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the campaign trail. Whether or not it will translate into votes, polls do suggest that Republicans are fired up. It's a welcome development for the Republican businessman, who is hardly a natural politician and has long struggled to match Obama's ability to inspire excitement.
• Romney seems to be feeding off the energy pumping through his now-sprawling crowds, even as aides downplay the newfound momentum among the GOP base.
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• BRUSSELS (AP) -- The European Commission president had no reason to expect anything but another bad day. Then, out of the blue, after three years of back-biting and seemingly daily financial crisis, the European Union won the Nobel Peace Prize for fostering peace on a continent long ravaged by war.
• It was a badly needed morale boost for a 60-year-old union in the midst of a midlife crisis.
• Even as it announced the award Friday, the Norwegian prize jury warned that the financial crisis challenging the 27-nation bloc's unity could lead to a return to "extremism and nationalism." It urged Europeans to remember the EU's role in building peace and reconciliation among enemies who fought Europe's bloodiest wars, even as they tackle the economic crisis that threatens its future.
• The award was hailed at EU headquarters in Brussels and by pro-EU leaders across Europe, but derided by "euroskeptics" who consider the EU an elitist super-state that erodes national identities.
• Emerging for a brief encounter with reporters, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso was beaming as he declared: "Ladies and gentlemen, I have to say that when I woke up this morning, I did not expect it to be such a good day."
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