The Wrong Worries  —  In case you had any doubts, Thursday's more than 500-point plunge in the Dow Jones industrial average and the drop in interest rates to near-record lows confirmed it: The economy isn't recovering, and Washington has been worrying about the wrong things.

U.S. Payrolls Rose in July; Jobless Rate at 9.1%  —  Employers added more jobs than forecast in July, the jobless rate fell and wages climbed, easing concern the U.S. economy is grinding to a halt.  Stock futures rallied and Treasuries fell.  —  Payrolls rose by 117,000 workers …

Obama's 50th Birthday bash: Stevie Wonder, Chris Rock, Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg, Herbie Hancock, Jay Z  —  li> (Screen grab of Chris Rock's Twitter feed)  —  WASHINGTON—President Obama celebrated his 50th birthday Thursday night with a celebrity-filled bash, as entertainer Chris Rock reported …

Behind a GOP Contender's Iowa Surge  —  MARION, Iowa—To understand why presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has surged in Iowa, watch when she is handed a baby.  On a recent stop here, she took off her bracelet, dangled it before the infant and cradled him while he teethed on the pearls.

Click on the video link to see raw video of police and sheriff's deputies investigating the scene.  —  Did you witness the attacks outside State Fair, or were you attacked?  Were you hurt?  E-mail us your story!  —  WEST ALLIS - Witnesses tell Newsradio 620 WTMJ and TODAY'S TMJ4 of a mob …

John Kerry: Media Has “Responsibility” To “Not Give Equal Time” To Tea Party  —  Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) told MSNBC's “Morning Joe” on Friday that the media has the responsibility to not give equal time or credence to the Tea Party's views: SEN. JOHN KERRY: “And I have to tell you, I say this to you politely.

Teachers union disavows internal memo endorsing deception of parents  —  American Federation of Teachers officials have disavowed an internal report after it was posted on the union's website following its annual conference, embedded on each of its 19 pages with the union's logo and signed by a union official.

Tzipi Livni Praises Obama for Pressuring Netanyahu, Suggests U.S. Should Keep Up the Heat  —  An interview with the leader of Israel's largest opposition party  —  Tzipi Livni, the leader of Israel's Kadima Party, the largest opposition party in the Knesset — and the largest party in the entire Knesset …

$30 Million Pouring In to Influence Wisconsin Recall Elections  —  A voter in Glendale, Wis., casts a ballot in a Democratic primary on Thursday, July 12, 2011, as part of recall efforts against Republican state Sen. Alberta Darling.  Darling is one of six Republican state senators being targeted …

Isn't it time to admit our system is broken?  —  (HARRY HAMBURG/ASSOCIATED PRESS) My Bloomberg column today is about what happens when Congress can't agree to act.  The standard theory is that nothing happens.  Congress simply gridlocks.  It paralyzes.  The standard theory is wrong.

The Desert of the Surreal by David Atkins  —  The Desert of the Surreal  —  Conspiracy theorists like to believe that the world is governed by incredibly smart, masterfully competent manipulators who pull all the strings for their own benefit and watch the world dance to their tune.

Disapproval Rate for Congress at Record 82% After Debt Talks  —  The debate over raising the debt ceiling, which brought the nation to the brink of default, has sent disapproval of Congress to its highest level on record and left most Americans saying that creating jobs should now take priority …

Neb. mine find to challenge China's dominance of vital rare minerals  —  Elements coveted for high-tech uses  —  Elk Creek, Neb. (population 112), may not be so tiny much longer.  Reports suggest that the southeastern Nebraska hamlet may be sitting on the world's largest untapped deposit of …

Lessons of the Crisis  —  The debt-ceiling debacle revealed that politics is broken in every possible way and there's no point in explaining complicated matters to the American people.  —  It is hard to remember a more dismal moment in American politics.  The debt-ceiling crisis and the agreement …

Potential jurors shouldn't be dismissed for being gay, court told  —  An appellate panel hears arguments in an assault case against a gay inmate in which a lesbian was dismissed during jury selection.  Defense lawyers want the panel to consider constitutional issues.

IRS: 235,413 million-dollar earners  —  President Barack Obama and many Democrats are talking about raising taxes on the wealthy, and new data released this week by the Internal Revenue Service reveals new details about the number of Americans who fit that bill.

Here's The Problem With This Market Crash...  Well, it's deja vu all over again.  —  For anyone who followed the market crashes of 2000-2002 and 2007-2009—especially the crash of 2007-2009—the 512-point drop in the Dow feels awfully familiar.  —  And as those market crashes reminded us …

‘Rent is Too Damn High’ candidate facing eviction from rent-controlled apartment  —  The man who ran for governor because the “Rent is Too Damn High” claims he's being kicked out of his Manhattan apartment — because the rent is too damn low!  —  Jimmy McMillan says he pays $872.96 …

Towering Wave of Alienation Threatens Both GOP, Dems in 2012  —  In the shadow of the bitterly fought agreement to raise the federal debt ceiling, the independent voters who usually hold the balance of power in American politics are expressing astronomical levels of discontent with President Obama …

The Death of Super Tuesday?  —  The venerable one-day delegate jackpot has been a mainstay of presidential primaries, but all that will change in 2012.  McKay Coppins on what it means for Palin, Romney, and Perry.  —  Pundits have hyped it.  Candidates have built entire campaigns around it.

About Virginia Postrel  —  Virginia Postrel writes about commerce and culture, innovation, economics and public policy.  Shes the author of “The Future and Its Enemies” and “The Substance of Style,” and is writing a book on glamour.  —  Postrel: Obama Glamour Can't Fix Charisma Deficit

Walsh tries to clear air at town hall-style meeting … WAUCONDA - When controversy erupts, public figures can hide or face their critics.  —  U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh seems to have chosen the latter, facing his constituents for the first time after the debt ceiling battle and allegations …