California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this summer declared a "fiscal emergency" over the state's $19 billion budget deficit, and they finally passed a new budget last month. But now that budget is another $6 billion in the red. Poor Jerry Brown.

President Obama's strange deficit commission has released a draft of its recommendations a couple of weeks before deadline! It mostly suggests cutting future entitlement spending and reducing or eliminating various tax breaks. The reaction from lawmakers so far? Very noncommittal.

Congress has approved a stopgap spending bill, so the government can maintain operations until after midterms.

The Way We Live Now: on a budget. Which is an improvement! During the recession we lived without any budget, spending only the pebbles we gathered in our imaginary, empty "store." No mas! Show me to the corporate bond aisle!

Depressing fact: Somalia's 2009 budget, $11 million, was roughly the same as that of High School Musical 3.

The Way We Live Now: embracing peace out of necessity. The days of unlimited defense budgets are over, for at least a year or two. As are the days of inflation, optimism, and stable money market accounts. It's a party!

The state of New York finally has a budget, and it's only 125 days late.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called California's $19.2 billion budget deficit a "fiscal emergency." The state could be broke by October.

State budgets are pretty important. So it's up to paid, elected officials to figure this stuff out, right? Not in New York—the state that is still without a budget, and that doesn't seem to have one semi-competent lawmaker.

The small city of Maywood, California, is broke. So the city is planning to disband its police force, lay off municipal employees, and hire outside help to run day-to-day operations. Only a handful of top officials will remain in place.

Twenty-five percent! One fourth of the whole pie! This scary number's being kicked around everywhere as the worst(?) case scenario for the looming Conde Nast budget cuts. Every perk is being trimmed—even the ones for little old ladies.

In your mawkish Monday media column: Conde braces itself for the coming cutbacks, America hates the media more than ever, Anna Wintour has hated the media forever, as well, and Las Vegas is full of crooks.

The Way We Live Now: Like champions. In tough times, it's all about priorities. And that priority is winning the Game of Life. Or—failing that—the Game of Golf.

Earlier we heard a rumor that struggling Conde Nast was planning to lay off its full-time receptionists. And we've received more corroboration that it's (kinda?) true! What sort of bootleg operation is this?

Times are tough. Stupid corporate cost-cutting tricks are rampant. Even within the hallowed confines of media companies! And the situation is growing more dire—no more free gyms, babysitting, good coffee, food, or toilet paper:

It looked touch-and-go there for a moment, but the Sarah Silverman Program will be returning to Comedy Central for another season. Who do we have to thank for this? Big old honking gay folks.

Click to viewBoomp3.com Evidence that even the famous are feeling the sting of the current economic crunch was displayed when Grey’s Anatomy star Katherine Heigl was spotted holding a dollar bill in Los Feliz yesterday. Heigl is interested in refurnishing her home, but she has to stick to her budget. Heigl said, “I feel like that kid in front of the ice cream truck just yelling, ‘What can I get for such and such’. Nobody has been that helpful so far. Just a lot of eye rolling and comments about how I should save it for the valet.” That said, Heigl’s strict budgeting has not affected the necessities. Heigl added, “We’re going to get the biggest HDTV they have at Best Buy. Maybe we’ll be able to write that off as a business expense since I have to see how I look in Hi-Def and all. I heard that I shouldn’t have anything to worry about.” [Photo Credit: X17] *A Call To The Bullpen is a work of fiction. Although the pictures we use are most certainly real, Defamer does not purport that any of the incidents or quotations you see in this piece actually happened. Lighten up, people ... it's a joke.