First Thoughts: In retreat  —  Dems in retreat... They draw another line in the sand, but will we see another concession?... Democrats reply: They might be losing this negotiating battle, but they could end up winning the larger war... Today's House vote on the Boehner bill is expected early this evening …

Gov. Christie is taken to hospital after having difficulty breathing  —  SOMERVILLE — Gov. Chris Christie was hospitalized this morning after he complained of having trouble breathing, according to the governor's office.  —  A spokesman, Michael Drewniak, said Christie suffers from asthma …

EXCLUSIVE: AWOL Soldier Arrested Over Concerns of Possible Second Attack On Fort Hood  —  At least one U.S. military serviceman has been arrested after raising concerns over another possible attack on Fort Hood, Fox News has learned exclusively.  —  Pvt. Nasser Jason Abdo …

Joe Walsh and the virtues of fiscal responsibility  —  Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), an ignominious right-wing freshman, loves to talk about the importance of fiscal responsibility and meeting one's financial obligations.  He's equally fond of incorporating his own family into his talking points …

APNewsBreak: Arctic scientist under investigation  —  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A federal wildlife biologist whose observation in 2004 of presumably drowned polar bears in the Arctic helped to galvanize the global warming movement has been placed on administrative leave and is being investigated …

Last-Ditch 14th Amendment Plan Gains Momentum As Debt Clock Ticks  —  ABC News' Amy Bingham reports:  —  As fears intensify that Congress will not pass a debt limit increase in time to avoid default, some Democrats are pulling out their pocket Constitutions to find a back-up plan.

Health care law won't rein in costs, study says  —  Critics of Affordable Care Act cite government's own forecast  —  Despite President Obama's promises to rein in health care costs as part of his reform bill, health spending nationwide is expected to rise more than if the sweeping legislation had never become law.

Treasury to Weigh Which Bills to Pay  —  WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department is preparing to answer a question that it has dodged and rebuffed for months: If there's not enough money for everyone, who is left empty-handed?  —  Officials said Wednesday that the department would address …

Whatever The Outcome Of The Debt Vote, The Age Of Austerity Is Here  —  Whatever the outcome of Thursday's projected House vote on Speaker Boehner's debt plan, this process has already ended the political life of one prominent member of the Washington establishment: John Maynard Keynes.

3 ways Obama could bypass Congress  —  Editor's note: Jack M. Balkin is Knight Professor of Constitutional Law at Yale Law School.  His latest book is “Constitutional Redemption: Political Faith in an Unjust World” (Harvard University Press 2011).  —  New Haven, Connecticut (CNN) — Very soon, Congress will raise the debt ceiling.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry: “Obviously gay marriage is not fine with me...”  —  Last week in Aspen, Colorado, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas addressed New York's new same-sex marriage law by saying “That's New York, and that's their business, and that's fine with me...”

An un-American response to the Oslo attack  —  Over the last decade, virtually every Terrorist plot aimed at the U.S. — whether successful or failed — has provoked greater security and surveillance measures.  Within a matter of mere weeks, the 9/11 attacks infamously spawned a vast new surveillance statute …

New National Poll: Voters See Manufacturing Jobs as the Top Priority for Washington, But Fewer Think Anyone Is Taking Action  —  Voters Believe America Is No Longer the World's Strongest Economy - But See Manufacturing as Central to Regaining that Number One Status  —  WASHINGTON, DC.

New NASA Data Blow Gaping Hole In Global Warming Alarmism  —  NASA satellite data from the years 2000 through 2011 show the Earth's atmosphere is allowing far more heat to be released into space than alarmist computer models have predicted, reports a new study in the peer-reviewed science journal Remote Sensing.

Obama and His Discontents  —  The administration of President Obama has never held much regard for its left flank.  Admonished by the vice president to “stop whining,” inveighed against by the president himself for “griping and groaning,” the liberal critics have been generally viewed by the White House as petulant children.

Cataracts, hips, knees and tonsils: NHS begins rationing operations  —  Almost two-thirds of trusts affected as cuts bite  —  Hip replacements, cataract surgery and tonsil removal are among operations now being rationed in a bid to save the NHS money.  —  Two-thirds of health trusts …