Good morning, Capitolists! It's a rainy Friday in Washington, so who could blame President Obama and Vice President Biden for heading west to Texas and Nevada?

But in case they ask, here's what's making news in the capital today:

* The Senate is out of session. The House is in session, but has no votes scheduled.

* President Obama attends the "Point of Light Forum" at Texas A&M hosted by George H.W. Bush, while Vice President Biden goes to Nevada to campaign for the top Democrat in the Senate, Harry Reid.

* During an examination of the costs of the war in Afghanistan, a Pentagon official told a House panel that the military pays $400 per gallon to gas up cars and planes in that nation. "It is a number that we were not aware of and it is worrisome," Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Pa.) told The Hill.

* The New York Times writes that bad publicity from undercover sting operations has put significant distance between ACORN and its traditional Democratic allies. After years of working together with the head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, for example, the head of ACORN now says, "I can't get near him."

* The U.N. Human Rights Council has endorsed a report that accuses both Israel and Palestinian militants of war crimes related to Israel's offensive into Gaza last winter, reports the BBC. The United States and Israel have both objected to the report, which was passed by the U.N. group, 23-6, with 11 countries abstaining.

* A special election for a House seat in New York state is turning into the first face-off between a traditional, Washington-approved Republican candidate and a Tea Party-endorsed conservative. While the two right-of-center foes duke it out, the Democrat is quietly sneaking away with the race, reports the Washington Times.