Rand Paul cancels Meet the Press appearance  —  After two days of bruising media coverage about his views on elements of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the campaign of Kentucky U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul tells me it has canceled the candidate's upcoming appearance on NBC's “Meet the Press” …

More Blumenthal Claims of Vietnam Service  —  WASHINGTON — Broader newspaper archival searches have continued to turn up claims by Attorney General Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut that he was a Vietnam War veteran, even though he did not serve in the war.

Holy Cow!  We're going to have financial reform.  —  A few hours ago, the Senate did something truly amazing: it clobbered Wall Street and the banking industry, defying armies of overpaid lobbyists and passing genuine reforms for our run-amok financial system.

Mayor Daley Threatens to Shoot the Messenger—Namely, Me  —  Mayor Daley loves to bag on the local media, and given my recent line of inquiry into his politics and policies, I've never expected to be greeted with a fruit basket at City Hall.  —  But even I was a bit taken aback this morning …

Top Official Says Feds May Not Process Illegals Referred From Arizona  —  A top Department of Homeland Security official reportedly said his agency will not necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona authorities.

Lost Decade Looming?  —  Despite a chorus of voices claiming otherwise, we aren't Greece.  We are, however, looking more and more like Japan.  —  For the past few months, much commentary on the economy — some of it posing as reporting — has had one central theme: policy makers are doing too much.

Issa threatens Sestak with complaint  —  A leading House Republican is threatening to file an ethics complaint against Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) if he doesn't reveal who in the White House offered him a job to drop out of the Pennsylvania Senate primary.  —  Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) …

Economic Scene: Obama's Progressive Project Is Changing Washington  —  With the Senate's passage of financial regulation, Congress and the White House have completed 16 months of activity that rival any other since the New Deal in scope or ambition.  Like the Reagan Revolution …

'I'm a Marxist' says Dalai Lama, but agrees capitalism has helped China  —  TIBETAN spiritual leader the Dalai Lama says he's a Marxist, yet credits capitalism for bringing new freedoms to China, the communist country that exiled him.  —  “Still I am a Marxist,” the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader …

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie swiftly vetoes ‘millionaires tax,’ property tax rebate bills … TRENTON — It took about two minutes from the time Senate President Steve Sweeney certified the passage of the millionaires tax package for Gov. Chris Christie to veto the bills at his desk.

Relatives ID West Memphis suspects  —  At left, a photo of Joe and Jerry Kane from a memorial website dedicated to the two.  On the right, a photo of one of the suspects in the killing of two West Memphis police officers Thursday, who relatives have identified as 16-year-old Joe Kane.

The Story of an Angry Voter  —  Let's imagine a character named Ben.  A couple of decades ago, Ben went to high school.  —  It wasn't easy.  His parents were splitting up.  His friends would cut class to smoke weed.  His sister got pregnant.  But Ben worked hard and graduated …

Taliban blow up ‘U.S. spies’ in Pakistan  —  Militants strap explosives to two men in public execution, officials say  —  MIRANSHAH, Pakistan - Taliban militants strapped explosives to two men accused of being U.S. spies and blew them up at a public execution in northwest Pakistan, intelligence officials and residents said on Friday.

Rodent scurries by as Obama lauds Wall Street vote  —  WASHINGTON - In his battle with the titans of Wall Street, President Barack Obama almost got upstaged by a rat.  —  But he didn't even seem to notice.  Assuming that's what it was, scurrying in front of his podium Thursday in a sun-drenched Rose Garden.