From NATION OF CHANGE: It has been a whirl­wind of ac­tiv­ity since Oc­to­ber 6 when the oc­cu­pa­tion of Free­dom Plaza began. We’ve had ral­lies and protests, closed down banks and the Cham­ber of Com­merce, protested in the House, Sen­ate and at the White House.

From the DAILY BEAST: Next week, according to United Nations projections, the world will pass 7 billion in population, and by the end of this century it’s likely to grow by half again to 10 billion.

From NEWSMAX: Hillary Rodham Clinton is emerging as the most formidable non-candidate candidate heading into the 2012 presidential election. A new Time magazine poll shows Clinton easily defeating the major Republican candidates, were she somehow to become the 2012 Democratic nominee for president, according to USA Today.

From the NEW YORK TIMES: European leaders, in a significant step toward resolving the euro zone financial crisis, early Thursday morning obtained an agreement from banks to take a 50 percent loss on the face value of their Greek debt…

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: The cost of attending college in Pennsylvania grew slightly less than the national average this year, but the cost of going to a four-year public university in the state is now the third-highest in the nation, according to the report released today by the College Board.

The average cost of tuition and fees at a public four-year college in Pennsylvania grew by 7 percent, from $11,331 last fall to $12,079 this fall, the College Board said. That’s an average increase of $748.

An informative interview with NewsLanc contributor Kevin Zeese is followed by excerpts of street activism in Washington, D. C. It culminates with extemporaneous comments by Richard Trumpka, president of the AFL / CIO. We highly recommend the first half of the 17 minute video in which Zeese succinctly explains the history, aspirations and describes the living conditions for participants of the Occupy movement.

From NEWSMAX: ….“Virtually the entire region now experiencing the convulsion of the Arab Spring lived inside the very large tent of the Ottoman Empire until World War I,” James Traub wrote in Foreign Policy…

From USA TODAY: Almost 1 million more homeowners over the next two years might be able to refinance their mortgages and save hundreds of dollars a month under the Obama Administration’s latest fix to one of its underused foreclosure prevention programs.

From the PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW: Dozens of Pennsylvania firms hired to care for foster children, juvenile delinquents and other needy children are resorting to layoffs and short-term loans because some counties have not paid them in months… [Craig] Adamson is executive director of the Community Service Foundation & Buxmont Academy in Bucks County, which he said has closed foster homes and schools.