Jobs Picture Gets Even Worse as Rate Swells to 9.2%  —  U.S. employment growth ground to a halt in June, with employers hiring the fewest number of workers in nine months, dampening hopes the economy was on the cusp of regaining momentum after stumbling in recent months.

BREAKING: Bachmann pledges to ban pornography  —  Tonight, Michele Bachmann became the first presidential candidate to sign a pledge created by THE FAMiLY LEADER, an influential social-conservative group in Iowa.  By signing the pledge Bachmann “vows” to “uphold the institution of marriage …

Letter to Senator Patty Murray, Chair Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee  —  Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee  —  Dear Senator Murray:  —  For many months now, your colleagues in the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee leadership have engaged in a series of disparagements …

Phone hacking probe: Ex-News of the World editor Coulson arrested  —  David Cameron: “The buck stops right here”  —  Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson has been arrested by police investigating phone hacking and corruption allegations.  —  And ex-NoW royal editor Clive Goodman …

What Obama Wants  —  On Thursday, President Obama met with Republicans to discuss a debt deal.  We don't know exactly what was proposed, but news reports before the meeting suggested that Mr. Obama is offering huge spending cuts, possibly including cuts to Social Security and an end …

Will Republican Race's First In Be the First Out?  —  AMES, Iowa — Tim Pawlenty was first in line to enter the Republican presidential race.  He is now fighting to avoid becoming the earliest major candidate to be shown the door.  —  No contender for the Republican nomination has followed …

Mexican Citizen Is Executed as Justices Refuse to Step In  —  WASHINGTON — In a 5-to-4 decision that split along ideological lines, the Supreme Court on Thursday evening rebuffed a request from the Obama administration that it stay the execution of a Mexican citizen on death row in Texas.

TSA Agent Caught With Passenger's iPad in His Pants; Allegedly Took $50,000 in Other Goods, Cops Say  —  While most Transportation Security Administration employees are busy groping people or taking naked pictures of them, the cops say one of those employees was putting fliers' electronics down his pants.

What's In A Name?  Dems Support Social Security Benefit Cut — By Calling It Something Else  —  Social Security benefit cuts may be a bridge too far for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).  But what if Republicans and Democrats alike just agreed to refer to a benefit cut by another name.

As Wall St. Polices Itself, Prosecutors Use Softer Approach  —  As the financial storm brewed in the summer of 2008 and institutions feared for their survival, a bit of good news bubbled through large banks and the law firms that defend them.  —  Federal prosecutors officially adopted …

Bachmann on sex-appeal comment: “Sounds like good news to me!”  —  Earlier this week, Pawlenty adviser Vin Weber remarked that Michele Bachmann would be hard to beat in Iowa in part because of her “sex appeal,” a comment for which Weber apologized almost immediately.

Exclusive: ‘The Undefeated’ Trailer - Daughter.  Wife.  Mother.  Warrior.  —  The much anticipated Sarah Palin documentary by filmmaker Steve Bannon comes out in theaters next Friday, July 15th.  People can now see the trailer for the first time.  I've now seen the film three times …

Crossroads pivots ad campaign to Senate races  —  Crossroads GPS Initiative is pivoting to the second phase of its national advertising campaign Friday, adding a specific focus on a handful of battleground Senate and House races, POLITICO has learned.  —  The $7 million two-week multi-ad rollout …

Private-sector job creation deteriorating, too  —  In the previous post, we talked about the new monthly jobs report, but in keeping with tradition, here's a slightly different chart — one showing just the private sector job market.  —  Overall, the U.S. economy added a terrible 18,000 jobs in June …

Obama To Unveil Gun Control Reforms In Near Future … WASHINGTON — Half a year after the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), the Obama administration is set to release a series of reforms to the current gun law, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said on Thursday.