It’s good to be home, albeit after a five-hour flight and two-hour car drive in the wee hours. Here are some midday treats baked up right here in California:

* Obama meeting with congressional leaders last night sounds like it was 90 minutes of Kabuki.

* Boehner quietly telling colleagues he’ll trash Hastert Rule to avoid debt default. Reaction won’t be quiet.

* Shutdown to delay September jobs report since BLS just loaded with “non-essential” employees.

* TAP’s Abby Rapoport previews Wendy Davis gubernatorial campaign.

* In other news from the Lone Star State, Amanda Marcotte reports on latest creationist scheme from state school board.

And in non-political news:

* Tropical Storm Karen gaining strength in Gulf.

As I take a brief lunch break, here’s Elmore James with “Standing At the Crossroads,” another topical blues song.

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Ed Kilgore is a political columnist for New York and managing editor at the Democratic Strategist website. He was a contributing writer at the Washington Monthly from January 2012 until November 2015, and was the principal contributor to the Political Animal blog.