Job Growth Falters Badly, Clouding Hope for Recovery  —  The United States economy added a meager 18,000 jobs in June, up from a gain of a revised 25,000 jobs in May, the Department of Labor said on Friday.  The unemployment rate rose to 9.2 percent from 9.1 percent in May, the department said.

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 …

Negotiating on a Knife's Edge  —  Every fresh report of “progress” on the debt-ceiling talks produces new reasons to feel profoundly uneasy.  The talks were misbegotten from the beginning, made necessary only by the irresponsible refusal of Republicans to pay the nation's bills unless …

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 …

Bachmann: ‘I Hope’ Higher Unemployment Will Help My Campaign  —  Appearing on CNBC this morning, presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) was asked about this morning's dismal jobs report and whether higher unemployment rates might help her chances of winning in 2012.

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 …

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 …

House Members Spar Over Role of Social Security in Debt Ceiling Negotiation  —  ABC News' Arlette Saenz (@arlettesaenz) reports:  —  In a hearing addressing the long term solvency of Social Security, members of a House Ways and Means subcommittee battled over whether or not reforms …

The Last Space Shuttle Launches Safely Into Orbit  —  CAPE CANAVERAL — The last mission in NASA's decades-long space shuttle program is now underway.  —  Atlantis rocketed into orbit today at 11:29 a.m. EDT and is flying at 17,500 mph around the Earth.  The mission, STS-135 …

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.

Falling Wages  —  Ugh.  That was a seriously ugly jobs report (pdf).  Almost no job creation, with slow private-sector growth offset by falling public-sector employment; a falling employment-population ratio; and (I don't know how many people have picked this up), an actual decline in wages, albeit a small one.

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 …

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.

Buffett Bets ‘Heavily’ Against Double Dip  —  Billionaire Warren Buffett said he is wagering on continued economic expansion and doesn't expect a second recession.  —  “I would bet very heavily against that,” Buffett told Bloomberg Television's Betty Liu on the “In the Loop” program today after data showed slowing U.S. job growth.

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.

Why ‘Obamacare’ May Live  —  The once-fervent Republican effort to repeal Obama's signature legislation is running out of gas.  Jill Lawrence on why the GOP's top target may survive intact.  —  What happened to the health-care frenzy that turned town-hall meetings into fiery …