The Note's Must-Reads are a round-up of today's political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com

Compiled by ABC News' Jayce Henderson, Amanda VanAllen, Will Cantine and Carrie Halperin

DEBT CEILING ABC News' Mary Bruce: " Obama And Boehner Clash In Dueling News Conferences" Eight days into the government shutdown and with the deadline to raise the debt ceiling looming, President Obama today dug in, reiterating that he will not negotiate until Republicans agree to reopen the government and raise the nation's borrowing authority without strings attached. "Let's stop the excuses. Let's take a vote in the House. Let's end this shutdown right now," Obama told reporters. LINK

ABC News' Abby D. Phillip: " Republicans Reject Debt Limit Doomsday Predictions" Catastrophic. Disastrous. Default. Those are just some of the doomsday terms being used to describe what would happen if Congress fails to raise the country's debt limit and isn't able to pay its debt. Not so, according to some-mainly Republicans-in Congress. Their reasoning seems to revolve around the same thread: if we don't know what's going to happen because the country has never been down this road before, how can we be sure it'll be so bad? LINK

The USA Today's Susan Davis, David Jackson and Aamer Madhani: " Obama, Boehner Both Reject Compromise On Debt Shutdown" President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, dug in Tuesday, each declaring the other's position untenable in the ongoing fight to reopen the government and remove the threat of the first U.S. default. The entrenchment comes as Washington entered the eighth day of a partial shutdown and with little more than one week to act to raise the $16.7 trillion debt limit by the Oct. 17 deadline. LINK

The Wall Street Journal's Carol E. Lee, Janet Hook and Patrick O'Conner: " Tensions Ratchet Up In Debt Battle" President Barack Obama warned Tuesday of "economic chaos" if a political stalemate causes the U.S. to no longer be able to pay its bills, and said he would accept even a short-term increase in the borrowing limit to give lawmakers time to negotiate. Mr. Obama's comments underscored rising concern at home and abroad, including in financial markets, that the U.S. could default on its financial obligations should the standoff continue through next week. The remarks were intended to pressure Republicans to pass bills to raise the debt ceiling and to fully reopen the federal government without GOP policy demands attached. LINK

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN The Washington Times' Ben Wolfgang: " Debt-limit holiday, super committee proposed to end shutdown impasse" The government shutdown entered its second week Tuesday, and all sides said the pain is deepening - but that fight is being overshadowed quickly by the looming debt battle, which Democrats see as a last chance to try to break the tea party's influence on the GOP. Senate Democrats said they will try to pass a 15-month debt-limit holiday, which would let the government borrow without consequence until after the 2014 elections, but House Republicans countered with a call for a supercommittee to work out a solution. LINK

The Hills' Russell Berman, Erik Wasson and Justin Sink: " Boehner rejects Obama's offer for short-term debt, shutdown deal" Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Tuesday rejected President Obama's offer to negotiate a long-term fiscal deal in exchange for temporary measures to end the government shutdown and lift the debt ceiling. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Obama said that if House Republicans re-opened the government and lifted the nation's borrowing authority - even for a few months - he would enter into wide-ranging talks that could include his signature healthcare law and issues related to the debt. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Michael A. Memoli: " Boehner calls short-term shutdown deal 'unconditional surrender'" House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) flatly ruled out a potential short-term deal to reopen the government Tuesday, saying it would amount to "unconditional surrender." Boehner, responding to President Obama's hourlong news conference, said he remained "disappointed" that Obama refused to consider talks centered on House-passed spending measures that included provisions tied to the healthcare law and that would "provide fairness" to Americans. LINK

The New York Daily News' Leslie Larson: " Government shutdown clears the Obamas' social calendar" The shutdown means more family time for the Obamas, with the couple's social schedule sidelined. But budget cuts also means members of the White House serving staff have been furloughed, which could be adding to Malia and Sasha's chore list. LINK

FOREIGN AFFAIRS The New York Times' David D. Kirkpatrick: " Egyptian Attacks Are Escalating Amid Stalemate" The lethal conflict between Egypt's military-backed government and its Islamist opponents escalated on Monday, with an expansion of attacks against government targets, signs that the authorities have failed to secure the streets and that both sides refuse to back down. Three brazen attacks across the country included a drive-by shooting near the Suez Canal that killed six soldiers, a car bomb that killed three police officers and wounded dozens near the Red Sea resorts area, and the first rocket-propelled grenade launched in the struggle, exploding near an elite enclave of the capital and damaging a satellite transmitter. LINK

Bloomberg's Shamim Adam: " China Builds Asean Role in Obama Absence" Southeast Asian leaders today start a two-day summit where talks with China on territorial disputes in the resource-rich South China Sea may overshadow discussions on progress toward forming an economic community. Heads from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations are gathering in Brunei and will then take part in the broader East Asia Summit, where U.S. President Barack Obama's absence may give China space to press for more influence in the region. LINK

ABC NEWS VIDEOS " Boehner And Reid: A Shutdown War Of Words" LINK " Obama Accuses GOP Of Threatening Recession In Budget Battle" LINK " US Default Could Cause Economic Catastrophe" LINK " Obama: 'We're Not Going To Negotiate Under Threat'" LINK " Texas Billionaires Donate $10M To Head Start Amid Shutdown" LINK

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