*Occupy Wall Street protesters and their income inequality case

They're basically right about the top 1 percent doing a lot better than the other 99 percent. It's just that much of the 99 percent is in reasonably decent shape, sluggish recovery and all. And when politicians talk about closing tax loopholes, they forget that the big beneficiaries of those loopholes are middle-class Americans taking mortgage and health care deductions. Anyway, NYT Washington bureau chief Dave Leonhardt breaks it down with NPR's Mike Pesca. Interesting discussion.

*Speaking of those protesters, NYT has a story about nearby business owners and residents becoming fed up.

Mike Keane, who owns O'Hara's Restaurant and Pub, said that the theft of soap and toilet paper had soared and that one protester had used the bathroom but had failed to properly use the toilet. Both Ms. Tzortzatos, owner of the Panini and Company Cafe, and Mr. Keane said the protesters rarely bought anything, yet hurled curses when they were told that only paying customers could use their bathrooms. Steve Zamfotis, manager of another nearby store, Steve's Pizza, said: "They are pests. They go to the bathroom and don't even buy a cup of coffee." Mr. Zamfotis closed his bathroom after it repeatedly flooded from protesters' bathing there. Kira Annika, a spokeswoman for the protesters, wrote in an e-mail that she had not heard of such complaints: "We were under the impression that the local business community appreciated our patronage."