a year, Annie Lowrey and David Kocieniewski report.
- Big-money advertising may not be the only swaying factor in the November elections, as it could also hinge on last-minute legal battles over voting procedures â€" particularly in key battleground states, Ethan Bronner reports. Any truly tight race will most likely generate post-election litigation that could delay the final result.
- Mitt Romney strayed from his usually harsh, partisan critiques of President Obama on Sunday, offering praise for some of his policies, Michael Barbaro writes. It appeared to be part of a direct appeal to middle-of-the-road voters who are likely to decide the race.
- As Congress returns to business after a five-week recess and their parties' conventions, lawmakers appear to be focusing their attention on bills that emphasize their political agendas over actual lawmaking, Jennifer Steinhauer reports.
- While Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Representative Paul D. Ryan are lobbing more personal barbs against each other on the campaign trail, supporters from both parties are eager for their Oct. 11 debate, Trip Gabriel reports.
Happenings in Washington
- Michael B. Oren, Israel's ambassador to the United States, will talk about U.S.-Israeli relations at the B'nai B'rith International Policy Conference.
- The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community will hol d its second annual “Muslims for Life†blood drive at the Capitol, with the goal of collecting 11,000 bags of blood to honor the victims of Sept. 11.
