Morning Constitutional – Friday, 17 September 2010

Good morning, everybody. Did you know Lady Gaga is the most-searched-for woman on the Internet? Well, here\’s your morning constitutional:

The success of the tea party groups is forcing Republicans to revise their playbooks for 2012.

Karachi, Pakistan\’s largest city, is shut down after Imran Farooq, the exiled leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, was stabbed in London.

President Obama is expected to announce today that he will appoint Elizabeth Warren to lead the new consumer financial protection bureau.

The Great Recession has driven the poverty rate to its highest in 15 years.

The Senate yesterday passed a small-business lending bill after months of Republican blocking.

In a year characterized by Republican strength, Republican Texas governor Rick Perry suddenly finds himself possibly in trouble.

Why we can\’t ignore increasing income inequality.

Lessons in smart management: The Washington, D.C. subway system buys smart cards from only one vendor, and that vendor will no longer supply the cards, leaving the system with only enough to get them possibly until 2012.

Why do criminals tend to wear Yankees hats?

Well, Adrian Fenty did win the Republican nomination for mayor of the District of Columbia.

Finally, there can be only one: International House of Pancakes sues International House of Prayer over IHOP trademark.