Economy Creates 163,000 New Jobs but Rate Rises to 8.3%  —  The U.S. economy followed up a weak second quarter by creating more jobs than expected with 163,000 new positions added in July, but the unemployment rate rose to 8.3 percent.  —  Markets reacted positively to the announcement …

Porn star Jenna Jameson endorses Romney  —  “I'm very looking forward to a Republican being back in office,” Jameson said while sipping champagne in a VIP room at Gold Club in the city's South of Market neighborhood.  “When you're rich, you want a Republican in office.”

Perry: Romney's VP pick won't make much difference  —  Aspen, Colorado (CNN) - The announcement of Mitt Romney's running mate won't do much to change the dynamics of the presidential race, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday.  —  Perry said the running mate pick will likely grab headlines …

The Civil Rights Agenda files complaints against Chick-fil-A  —  Protesters at Chicago Chick-fil-A Aug. 1, 2012.  Photo: Tony Merevick.  —  The Civil Rights Agenda, a local LGBT rights advocacy group, filed multiple complaints with the Illinois Department of Human Rights Thursday …

Obama's problems in the South  —  Ever since his national debut at the 2004 Democratic convention, Barack Obama's calling card has been that he practices consensus-oriented politics that transcend traditional divisions.  But four years after his historic presidential election …

The Life of the Party  —  What Bill Clinton could add to the Obama re-election effort.  —  From a friend watching the Olympics: “How about that Michael Phelps?  But let's remember he didn't win all those medals, someone else did.  After all, he and I swam in public pools, built by state employees using tax dollars.

Sir John Keegan  —  Sir John Keegan, who has died aged 78, achieved an international reputation as a military historian, then discovered a talent for writing rapid analyses of international crises as the defence editor of The Daily Telegraph.  —  He had been on the teaching staff …

What Makes Him Tick?  —  Americans want to feel they know the person they're electing president—but Mitt Romney seems determined to keep himself a secret.  —  Mitt Romney's contention in Jerusalem that “culture makes all the difference” in determining national economic strength caused …

The Bad History Behind 'You Didn't Build That'  —  The controversy surrounding President Barack Obama's admonishment that “if you've got a business — you didn't build that.  Somebody else made that happen” has defied the usual election-year pattern.  —  Normally a political faux pas lasts little more than a news cycle.

Santorum endorses Cardon in primary showdown against Flake  —  Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has endorsed businessman Wil Cardon in his hard-fought primary for the GOP Senate nomination in Arizona, a high-profile endorsement that may counteract some of the establishment …

The Credit Illusion  —  Over the past few years, I've built a successful business.  I've worked hard, and I'm proud of what I've done.  But now President Obama tells me that social and political forces helped build that.  Mitt Romney went to Israel and said cultural forces explain the differences in the wealth of nations.

Seasonal And Birth Death Adjustments Add 429,000 Statistical “Jobs”  —  Happy by the headline establishment survey print of 133,245 which says that the US “added” 163,000 jobs in July from 133,082 last month?  Consider this: the number was based on a non seasonally adjusted July number of 132,868.

Romney's excellent trip  —  At the outset of his recent foreign trip, Mitt Romney committed a gaffe.  In answer to a question about the Olympics, he expressed skepticism about London's preparations.  The response confounded and exasperated Romney supporters because it was such an unforced error.

Why Washington Accepts Mass Unemployment  —  Good news!  The economy added 163,000 jobs last month, just a bit over the level required to keep up with population growth.  A return to a free fall now seems less likely.  On the other hand, there is the small footnote that the return to full employment is nowhere in sight.

Economic forecasting model predicts Obama will lose in near-landslide  —  Political scientist Douglas Hibbs looks at two factors when forecasting presidential elections: a) per capita real disposable personal income over the incumbent president's term, and b) cumulative U.S. military fatalities in overseas conflicts.

OBAMA CAMPAIGN SUES TO RESTRICT MILITARY VOTING  —  Obama, like many Democrats, like to say that, while they may disagree with the GOP on many issues related to national security, they absolutely share their admiration and dedication to members of our armed forces.

Study: Scouting the Olympics of Sperm  —  Longer sperm fare better in the race to fertilization, but speed is actually not a factor.  —  Flickr  —  PROBLEM: The fastest Olympic swimmer always gets the gold.  If we replace “Olympic swimmer” with “sperm” and “gets the gold” with “fertilizes the egg,” does the same hold true?