Fox News and Mercury Radio Arts Announce New Agreement; Beck to ‘Transition Off’ Daily TV Program  —  Editor's note: After a great deal of speculation about Glenn Beck's future on television, here is the freshly-inked news release.  There will be a couple of key headlines out of this …

Paul Ryan's Multiple Unicorns  —  Gosh.  For a plan that supposedly sets a new standard of seriousness, Paul Ryan's vision (pdf) depends an awful lot on unicorn sightings — belief in the impossible.  Let me review the top three unicorns.  —  First, the plan assumes that tax cuts will set off a literally unprecedented boom.

Supreme Court race too close to call; Kloppenburg has narrow lead over Prosser  —  At left, Justice David Prosser speaks to supporters in Hartland.  At right, Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg speaks to supporters in Madison.  —  By Patrick Marley, Larry Sandler and Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel

White House Says Shutdown Would Harm the Economy  —  WASHINGTON — The White House warned on Wednesday that a shutdown of the federal government would threaten the nation's fragile economic recovery.  But negotiations over the budget remained stalled amid increasingly sharp rhetoric from lawmakers in both political parties.

Bachmann: Why I'm qualified to be president  —  Michele Bachmann, after Bill O'Reilly asks her if she has the frame of reference to be the leader of the free world.

New Faces of Childhood  —  Census Shows Hispanic and Asian Children Surging as Whites, Blacks Shrink  —  America's child population grew more far diverse over the past decade as a decline in the ranks of white children was offset by surging growth of Asians and Hispanics.

Teen Finds Campaign Worker At Back Door At 3AM  —  ANKENY, Iowa — A 15-year-old girl found a campaign worker from Alabama banging on her Ankeny family's back door early Wednesday morning.  —  Chloe Steward told KCCI she heard her dog barking around 3 a.m. and went to investigate.

Man With Anti-Obama Sign Attacked In San Francisco  —  SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/ BCN) — A man who set up a table with political literature and a sign opposing President Barack Obama was attacked in San Francisco's North Panhandle neighborhood, police and witnesses said Tuesday.

Is Palin the hot new baby name?  —  Met any baby Palins lately?  No, this isn't some new political joke — “Palin” gained some traction as a girl name in 2009.  But naming your child after a living politician is a tricky business these days, one naming expert explains.  —  By Sue Kidd