Oslo explosion - live coverage  —  • “Several” killed by gunman at youth conference in Utoya  —  If you have any information please email me at haroon.siddique@guardian.co.uk or contact me via Twitter @haroon_siddique  —  7.11pm: The New York Times has more on the claim of responsibility …

Democrats Set Drop-Dead Date For Debt Ceiling Backup Plan  —  President Obama's quest to reach a historic budget agreement with House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) fell into deep doubt Thursday, after a noisy rebellion by Senate Democrats over reports that Obama might hand Republicans the farm …

The Lesser Depression  —  These are interesting times — and I mean that in the worst way.  Right now we're looking at not one but two looming crises, either of which could produce a global disaster.  In the United States, right-wing fanatics in Congress may block a necessary rise in the debt ceiling …

Justice Department Prepares Subpoenas in News Corp. Inquiry  —  The U.S. Justice Department is preparing subpoenas as part of preliminary investigations into News Corp. relating to alleged foreign bribery and alleged hacking of voicemail of Sept. 11 victims, according to a government official.

Conceder In Chief  —  Amanda Marcotte is right: of course the big problem is the craziness of the GOP.  That said, I am among those in a state of suppressed rage and panic over the president's negotiating strategy.  —  I'd like to believe that it's all 11-dimensional political chess …

David Leonhardt of the NYT  —  There's only one downside to the news that David Leonhardt (right, NYT pic) will become the new Washington bureau chief for the New York Times: presumably it means that he will do less writing on his own.  —  It is still too rare to find in mainstream journalism people who are …

House keeps fluorescent light bulbs burning  —  The House isn't ready to give up compact fluorescent light bulbs just yet.  —  Lawmakers rejected, 130-283, an amendment to the legislative branch spending bill that would have blocked Congress from buying or installing the energy-efficient light bulbs.

Weiner in therapy; says hard part will be convincing Hillary Clinton he's recovered  —  Forget his wife — Anthony Weiner has an even bigger problem on his hands: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.  —  The horndog ex-House member from Queens is telling friends that while he's finally started therapy …

Read My Lips: No New Taxes  —  THE Taxpayer Protection Pledge has received increased attention as the Aug. 2 deadline for raising the debt ceiling approaches.  My organization, Americans for Tax Reform, created the pledge in 1986 as a simple, written commitment by a candidate or elected official …

CNN Poll: Perry near the top in GOP nomination race  —  Washington (CNN) - As Texas Gov. Rick Perry comes closer and closer to jumping into the race for the White House, he's also close to the top of a new national survey in the battle for the GOP presidential nomination.

GOP Makes Big Gains among White Voters  —  Especially among the Young and Poor  —  OVERVIEW  —  As the country enters into the 2012 presidential election cycle, the electorate's partisan affiliations have shifted significantly since Barack Obama won office nearly three years ago.

Return of Mass Layoffs a Grim Sign for U.S. Workers  —  Putting pressure on an already lousy job market, the mass layoff is making a comeback.  In the past week, Cisco, Lockheed Martin and Borders announced a combined 23,000 in job cuts.  (See: Another Retailer Bites the Dust: Borders Doomed by Amazon Deal, Davidowitz Says)