Charlie Pierce of Esquire’s Politics Blog calls in at 10:30am ET / 7:30am PT to talk about Clarence Thomas suddenly and mysteriously speaking up during a Supreme Court hearing

schakowskyRep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) calls in at 11:30am ET / 8:30am PT to talk about President Obama’s press conference on the debt ceiling debate yesterday

President Barack Obama on Monday rejected any negotiations with Republicans over raising the U.S. borrowing limit, accusing his opponents of trying to extract a ransom for not ruining the economy in the latest fiscal fight.

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) challenged President Obama to another battle over the country’s mounting deficit Monday, answering Obama’s declaration that “America cannot afford another debate” over the debt limit by saying that Americans “do not support raising the debt ceiling without reducing government spending at the same time.”

• Facing powerful opposition to sweeping gun regulations, President Barack Obama is weighing 19 steps that could be taken through executive action alone, congressional officials said.

• His fall nearly complete, disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong finally confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs in an interview on Monday with Oprah Winfrey, USA Today reported.