Now that’s what some would call justice. A Wisconsin judge struck down the controversial state law championed by Gov. Scott Walker in a landmark ruling Friday. The law would have effectively ended collective bargaining rights for teachers and most other workers in the state. In his ruling Friday, Judge Juan Colas said the law violated both the state and U.S. constitution, and ruled it null and void. It’s not yet clear whether Colas’s ruling means the law—which has already been in effect for over a year—will be immediately suspended. A spokesman for Walker said he is confident the decision will be overturned on appeal.

Afghan militants armed with rocket propelled grenades managed to break into a main U.S. Marine base in Afghanistan Friday, killing two and wounding an unknown amount. A spokesman says the attack may still be ongoing and that there has been major damage done to buildings, an aircraft hangar, and military jets. According to a NATO spokesman, Prince Harry was on the base at the time of the attack but was "never in any danger." Meanwhile, from Yemen to Sudan, the number of killed and wounded from demonstrations in front of American embassies grows after an anti-Islam movie sparked furor in Muslim countries. It is not yet clear if the attack is related.

From Cairo, to Sudan, to Yemen, to Bangladesh, anti-American demonstrations across the Middle East show no sign of stopping. Protesters filled the streets and attempted to overtake U.S. embassies Friday in anger over an amateur film that depicts the Prophet Muhammad as a pedophile and womanizer. Protests in Egypt continued for the third straight day, and angry Tunisians and Yemenis overran American embassies. In Sudan, three people were killed during protests; and in Tunisia at least two are dead as hundreds of injuries were reported in protests throughout the region. A U.S. military base was also breached in Afghanistan Friday, killing two soldiers in an attack that may have been connected to the protests. At a memorial service for the returning U.S. victims in Libya, President Obama vowed to “stand fast” and promised  “The United States will never retreat from the world.”

According to a new White House report, billions will be shaved off important programs from military to Medicare if Congress fails to reach a deal by the end of the year. Automatic budget cuts would shave off $11 billion from Navy and Army operations, $2.3 billion from educational achievement and special-ed programs, and $5.6 billion in Medicare payments to hospitals. A 394-page report from the White House was given to Congress outlining the $100 billion in military and domestic spending cuts that will go into effect Jan. 2, 2013. The threat of dramatic cuts was supposed to push the two parties into a bipartisan deal on the economic deficit, but the Democrats and Republicans have yet to compromise.

So that’s what it’s like to be popular. The initial batch of iPhone 5s has already sold out, according to an analyst at Sterne Agee. Just an hour after Apple’s website started taking preorders at midnight, the online store was indicating some versions of the new model wouldn’t be shipped for two weeks. “Preorders for iPhone 5 have been incredible,” an Apple spokeswoman said. “We’ve been completely blown away by customer response.” Bloomberg estimates 58 million units could be sold by the end of the year. Take that, Samsung.

The bodies of four Americans killed in an attack at the U.S. Embassy in Libya were returned to the U.S. on Friday. President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta attended the ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Clinton, who was visibly emotional, remarked that “the people of Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Tunisia did not trade the tyranny of a dictator for the tyranny of a mob.” Obama also spoke, and promised to “bring to justice those who took them from us.” U.S. ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three others were killed Tuesday during violent protests in Benghazi over an anti-Muslim amateur U.S. film. Demonstrations over the film continued on Friday in Cairo for the fourth straight day, and have spread to Tunisia, Sudan, Yemen, and other countries.

Maybe now Mark Zuckerberg will take off his hoodie and speak in public more often? Facebook stocks jumped 6.2 percent in trading on Friday, days after the young CEO reassured investors about the company’s growth at a digital conference—his first public appearance since the company’s shaky IPO. During the conference, a confident Zuck emphasized progress in social juggernaut’s mobile platform and suggested Facebook could enter the search market—a move with huge money-making potential. The company is also rolling out a new ad service that gives marketers better ways to reach consumers on the site. Facebook’s shares are up 13 percent since Zuckerberg spoke at the conference on Tuesday and has gained $6.8 billion in additional market value.

For Chicago parents, finally, light at the end of the tunnel. After a five-day teachers’ strike left 350,000 Chicago kids out of school this week, a school board official announced Friday afternoon that a final “framework” for a resolution was in place. While it is still unclear which side compromised, the “heavy lifting” is apparently done. School board president David Vitale—who has come under intense scrutiny this week—said that the final announcement will not come until the union delegates have officially voted, but that classes will resume next week. “Parents should prepare their children to return to school Monday,” Vitale said.

All good things must come to an end. In a farewell email to his staff Friday, co-chairman and CEO of 20^th Century Fox, Tom Rothman, announced his resignation. “I’ve done the same thing, at the same place, for a long time,” the movie mogul wrote. While his resignation letter gave no hint as to his future plans, Rothman did wax poetic on his past eighteen years at Fox: “let me say, how eternally grateful I will always be for the privilege and the honor of having had this job…quite simply, the best, most talented, and the kindest colleagues in the world.” Beginning January 1, 2013, all studio operations will be handed over to co-chairman Jim Gianopulos. 

Buckingham Palace PR will have to do some major damage control if this one turns out to be true. French editor Laurence Pieau, who made the controversial decision to run topless photos of Kate Middleton Friday, says she has shots of the royal couple that are much “more intimate” that she’s chosen not to publish. “These images are full of joy, not degrading,” Pieau said. TMZ is hinting that these could be sex photos, but their nature is still unknown. Kate and William have already filed a lawsuit against the magazine.

The parents of a 5-year-old autistic boy are outraged after his New Jersey elementary school refused to serve him lunch because his meal plan bill was a few days overdue. John Robert Caravella, a kindergartner enrolled in the special autism program at Cliffwood Elementary School, was sent home at the end of day Tuesday with a note from his teacher attached to his daily progress report: “John Robert was not able to get lunch today he ate his muffins. There is an issue with an outstanding bill.” The Caravellas admitted that their son’s $8 meal plan bill was overdue but said they’d been confused about the payment system. A spokesman for Cliffwood told reporters the issue was “an oversight.”

U.S. Industrial Production fell in August by 1.2 percent from the previous month, as mines, manufacturers, and utilities got hammered by high unemployment and global uncertainty, according to figures released by the Fed on Friday. The drop was the biggest since March 2009, and given that heavy industry is often central to economic bounceback, the figures may spell bad news for President Obama’s prospects. Manufacturing was also hurt in the Gulf Coast region as Hurricane Isaac swept through.

As if anyone hadn’t had enough of undressed royals, a French magazine on Friday published topless photos of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. In an unprecedented move, her spokesman has released a statement calling the photos, published by Closer magazine, a “grotesque” invasion of privacy and “unjustifiable.” The Duke and Duchess acted fast: by Friday afternoon, the palace confirmed they had filed a lawsuit against the magazine. The couple, on a tour of Southeast Asia, appeared long-faced in Malaysia before boarding a flight.

If only campaign stops could be this friendly. Republican vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan returned to the House of Representatives to a hero’s welcome Thursday, greeted with hugs and shouts of approval. Ryan returned to Washington to vote on a six-month spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, the last major piece of legislation expected to come before the House before the election. The House approved the measure, which will fund the government through 2013, despite last-minute bickering over the bill.

If Ben Bernanke needed more support for his controversial, economy-stimulating QE3 decision, he just got it. On Friday, the Labor Department announced that the real average hourly earnings for all employees fell 0.7 percent from July to August. And as Americans make less, prices are also rising. The consumer price index for urban consumers rose 0.6 percent from July to August, the Labor Department also announced today. The dour numbers come on the heels of the latest Census Bureau report, which saw median household income drop by over $2,000 since 2009, as well as anemic job growth in the August nonfarm payroll report.

Well this could explain some previous incidences. Earlier today TMZ posted pictures of what appears to be child star Amanda Bynes smoking pot behind the wheel. Unnamed cops who spoke to the gossip site said they are afraid of the danger the actress poses when driving a moving vehicle. “The public should be afraid of her. From looking at the photos, and what she’s smoking, she has no sense of reality. If she’s not stopped she’s gonna kill someone,” one officer said. Another ranked her as a 10 on a danger scale of one to 10. Bynes was recently charged in two hit and runs.

Protests in Egypt over a U.S. anti-Muslim film continued into the fourth day Friday as police in riot gear fired at demonstrators in Tahrir Square. Rioters threw stones at police and overturned burnt-out cars near the U.S. Embassy—where protesters had scaled the walls earlier in the week and which has since been fortified—and police attempted to clear the square. The powerful Muslim Brotherhood called off Friday’s planned demonstration. Meanwhile, demonstrations continued throughout the Muslim world over the film, which portrays the Prophet Muhammad as a fraud. Four people were killed and 34 wounded Thursday outside the U.S. Embassy in Yemen, and more than 500 people reportedly protested in Tehran.

Google said Thursday that it would be blocking users in Egypt and Libya from accessing the anti-Muslim film that has sparked deadly protests throughout the Muslim world and the deaths of four Americans, including a U.S. ambassador, in Libya. However, the company will not entirely remove the video from its website. Google’s decision to block the film is unusual, since the company’s policy is to remove content only if it is hate speech or violates the terms of service, or if it is responding to court orders or government requests—and Google said that the video did not constitute hate speech.

What crisis in Libya? President Obama has widened his lead over GOP challenger Mitt Romney by seven points, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. The Thursday survey asked 990 likely voters whom they would choose if the election were today. The results? A surprising 48 percent polled selected Obama while just 41 percent chose Romney. Voters polled also said they favored Obama’s approach to taxes, health care, social security, and the war on terror. Romney was only favored when it came to his approach on the federal deficit. A new Marist poll also released today shows Obama building leads over Romney in the key swing states of Ohio, Virginia, and Florida.

China’s Xinhua news agency slammed U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Friday for calling China a currency manipulator. In a piece published in English, Xinhua called Romney’s words “ironic” because “a considerable portion of this China-battering politician’s wealth was actually obtained by doing business with Chinese companies before he entered politics.” Romney has repeatedly said he would have tougher policies regarding China, while President Obama has accused Romney’s former company, equity firm Bain Capital, of outsourcing jobs to China and India.

Two days after a violent attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, left four Americans dead, all the victims have now been identified. The names of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and State Department official Sean Smith were already revealed, but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a statement praising the victims’ dedication and naming the remaining two Thursday. Tyrone Woods spent two decades as a SEAL, was a father of three, and had worked protecting diplomats in dangerous posts for the past two years. Glen Doherty was also a Navy SEAL and a paramedic who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other conflict zones. “We honor the memory of our fallen colleagues by continuing their work and carrying on the best traditions of a bold and generous nation,” Clinton said.

Chicago schools remained closed Friday as both sides reported progress in negotiations to end the now weeklong strike. School board president David Vitale emerged from talks after midnight Friday, saying it had been “another good day” of work in the talks, that they would be doing some “number crunching overnight,” and that it is “realistic” to expect a deal by 2 p.m. Friday. Teachers-union president Karen Lewis described the discussions as “ebb and flow,” but was optimistic about reaching Vitale’s deadline—which would hopefully open the doors for a Monday return to classes. Parents throughout the city are weary as the strike hit the five-day mark Friday, taking the news of progress with caution.

David Albert Mitchell, 42, was arraigned early Friday for the alleged rape of a 73-year-old woman in Central Park earlier in the week. Mitchell, who has a rap sheet dating back decades, has not confessed, but was picked out of a lineup by the victim. “I attacked no one,” Mitchell said as he was led in shackles into the police station. The victim, a bird watcher, was found Wednesday around 11:30 a.m. after allegedly being raped in broad daylight by a man she suspects she had seen masturbating in the park before.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on the defensive Friday, denying accusations that he was meddling in the U.S. politics after he sharply condemned the White House’s handling of Iran. Bibi took an indirect swipe at Obama earlier this week when he said nations that weren’t acting on Iran didn’t have the “moral right” to prevent Israel from launching a military strike. The comments come just two months before the presidential election, prompting critics to say he was trying to sway the vote. Meanwhile, his deputy for intelligence and atomic affairs took Obama’s side, breaking with the Prime Minister’s calls for nations to set “red lines” for Iran.

Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Lebanon on Friday on a three-day trip that he has called a “peace pilgrimage,” as a fresh wave of violence roils the Middle East. On the airplane, the pope called for an end to the import of arms in Syria and hailed Lebanon for keeping the peace between two different faiths upon arriving in the city. Meanwhile, one person was killed in Tripoli, Lebanon, at a KFC when armed protesters stormed the restaurant, Lebanese security forces said.

Does this mean George W. Bush is no longer persona non grata for the Republicans? Ann Romney is scheduled to attend a fundraising lunch hosted by Laura Bush at the couple’s house in Dallas, though it’s unclear whether the former president will show face during lunchtime or at a separate finance event that evening at a Dallas Hotel. The GOP incumbent’s wife and former first lady held another fundraiser on Sept. 10 at a private home in Oklahoma City, with ticket prices ranging from $1,000 for general admission to $25,000 for VIPs. Aside from telling a former reporter in May that he was backing Romney, the younger Bush has not been vocal on the 2012 campaign. Romney, in turn, has rarely mentioned the former president on the trail.

TMI, Mitt. The Republican presidential nominee taped an interview Friday with Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan for an episode of Live! that is set to air Sept. 18, and his confessions are likely to leave voters slack-jawed. Romney revealed some of his guilty pleasures, which includes Jersey Shore Snooki: “Look how tiny she’s gotten. She’s lost weight. She’s energetic. Just her spark-plug personality is kind of fun.” But the most tantalizing, if not maybe the most disturbing bit, was his revelation that he prefers to wear “as little as possible” to bed.

“Johnny B. Goode?” More like Johnny B. in a Bad Mood. The home of rock-and-roll legend Chuck Berry was recently broken into, and among the items stolen was one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s electric guitars. Three men are in jail and accused of theft, though no formal charges have been filed. The group also took power washers, dozens of used car batteries, and part of a fence. The stolen items haven’t yet been recovered.

The University of Texas at Austin and North Dakota State University will reopen their campuses at noon and 1 p.m. local time, respectively, after bomb threats at both schools forced evacuations Friday morning. At UT, a man claiming affiliation with al Qaeda told the school he’d planted bombs all over campus. He phoned the university at 8:35 a.m. and warned that the bombs would go off 90 minutes later. After the time passed, UT tweeted that no bombs had been found. North Dakota State University officials said all buildings had been cleared as well.

The White House has requested YouTube perform an official review of the controversial anti-Muslim video posted on the site, which was still live Friday afternoon. Many hold the incendiary video—a trailer for an upcoming full-feature film—responsible for the eruption of violence in the Mideast and the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens. In a statement Friday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the request comes in response to a video that the administration finds “reprehensible and disgusting.” The White House has made it clear that the aim of the review is not to provide “justification for the violence.”

Shares of Apple hit a new all-time high of $696 on Friday, as markets went wild over the iPhone 5. The climb beats Apple's past record, as analysts up and down Wall Street predict massive sales for its new phone. "Unlike last year's release of the iPhone 4S, this year's iPhone 5 announcement comes as a significant departure from previous models," HIS mobile analyst Daniel Gleeson told CNNMoney. In fact, demand for the new gadget is so high that Apple had to push back its shipment dates. According to Reuters, the company's U.S. store thinks orders will take two weeks to fulfill.

Five years into his stint as editor-in-chief of the Village Voice, Tony Ortega will be leaving the paper to write about Scientology. He explained on his blog to readers that he began writing about Scientology 17 years ago, and has been blogging about it frequently over the past two years. In an email to the staff, he wrote: “With Scientology on the cover of mainstream magazines and in theaters, I figure it’s a sign that I should take my own chances at a book proposal about the church in crisis.”  The New York Observer is questioning Ortega’s decision, writing that he may have been pushed out against his will.

Perhaps $200,000 to $250,000 is “middle income” in Mitt Romney’s eyes, but it’s a bit above the middle (in the top 2 to 3 percent, in fact) when compared with the income of most Americans. In an interview Friday on ABC’s Good Morning America, Romney told George Stephanopoulos that he would not raise taxes on “middle-income people,” prompting Stephanopoulos to ask whether “middle income” is $100,000. Romney replied, “No, middle income is $200,000 to $250,000 and less.” Stephanopoulos had the right idea, since technically “middle income” falls somewhere between $30,000 and $100,000 for individual income. Romney’s camp later clarified that he was referencing household income, not individual income. Obama has similar plans to extend tax cuts for household incomes of $250,000 or less.

U.S. embassies in Cairo, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen were all under siege Friday as protesters angered by an anti-Muslim film continue to demonstrate. Two people were killed and at least 28 were wounded during protests in Tunisia, according to state television. In Cairo, rioters continued to clash with police outside the embassy, leaving 27 injured. In Sudan, 3 are reported dead after protesters attacked the German Embassy, while others reportedly broke into the U.S. Embassy. A U.S. Marine Corps security team is being sent to Yemen and Sudan to defend U.S. posts, military sources tell CNN.

Samuel L. Jackson has already tweeted 57 ways to spell the word motherfucker, and now he’s found a way to put his F bombs to political use. The legendary actor is starring in an upcoming ad in which he tells voters to “Wake the fuck up, vote for Obama,” a riff on his video narration of Adam Mansbach’s children’s book, Go the F--k to Sleep. “It’s definitely going to get attention,” said Mansbach, who wrote the script for the provocative new ad. The Jewish Council for Education and Research super PAC is fronting the money for the project and will air the ad on YouTube on Sept. 24.