Three Anti-Abortion Republicans Tell House GOP To Drop Planned Parenthood Rider To Avoid Shutdown  —  If Congress fails to reach a budget deal, the government will shut down at midnight tonight — an event that would hinder economic recovery and withhold payment to soldiers.

No Accord in Budget Talks as Policy Fights Hamper Deal  —  WASHINGTON — Another day of intense negotiations between the two parties failed to yield a budget deal on Thursday, leaving the federal government hours from a shutdown.  —  After the third round of White House talks in 24 hours …

White House hopes last-minute heroics keep government running  —  Republicans have hit President Barack Obama for being out of touch, disengaged and unwilling to lead on the budget negotiations — and Democrats aren't wild about his taste for last-minute heroics either.

GOP senator: Republicans should move on from defunding Planned Parenthood  —  Republicans should “move on” from insisting on defunding Planned Parenthood in a 2011 spending bill, a Republican senator said Friday.  —  With less than 24 hours to go until a shutdown, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) …

Biden gets fed up during spending talks  —  Vice President Joe Biden got visibly upset during late night White House talks on avoiding a government shutdown.  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters Friday morning that Biden doesn't get upset very often …

Both parties continue talks over elusive 2011 budget deal  —  Gallery: Government shutdown: Democrats and Republicans have so far failed to reach an agreement on the 2011 federal budget, increasing the likelihood of the first government shutdown in more than 15 years.

Rep. Louise Slaughter: GOP Freshmen Came to Washington ‘To Kill Women’  —  (CNSNews.com) - Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) said today that the new Republicans elected to the House of Representatives last November came to Congress “to kill women.”  She also likened Republican efforts …

Bachmann wants ‘clean’ bill to fund government for one week  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) expressed support for a one-week government funding bill approved by the House, but suggested it should be stripped of language dealing with abortion.  —  In an interview with CNN's John King on Thursday night …

The Ryan Journey  —  For decades, academics and think tankers have been proposing plans to avert a fiscal catastrophe.  The ensuing debates were always sedate, high-minded affairs.  Now Republican political leaders have come up with a bold proposal of their own and the atmosphere is totally different.

High-profile lawyers retained for possible Supreme Court recount  —  Twenty-four hours ago challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg was looking at an all but certain recount of her razor-thin victory over incumbent Justice David Prosser in the Supreme Court race.  Now that it's come to light …