Trouble on Daley's watch  —  Bill Daley is off to a very rocky start.  —  The 63-year-old scion of Chicago political royalty was brought in as President Barack Obama's chief of staff to provide fresh blood, corporate-world experience and adult supervision to a young, free-wheeling White House staff.

Dallas + Austin + Houston + San Antonio = ‘Texas Miracle’  —  The entry of Rick Perry, swashbuckling Texas governor, into the contest for the Republican presidential nomination focused the country's attention on his state's strikingly anomalous labor market.

Former President Carter has kind words for Romney, Bachmann  —  Former President Jimmy Carter had some kind words for two Republicans vying to become president —Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann— but he said nobody is likely to beat President Obama in 2012.

Free to Die  —  Back in 1980, just as America was making its political turn to the right, Milton Friedman lent his voice to the change with the famous TV series “Free to Choose.”  In episode after episode, the genial economist identified laissez-faire economics with personal choice and empowerment …

Dakota Meyer Is Awarded Medal of Honor  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor on Thursday to a young former Marine who ignored orders to stay put and fought his way five times into an ambush in an Afghan ravine, helping to rescue three dozen comrades and to recover the remains of four dead American servicemen.

Clinton Popularity Prompts Buyer's Remorse  —  The most popular national political figure in America today is one who was rejected by her own party three years ago: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  —  Nearly two-thirds of Americans hold a favorable view of her and one-third are suffering …

Dems rip White House for going ‘AWOL’ on mortgage crisis  —  Leading House Democrats are accusing the Obama administration of ignoring the lingering mortgage crisis and threatening tens-of-millions of Americans with foreclosure in the process.  —  The lawmakers - encouraged by Obama's mention …

Senate passes FAA, highway funding  —  The Senate on Thursday approved legislation that extends taxes funding the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through January, and extends taxes funding federal highway spending through March.  —  The bill passed the House with ease on Tuesday and won Senate approval in a 92-6 vote.

Matthew's News Stream  —  Subscribe to Forbes Get a Free Trial Issue … University of Pennsylvania bioethicist Art Caplan is so confident that Michele Bachmann's claim that a young girl was made mentally retarded by injections of the Gardasil vaccine against human papilloma virus is false …

Pete Sessions: Pa. Electoral College Change Would Put House Races at Risk  —  Rep. Pete Sessions, chairman of the House Republicans campaign arm, said Thursday he is no fan of a proposal to overhaul the way Pennsylvania awards its votes in the Electoral College.

Does the Euro Have a Future?  —  German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, Berlin, September 1, 2011  —  The euro crisis is a direct consequence of the crash of 2008.  When Lehman Brothers failed, the entire financial system started to collapse and had to be put on artificial life support.

Bill Daley Leaves Some Democrats Longing For Rahm Emanuel … 112th Congress , Barack Obama , Rahm Emanuel , Bill Daley , Chief Of Staff , Daley Chief Of Staff , White House Chief Of Staff , William Daley , William Daley Chief Of Staff , Bill Daley Chief Of Staff , Emanuel Cleaver …

Republicans rewriting state election laws in ways that could hurt Democrats  —  Looking to capitalize on their historic gains last year, Republican lawmakers in several states are rewriting their election laws in ways that could make it more difficult for Democrats to win.

Barry Manilow on Ron Paul: ‘I agree with just about everything he says’  —  Grammy award-winning musician Barry Manilow told The Daily Caller that he agrees with “just about everything” 2012 Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul says, calling him a “solid” contender for the highest office in the land.

Parole board swamped with Troy Davis petitions  —  The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles on Thursday was given petitions with more than 663,000 names of people asking that Troy Anthony Davis be spared from being executed next Wednesday, saying there is too much doubt he killed a Savannah police officer in 1989.

Solyndra Not Sole Firm to Hit Rock Bottom Despite Stimulus Funding  —  Solyndra, the solar panel company whose highly publicized failure and consequent investigation by federal authorities has flashed across headlines recently, isn't the only business to go belly up after benefiting from a piece …

N.J. state Senator asks Gov. Christie to veto $420K ‘Jersey Shore’ production tax credit  —  TRENTON —A Democratic state Senator and a national coalition of Italian Americans are calling upon Gov. Chris Christie to block a tax credit awarded Wednesday to the production company of the hit MTV television show “Jersey Shore.”

LA Porn Studio Begins Construction On ‘Post-Apocalyptic’ Underground Bunker … San Fernando Valley-based porn studio Pink Visual said the bunker is envisioned as “far more than a mere bomb shelter or subterranean survivalist enclave”, complete with a digital studio, gun racks and a rotating hydraulic stage.