TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
Details of Obama’s jobs plan emerge
President Obama has decided to press Congress for a new round of stimulus spending and tax cuts as he seeks to address the great domestic policy quandary of his tenure: how to spur job growth in an age of austerity.
(By Zachary A. Goldfarb and Peter Wallsten)
Romney, Perry offer contrast on jobs, economy
Each candidate pitches himself as the only one with the skills needed to create jobs. But their records as job creators are strikingly different, as are most other aspects of their personal biographies.
(By Philip Rucker)
Extended-family households grow in D.C. area
Census statistics show a 33 percent increase in the Washington region among people living with friends and extended family members.
(By Carol Morello and Ted Mellnik)
SEC accused of destroying case files
Former agency official says SEC violated federal law by destroying records of enforcement cases in which it decided not to file charges.
(By David S. Hilzenrath)
Viola Drath’s husband forged document, court paper say
Friends of 91-year-old Viola Drath’s say they had warned her about her husband, Albrecht Muth, now charged in her death.
(By Josh White, Keith L. Alexander and Allison Klein)
POLITICS
SPIN METER: Special-interest money that's bad for the president is good for some in his party
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has sworn off special-interest money to pay for his re-election bid. But it turns out those dollars are fair game for congressional Democrats — to the tune of millions.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
New disability evaluation system has war wounded facing bureaucracy to leave military
WASHINGTON — Staff Sgt. Nicholas Lanier has entered what he calls the “vast unknown.” A combat veteran and father to four daughters, he can’t remain in the military because of a serious back injury earned in Iraq.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Obama's Martha's Vineyard vacation prompts annual debate: Should he stay home and work?
WASHINGTON — Is there ever really a good time for the president to go on vacation? President Barack Obama’s summer getaway to Martha’s Vineyard has reignited a seemingly annual debate.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
AP sources: US demand for Syrian President Assad to leave power is imminent
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say the Obama administration is ready to make an explicit call for Syrian President Bashar Assad to leave power and has notified Arab and European allies that an announcement is imminent.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Obama returns to Washington briefly before heading to Martha's Vineyard for family vacation
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is back in Washington after spending three days touring small, Midwestern towns by bus. But he isn’t staying long.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
STYLE
Miss Manners: Job interview is not the place to adjust your clothes
Should recent college grad unbutton suit when sitting down for interview?
(, Universal Press)
Ask Amy: Pop’s politics peeve family
Her father is a political bully, but his drinking may be the elephant in the room.
(, Tribune Media Service)
Hints From Heloise: A gift of thank-you
A godparent laments the silence that follows the cards and gifts she sends.
(, King)
Sit out the mommy war
What is a non-mommy-war response to, “Oh, I was so glad I didn’t have to work when my kids were young”?
(, The Washington Post)
Conn. police investigate theft of 2 ancient Chinese head sculptures worth $800,000 each
WESTPORT, Conn. — Police say they’re investigating the theft of two rare ancient Chinese head sculptures valued at $800,000 each from a private collection in Connecticut.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
SPORTS
Els, Harrington among big names chasing playoff spots this week at Wyndham Championship
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington have combined to win six major championships. Their next challenge: playing their way into golf’s postseason.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Former Texas star Ogbonnaya gaining notice at Texans camp, bonds with RB Foster
HOUSTON — Chris Ogbonnaya has bonded with Houston Texans star running back Arian Foster, and it’s only fitting.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
After $62.5M stadium renovation, James Madison looks to measure up on the field
HARRISONBURG, Va. — James Madison linebacker Pat Williams left campus for the summer to work at an internship in northern Virginia and was stunned when he got back.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Comfortable Kolb looks forward to challenge at Green Bay
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — New quarterback Kevin Kolb says he is finally comfortable with the Arizona Cardinals’ offense and looks forward to putting his newfound knowledge to a stern test when the team travels to Green Bay to face the NFL champion Packers.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
While CJ's away in his holdout, Titans other running backs try to take advantage of extra work
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans want star running back Chris Johnson in camp as soon as possible.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
WORLD
Officials: Clashes in western Baghdad kill 2 Iraqi soldiers, 4 militants
BAGHDAD — Health and security officials say two Iraqi soldiers and four militants have been killed in clashes in western Baghdad.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Yugoslav war crimes tribunal opens its first-ever retrial in case against former Kosovo leader
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal is opening its first-ever retrial, with Kosovo’s former prime minister again facing charges of murdering and torturing civilians in 1998 as the province battled for independence from Serbia.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Syria’s Assad says military operations have ended
BEIRUT — Activists say Syrian troops have shot dead nine people in the central city of Homs as President Bashar Assad was quoted as telling the U.N. chief that military operations in his country have ended.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Violence in Pakistani city kills 33 in 24 hours; many victims tortured, shot, stuffed in sacks
KARACHI, Pakistan — A wave of violence killed 33 people in the last 24 hours in Pakistan’s largest city, with many of the victims tortured, shot and stuffed in sacks that were dumped on the streets, officials said Thursday.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Turkey's military confirms cross border raids into northern Iraq, vows more strikes
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s military confirmed on Thursday that its air force has pounded Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq and vowed to continue the attacks until the guerrilla group is “rendered ineffective.”
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
LIVE DISCUSSIONS
Ask Boswell
Sports Columnist Tom Boswell will take your questions about baseball, the Redskins, the Wizards and more.
(, vForum)
ComPost Live with Alexandra Petri
The Compost, written by Alexandra Petri, offers a lighter take on the news and political in(s)anity of the day.
(, vForum)
Opinion Focus with Eugene Robinson
Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson discusses his recent columns and the latest news in a live Q&A.
(, vForum)
Debt Ceiling drama: Why Jonathan Capehart thinks your voice needs to be heard
In his Post-Partisan blog post today, Opinion writer Jonathan Capehart said that "Folks should be marching on the Capitol" in protest of the way the debt issue is being handled. Do you agree?
(, vForum)
Chatological Humor: Monthly with Moron
Gene Weingarten takes polls and chats about his recent columns.
(, vForum)
TECHNOLOGY
IBM breakthrough: chips that behave like brains
SAN FRANCISCO — Computers, like humans, can learn. But when Google tries to fill in your search box based only on a few keystrokes, or your iPhone predicts words as you type a text message, it’s only a narrow mimicry of what the human brain is capable.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Red Hat CEO At LinuxCon: I Have No Idea What’s Next
( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)
Ford to Sell Solar Panel System Alongside Electric Cars
( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)
Sincerely Launching An iOS Photo App Monetization Platform: Picture Printing For All
( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)
doubleTwist Now Has 1 Million Active Users — Every Day
( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)
BUSINESS
British retail sales barely grow in July, in another sign of faltering economy
LONDON — Retail sales in Britain barely grew in July, in another sign that the country’s economy is struggling in the wake of waning global growth and high inflation, official figures showed Thursday.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Air Berlin to cut routes as German tax weigh on earnings as CEO plans to quit
BERLIN — Germany’s second-biggest airline, Air Berlin PLC, says it is cutting back unprofitable routes as high fuel prices, a new German aviation tax and sagging demand for travel to North Africa weighed on earnings.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Oil hovers below $87 in Asia amid fears a weakening US economy may hit demand
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Oil prices fell below $87 a barrel Thursday in Asia on renewed concerns that the U.S. economy may weaken and hit fuel demand in the world’s top crude consumer.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
World stocks down amid economic pessimism as Japan exports fall for 5th straight month
BANGKOK — World stocks sank Thursday after an uneven day on Wall Street added to pessimism about the global economic outlook and Japan announced that exports had fallen for the fifth straight month in July.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
In latest global bid, Asahi to buy New Zealand's Independent Liquor for $1.28 billion
TOKYO — Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. said Thursday it has agreed to buy major New Zealand beverage maker Independent Liquor Ltd. as part of its drive for global growth.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)