NEW YORK, NY November 05, 2009 —President Obama is praising Wisconsin for changing its law to allow student achievement to be used to evaluate teachers. Full Article at WNYC | New York Public Radio

Patrick Swayze mixed grace with athleticism in his movies – and rose to stardom with roles in “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost.” He died just recently after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Full Article at WNYC | New York Public Radio

Witnesses said authorities used batons and tear gas to break up the anti-government protests, which had been called to coincide with the state-sanctioned rallies, reported the Associated Press. Full Article at Online NewsHour

The economy looms large Tuesday as an issue in New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election bid and the other elections around the country. Full Article at Southern California Public Radio

Two of the most influential columnists on foreign affairs are Thomas Friedman of the New York Times and David Ignatius of the Washington Post. Both are centrist middle-aged white men writing for major newspapers. Full Article at NPR

Florida has vanity plates as ubiquitous as fish in the sea, or seniors in West Palm Beach. As I was driving along from my cardiologist to the post office, I saw a Florida license plate containing a flag and the words, "United we stand." Full Article at South Florida Sun-Sentinel

President Obama reacted standoffishly to this summer's contested election in Iran, implying that he didn't want to poison the cause of protesters by associating them too closely with the United States. Full Article at Newsweek

Barack Obama has been busy - offering the Jewish People blessings for Rosh Hashanah, and recording a flattering video for the President's Conference in Jerusalem and another for Yitzhak Rabin's memorial rally. Full Article at Haaretz