Do We Really Need a National Weather Service?  —  As Hurricane Irene bears down on the East Coast, news stations bombard our televisions with constant updates from the National Hurricane Center.  —  While Americans ought to prepare for the coming storm, federal dollars need not subsidize their preparations.

Reporter Gives Update Covered In Sea Foam  —  MYFOXNY.COM - A local news reporter from Washington, D.C. ended up getting covered in what is probably the remnants of raw sewage as he delivered live hurricane reports from Ocean City, Md.  —  WTTG-TV reporter Tucker Barnes was providing live updates …

Perry calls Social Security ‘monstrous lie’  —  OTTUMWA, Iowa - Riding high in the polls, Gov. Rick Perry rode into Iowa on Saturday with tough talk on President Obama, the economy and foreign policy and a declaration that Social Security is not only a Ponzi scheme but a “monstrous lie” for younger people.

Flooding begins as Irene heads out  —  New York (CNN) — The streets of Manhattan began flooding Sunday morning as Irene lashed New York City with wind gusts and torrential rains.  —  Even as Irene weakened to a tropical storm, authorities in the region warned that its impact was not waning.

Did We Drop the Ball on Unemployment?  —  WHEN I'm in New York or Washington, people talk passionately about debt and political battles.  But in the living rooms or on the front porches here in Yamhill, Ore., where I grew up, a different specter wakes friends up in the middle of the night.

Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, Qaeda No. 2, Is Said to Be Dead  —  WASHINGTON — A drone operated by the C.I.A. killed Al Qaeda's second-ranking operative in the mountains of Pakistan this month, an American official said Saturday, further weakening a terrorism network shaken by the killing of Osama bin Laden this year.

Why won't America embrace the left?  —  In two centuries, the movement's history in America is plagued by failure.  An expert explains why  —  What has the left really accomplished over the past two centuries?  FDR's New Deal remains one of the great American success stories.