Ryan's mom is new face in Medicare wars  —  THE VILLAGES, Fla. — Meet Paul Ryan's mom.  —  Betty Ryan Douglas, 78, is the newest face of the Medicare wars that have abruptly taken center stage in the 2012 contest, joining her son here Saturday in the town square of a sprawling retirement community …

Biden should apologize for “back in chains” remark  —  When Vice President Joe Biden warned a Virginia rally of hundreds of African Americans that Republican efforts to loosen bank regulations meant “They're going to put y'all back in chains,” Stephanie Cutter, Team Obama's deputy campaign manager …

Paul Ryan On Foreign Policy Credentials: ‘I Voted To Send People To War’  —  Speaking to Fox News' Carl Cameron Saturday morning, Republican VP nominee Paul Ryan made the case for why he believes his foreign policy credentials are stronger than President Obama's, emphasizing …

With a Full Quiver, Senator Schumer Is Quick to Release Cupid's Arrows  —  Even by the standards of Capitol Hill, where ambitious and awkward young people are thrust together in cramped workplaces and crowded bars, the nuptial output of Senator Charles E. Schumer's office stands out.

How Management Killed “The Village Voice”  —  Mike Lacey figured out sex ads on the Internet, but little else.  The paper edges toward collapse.  —  Alt-weeklies are always dying.  But the news Friday that four editorial staffers were laid off or had their hours cut to part-time at The Village Voice …

Mitt Romney's tax returns: the ‘voter fraud’ theory  —  There has been much speculation about why Romney refuses to disclose earlier tax returns.  Could it be as simple as an address?  —  Friday's exchange of letters between the election campaigns of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney …

‘The Tonight Show’ Lays Off 20 Staffers And Host Jay Leno Takes Pay Cut To Save Jobs  —  SATURDAY UPDATE: Jay Leno's spokesman has now issued this statement: “Jay's foremost concern is for the wonderful people who work for The Tonight Show.  He did what was necessary to ensure their well-being.”

U.S. Says Iraqis Are Helping Iran Skirt Sanctions  —  WASHINGTON — When President Obama announced last month that he was barring a Baghdad bank from any dealings with the American banking system, it was a rare acknowledgment of a delicate problem facing the administration in a country …

Why doom has not materialized  —  Sometimes the news is that something was not newsworthy.  The United Nations' Rio+20 conference — 50,000 participants from 188 nations — occurred in June without consequences.  A generation has passed since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, which begat other conferences and protocols (e.g., Kyoto).