Cruz emerges as GOP leader  —  PPP's newest national poll finds Ted Cruz is now the top choice of Republican primary voters to be their candidate for President in 2016.  He leads the way with 20% to 17% for Rand Paul, 14% for Chris Christie, 11% for Jeb Bush, 10% each for Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan …

A Republican Ransom Note  —  On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew sent the House a very serious warning that, for the first time, the United States would be unable to pay its bills beginning on Oct. 17 if the debt ceiling is not lifted.  House leaders responded on Thursday …

The GOP should just do it  —  Shut down the government!  Blow through the debt ceiling!  Subject the United States to fiscal chaos or financial ruin if your party can't get its way on unrelated ideological priorities!  —  With apologies to Nike, maybe it's time for the House Republicans to stop threatening and “Just do it.”

Reid's parting shot to Boehner: Pass our bill, or it's a shutdown  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Friday that the Senate is done acting on legislation to avert a government shutdown and that House Republicans have no choice but to pass the Senate's bill if they want to keep the government open.

First Top-Level U.S.-Iran Talk Since 1979  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama spoke by telephone with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran on Friday afternoon, the first direct conversation between leaders of the two estranged countries since the rupture of the Tehran hostage crisis more than three decades ago.