President Obama jetted out of town to celebrate his 50th birthday in Chicago last night, an event that doubled as a fundraiser for his re-election campaign. With the debt deal behind him, expect to see Obama on the road to build his war chest for 2012. Tickets to the birthday bash reportedly ranged from $50 a person to whopping $35,800 per couple.

Back in the nation’s capital, reporters who were so preoccupied by the deal negotiations noticed that Congress hadn’t approved the Federal Aviation Administration funding bill. Despite the fact thousands of FAA employees have been furloughed since July 23, the story is now grabbing headlines and fueling controversy. It even prompted Obama to call for lawmakers to return to town.