Here's what we're looking at right now. Check back later for today's Outlook and, I promise, the return of Underbuzzed (EVERY story but Weiner has been underbuzzed this week, so I may have an extra-long edition. Unless I'm all talk). Here's what's up, post your own in the comments.
TODAY
- Senate vote on delaying cap on credit-card swipe fees charged by banks.
ECONOMY
- White House to the economy: You're on your own.
- Pres. Obama to launch job-training plan, rather than job-creation plan.
- Looks like it's Geithner who's putting job-creation on the back-burner.
- And Obama is listening to Geithner.
- Poll: And another indicator that most Americans disapprove of Obama on the economy.
- Republican Fed Chairman Bernanke warns that near-term spending cuts threaten the economy.
- And yet, he still espouses optimism about the second half of 2011.
- Bernanke's remarks show just how clearly the GOP path is a bad idea.
- Bizarrely, however, Bernanke forswears additional stimulus.
- And so, we follow Japan's path toward a lost decade; the second lost decade, for many.
- At the same time, the GOP puts a dollar amount on its debt ransoming.
- Top GOP warns of consequences of default.
- GOP says Medicare **benefits** will have to be cut to raise the debt ceiling.
- NY-26 has emboldened Democrats to stand up for Medicare benefits.
- Op-ed: If Obama loses in 2012, it'll be due to the too-small stimulus package.
- White House actually slaps Senate bill for spending too much on jobs.
- Polls: Two polls this week show the price Pres. Obama is paying for buying into the GOP economic ideology.
- Poll: Americans mistakenly blame the wars for the deficit; tax cuts caused much more of it.
- Poll: Are Americans anxious about debt and deficit as proxies for overall economic anxiety?
- Hundreds of nurses protest at US Chamber of Commerce for tax hikes to protect entitlements.
- Boehner doubles his office's expense spending, without explanation.
- Pro-austerity GOP freshmen spend taxpayer money freely to boost their images at home.
- More "American" companies are going public overseas.
JOBS
- GOP Rep. fine with quarter-million Americans losing their jobs, tells them to get real jobs.
- Govt. job cuts disproportionately impact black people.
UNIONS
- Organized Wal-Mart workers overseas push for unionization here.
ENERGY
- China becomes the world's top consumer.
SOCIAL SECURITY
NATIONAL SECURITY
- Whistleblowers reveal DHS eviscerating efforts to track right-wing domestic terrorism.
AFGHANISTAN
- Report: Nation-building will probably fail once US troops leave.
WISCONSIN
- The GOP's "Democratic" spoiler is revealed.
- Gov. Walker replaces painting of poor kids intended to represent those he serves, with painting of an eagle--the knee-jerk politician's pretty pony.
- VIDEO: The first recall ad.
WALL ST. / BANKS
- Senators flip to help banks keep gouging retailers.
- Fed Chair Bernanke pushes back on Wall St. balking at new regulations.
- Regulators delay making Wall St. banks keep skin in the game on risky securities.
HEALTH CARE
- Second resignation in two months throws spotlight on Jindal's health-care privatization.
- Congress leaning against health-care reform's top measure for reigning in Medicare costs.
- Chart: Kaiser study finds US paying much more than other countries for health care. It's a mystery!!!
CLIMATE CHANGE
- Arizona wildfire now the state's second-largest.
- NJ Gov. Christie wants to scale back plans for renewable energy.
THEOCRACY
- LA House okays Ten Commandments at statehouse.
CITIZENS UNITED
- A judge upholds corporate campaign donations.
CHINA
- They're building their first aircraft carrier.
GOP 2012
- Poll: Romney's solidly in the lead, but check out Herman Cain's standing. Wow.
RICK SANTORUM
- He's on the board of a hospital chain being sued by the DOJ.
ANTHONY WEINER
- Opinion: Want to know Weiner's character? Look at his work.
- Tim Kaine (a Democratic candidate in Virginia, let us not forget) calls on Weiner to resign.
- Some aides are reportedly looking for work elsewhere.
DAVID VITTER
- Still resisting the massive media and political pressure on him to resign. By which, I mean: Going about his day.
(What I'm reading: Greg Sargent's Plum Line, Think Progress, Matt Yglesias, The Wonk Room, Talking Points Memo, TPMDC, Taegan Goddard's Political Wire, the Washington Monthly, the National Journal, Ezra Klein, Politico's Playbook and Huddle, Dave Weigel, Wonkette, Firedoglake, the NYT Caucus, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars. What Jango has me listening to: Questions for the Angels, by Paul Simon.)
Follow Senior Producer Jonathan Larsen (@jtlarsen) on Twitter