Washington Post:

Cost estimate no easy task: “The Congressional Budget Office’s sunny health-care estimate holds chance of pain.”

Financial reform headed to partisan vote: “Two key Republican senators said Thursday that the bill introduced this week by Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) to overhaul financial regulation is headed for a strict party-line vote in the Senate banking committee unless the measure undergoes significant amendments during debate next week.”

New York Times:

Bill Proposes Increased Aid to the Needy for College: “The federal government would increase financing for Pell grants by $36 billion over 10 years under a Democratic plan.”

Many Calls for Avoiding a Repeat of Bank Bailouts: “American economic leaders and the Basel Committee expressed support for developing contingency plans.”

Wall Street Journal:

Obama Presses for Action on Jobs: “Obama pressed a distracted Congress for faster action on his job-creation agenda, as he signed a $17.5 billion bill giving businesses a tax break for hiring unemployed workers.”

The Dodd Status Quo: “Too big to fail is alive and well in the Senate’s financial reform.”

USA Today:

Obama signs $38B jobs bill to spur growth: “President Obama has said he wants to focus laser-like on the public’s top concern: jobs. But the ongoing effort to remake the nation’s health care system keeps getting in the way.”

Politico:

First, help small business stay afloat: “In an Ideas piece, Arslan reminds Washington that Main Street needs economic help.”

The Hill:

Tough fight in Senate for FTC to gain more regulatory authority: “The Federal Trade Commission is facing an uphill battle in the Senate to gain regulatory power under sweeping financial legislation.”