“Best Wishes, Donald Trump”: A Future President's Letter to Vanity Fair  —  The Donald has inveighed (in Sharpie!) against our intrepid blogger.  We found his comments so delightful, we had to share.  —  It was with great delight and a sense of kinship that we at Vanity Fair read Donald Trump's letter …

Statement & Account of Ramona Kitzinger, Waukesha Board of Canvassers member since 2004:  —  (Waukesha County Democratic Party)On Tuesday night, I received a voice message from someone in the office of Clerk Kathy Nickolaus informing me of a Wednesday canvass meeting, which I returned …

Chicago school bans some lunches brought from home  —  To encourage healthful eating, Chicago school doesn't allow kids to bring lunches or certain snacks from home — and some parents, and many students, aren't fans of the policy  —  A Little Village Academy student cringes at an enchilada dish served at his school.

CNN Poll: Majority support deal to avert government shutdown  —  Washington (CNN) - Who won last week's showdown over the federal budget and the government shutdown-that-wasn't?  —  It looks like the public gives the Democrats more credit for the deal than the Republicans …

Michele Bachmann stares down heckler in Iowa  —  IOWA CITY, Iowa — Michele Bachmann said again Monday that the American intervention in Libya was a mistake — but this time she had to talk over a heckler who shouted vulgarities at her.  —  Jenny Watkins, 22, shouted at Bachmann …

Gas Prices Climbing Toward $5 Per Gallon  —  CHICAGO (CBS) - At one time, $5 per gallon gas seemed like a farfetched idea, but that is no longer the case.  —  As CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez reports, as of Monday, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the Chicago area is $4.11 …

Gray, D.C. Council members arrested in protest  —  Updated, 6:22 p.m.: Mayor Vincent Gray, D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown (D) and council members Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7), Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) and Michael A. Brown (I-At Large) have been arrested by U.S. Capitol Police officers.

WHAT PAUL RYAN'S CONSTITUENTS THINK, AND WHY IT MATTERS.... Rep. Paul Ryan's (R) Wisconsin district isn't competitive.  Over the last decade, his most competitive race was the one he won by “only” 26 points.  Last year, the margin was 38 points.  —  But when the Associated Press checked …

At least 6 killed in new Japan earthquake  —  Are you there?  Send your images, video via iReport.  —  Tokyo (CNN) — At least six people were killed when a magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck Japan Tuesday morning, a local fire department said.  —  The six were killed when a landslide triggered …

WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO OFFER THE LOW-WAGE WORKFORCE FOR FOREIGN COMPANIES.... Ikea's labor dispute in Southern Virginia should be a bigger story. … It's quite an ordeal.  Workers are forced to work overtime, often with little notice, and those who don't go along face disciplinary action.

Democrat in Missouri to Oppose Health Care Law  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri's Democratic attorney general broke with his party on Monday and urged a federal judge to invalidate the central provision of the new health care law.  —  The filing of the court brief by Attorney General Chris Koster …

Chevy Recalls Cruze After A Steering Wheel Falls Off … Imagine turning your car's steering wheel, or giving it a gentle tug, and having it break away from the steering column.  Now you're speeding along holding the suddenly useless wheel.  —  It sounds like a vision from a cartoon, or every driver's nightmare.

Ron Paul antes up on abortion  —  Ron Paul on Monday created some distance between himself and his fellow libertarians on abortion, telling a gathering of social conservatives in Iowa that protecting the unborn is integral to his philosophy.  —  Speaking for the Iowa Family Leader's …

Jonathan Alter out at Newsweek  —  The final member of the “Newsweek Six” has left the building.  —  Jonathan Alter, the only remaining member of the gang of television-loving newsweekly scribes so dubbed by Slate's Jack Shafer, is no longer with the publication.

Koran Burned in Iran (video)  —  Two anonymous young men in Iran, one Iranian and one Afghan, have burned a Koran in protest.  This seven-and-a-half minute long video shows the two men, their faces obscured, holding the Muslim holy book and reading prepared statements.

Where Hippie Punching Gets You  —  Jonathan Cohn makes the good point that Obama's speech on Wednesday is unfortunately going to be seen as the left most position in the debate which makes a compromise between his plan and Ryan's the “juuust right” sweet spot.

Leading California Democratic strategist Kam Kuwata dies at 57  —  This post has been corrected.  See the note at the bottom for details.  —  Kam Kuwata, one of California's leading Democratic political strategists and a droll wit whose lively quotes and keen analyses enlivened many campaigns …

Trump Will ‘Probably’ Run as Independent If He Doesn't Win GOP Nomination  —  Donald Trump will “probably” run as an independent candidate for U.S. President in 2012 if he does not receive the Republican party's nomination, he told the Wall Street Journal in a video interview on Monday.