Who ‘made $10bn on 10/1 bet that U.S. credit rating would be downgraded’?  —  A mystery investor or hedge fund reportedly made a bet of almost $1billion at odds of 10/1 last month that the U.S. would lose its AAA credit rating.  —  Now questions are being asked of whether the trader …

Rick Perry to make 2012 intentions clear Saturday  —  Rick Perry intends to use a speech in South Carolina Saturday to make clear that he's running for president, POLITICO has learned.  —  According to two sources familiar with the plan, the Texas governor will remove any doubt …

The National Organization for Women defends Bachmann against Newsweek  —  One of presidential candidate Michele Bachmann's major political opponents is defending her against what it says is blatant sexism on the part of Newsweek magazine.  —  Monday, the National Organization for Women …

Aaauuuggghhh!  Market Commentary Edition  —  Carnage in stock markets as I write — and all of the headlines I see attribute it to S&P's downgrade.  —  They really are trying to make my head explode, aren't they?  —  Once again: S&P declared that US debt is no longer a safe investment …

Obama Job Approval 50% or Higher in 16 States and D.C.  —  Idaho residents least approving, at 27%  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Residents of 16 states and the District of Columbia gave President Obama approval ratings of 50% or higher during the first half of 2011, led by the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Maryland, and Delaware.

Ben Adler  —  It is clear from Standard & Poor's statement downgrading the federal government's credit rating that it places the blame squarely on Republican actions and policies.  Two of S&P's biggest concerns about whether the United States will pay off its debt are whether Republicans …

House leaders end page program  —  House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced they were ending the House page program.  —  As of Aug. 31, the program — which employs nearly 70 high school students to serve as messengers and couriers …

Did a New Taliban Weapon Kill a Chopper Full of Navy SEALs?  —  Updated 8:36 a.m. EDT.  —  The passengers and crew of the twin-rotor CH-47 Chinook helicopter probably never saw the rocket hurtling towards them.  The explosion and fiery crash in Wardak province in eastern Afghanistan early …

Obama's horrifyingly bad speech  —  He was a half hour late.  His head turned from side to side as if he were attending a tennis match.  He practically never looked in the camera, as if he were averting our gaze.  And those were the strong parts of President Obama's disastrous speech.

Who has got the margin call?  —  Bronte Capital tends - as this blog has said many times - to be long large cap and relatively liquid companies at 10-16 PE ratios.  —  And we are short the wildest range of frauds, fads and failures you can imagine.  —  Our shorts are small and relatively illiquid.

Obama says he inherited economic problems  —  (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Monday he inherited many of the country's problems with high debt and deficits when he entered the White House, sounding a theme likely to dominate his 2012 re-election campaign.

Conquering the Storm  —  In the coming days we'll sort through the repercussions of S&P's downgrade of our credit rating, including concerns about the impact a potential interest rate increase would have on our ability to service our suffocating $14.5 trillion debt.

Waiting For A Landslide  —  In 1955, a political scientist named V. O. Key published an essay entitled “A Theory of Critical Elections.”  He argued that realignments in American politics are usually punctuated by transformative elections, in which the old order suddenly gives way and a new majority emerges in its place.

Dog Helps Young Rape Victim Testify  —  POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — Rosie, the first judicially approved courtroom dog in New York, was in the witness box here nuzzling a 15-year-old girl who was testifying that her father had raped and impregnated her.  Rosie sat by the teenager's feet.

Hillary Told You So  —  As Democratic disgust with Obama's debt fumbling spreads, Clinton supporters recall her ‘3 a.m. phone call’ warnings—and angry, frustrated liberals are muttering that she should mount a 2012 challenge.  —  At a New York political event last week …

Racially motivated attack on video  —  Editor's note: The following story contains language some readers may consider offensive.  —  Jackson, Mississippi (CNN) — On a recent Sunday morning just before dawn, two carloads of white teenagers drove to Jackson, Mississippi …