Clown Dresses As Obama At MO State Fair, Democrats Cry “Racism®” *UPDATED  —  A rodeo clown at the Missouri State Fair over the weekend donned an Obama mask instead of typical clown fare.  The clown, a participant in the fair and not officially representative of the fair …

Justice Dept. Seeks to Curtail Stiff Drug Sentences  —  WASHINGTON — In a major shift in criminal justice policy, the Obama administration will move on Monday to ease overcrowding in federal prisons by ordering prosecutors to omit listing quantities of illegal substances in indictments …

In Iowa, It Looks a Lot Like 2016  —  Early Visits Show Candidates Jockeying Over What's Seen as a Wide-Open 2016 Presidential Race  —  AMES, Iowa—Iowans this past weekend had their pick of corn dogs, pork chops, Rick Santorum or Ted Cruz.  —  The first two offerings were popular delicacies at the state fair.

Nudge off!  —  Why czars of suggestion — Eat better!  Exercise more!  Save don't spend! — are doomed to inevitable failure  —  Unemployed?  Underemployed?  Working the register at Denny's when you used to be on the management track?  Just been informed you'll be one of the ObamaCare …

First dog Bo is airlifted to Obama holiday home  —  When President Barack Obama goes on holiday to the seaside things can get complicated.  —  Bo, the US First Family's waterdog, gets off the Marine helicopter at Martha's Vineyard  —  Rooms have to be found for dozens of Secret Service agents …

Tennessee Judge orders baby's name be changed from ‘Messiah’  —  Jaleesa Martin and the father of Messiah could not agree on a last name, which is how they ended up at a child support hearing in Cocke County Chancery Court on Thursday.  —  That is when the first name came into question.

The Budget Sequester Is a Success  —  The Obama spending blitz is over and the deficit is heading below 4% of GDP.  —  The biggest underreported story out of Washington this year is that the federal budget is shrinking and much more than anyone in either party expected.

Milton Friedman, Unperson  —  Recently Senator Rand Paul, potential presidential candidate and self-proclaimed expert on monetary issues, sat down for an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek.  It didn't go too well.  For example, Mr. Paul talked about America running “a trillion-dollar deficit every year” …

Family Rescued In Pacific After Sailing ‘Where God Led Us’ … A leap of faith that sent an Arizona family bound for the South Pacific in a sailboat has returned them in an airplane after a harrowing ordeal at sea that saw them adrift and nearly out of food in one of the remotest stretches of ocean on the planet.

Next fiscal fight: Why Wall Street should worry  —  NEW YORK — Talk to anyone on Wall Street and they will tell you they really don't care about the brewing fiscal storm in Washington.  Possible government shutdown?  Whatever.  Debt ceiling crisis?  Meh.

Weiner unveils first TV ad, vowing to fight ‘powerful voices’  —  Former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) on Sunday unveiled his first television ad in his bid to be New York City mayor, vowing to fight the “powerful voices” he says are trying to force him from the race.

Regulator Examines Bitcoin Practices  —  New York Issues Subpoenas to Firms Tied to Bitcoin  —  New York's top banking regulator has issued subpoenas to roughly two dozen companies associated with bitcoin as part of a wide-ranging inquiry into the business practices of the fledgling virtual …