From Bachmann, a persuasive case for why many Republicans don't fear a shutdown  —  Why have House Republicans pursued their effort to defund, and now to delay, Obamacare so relentlessly, even though they have almost zero chance of success in the face of a rapidly-approaching deadline for shutting down the government?

Texas First Lady Calls Abortion 'A Woman's Right'  —  Texas first lady Anita Perry told an interviewer on Saturday that she thinks abortion is “a woman's right.”  —  Perry's husband, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), has helped push through a slew of laws restricting and eroding access to abortion in the state.

Ten states where Obamacare wipes out existing health care plans  —  President Barack Obama famously promised, “If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.”  He later got even more specific.  —  “If you are among the hundreds of millions of Americans who already …

Bill Clinton defends Obama on debt ceiling  —  Former President Bill Clinton is defending President Barack Obama for refusing to negotiate with Republicans on the debt ceiling.  —  “I guess he could stop it, but the price of— the current price of stopping it is higher than the price …

Not Raising the Debt Ceiling: A Crisis, If We're Lucky, a Historical Calamity If We're Not  —  If we don't raise the debt limit, we know we would get mega-austerity and maybe a new financial crisis.  But just how bad could it get?  —  “You know I'm not delaying Obamacare, right?”  “You sure?

Here Comes the Shutdown: Three Reasons It Will Hurt the GOP  —  Uh oh!  A House plan to delay Obamacare has put the government on the brink of a shutdown—for real this time.  David Frum on why the infighting is sure to backfire on the Republicans.  —  The federal government swerved toward …

Iranian arrested in Israel on suspicion of espionage  —  Man was seen photographing US embassy, says he was to be paid $1 million to spy; Jerusalem says arrest proof Iran engaged in ‘doublespeak’  —  Israeli security officials recently detained an Iranian with Belgian citizenship …

The JP Morgan apologists of CNBC  —  I don't know which producer at CNBC had the genius idea of asking Alex Pareene on to discuss Jamie Dimon with Dimon's biggest cheerleaders, but the result was truly great television.  What's more, as Kevin Roose says, it illustrates “the divide between …

Broken Windows, Broken States  —  Last week TPM hosted a rooftop party atop our DC office to celebrate the launch of our new publishing platform and the relaunch of TPMPrime.  There I got a chance to meet Jamelle Bouie, one of several young journalists whose work I admire greatly but who I hadn't yet had a chance to meet in person.

Rouhani home with US ‘gift’ of silver griffin: reports  —  Tehran (AFP) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday brought home a 2,700-year-old Persian artifact the US administration gave him as “a special gift” to Iranians, media reports said.  —  “The Americans contacted us on Thursday …

TMI meltdown: Weatherman brought to tears over climate change, considers vasectomy  —  When drama-queen meteorologist Eric Holthaus warns that “personal tweets” are on the way, he's not messing around.  Ready for a little climate change oversharing? … First up: Public tears.