Bob Bradley Fired.

Geithner soon, I hope.

Boehner does not have the votes yet. If he is having problems now, how is he going to survive a compromise bill? Tea Party won't take yes for an answer. If nothing passes today, I think the markets take a big hit tomorrow.

Open Thread.

Once the country is saved from debt ceiling kabuki, what happens to the economy? New jobless claims are down this week:

First-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, dropping below the important 400,000 level for the first time since April, according to a government report on Thursday. Jobless claims dropped 24,000, to a seasonally adjusted 398,000, the Labor Department said. [. . .] The prior week’s figure was revised to 422,000 from 418,000.

But this is a stalled economy which has not been creating jobs in a meaningful way:

The government is expected to report on Friday that the economy grew at a 1.8 percent annual rate, according to a Reuters survey, after a tepid 1.9 percent pace in the first three months of the year. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve said growth had slowed in much of the country in June and early July.

And there is no reason to expect improvement. After the President enjoys the debt ceiling fight's result - while he is not trusted on the debt ceiling, the GOP is even less trusted - will he realize that no one is going to give a crap about that next November?

Open Thread.

Busy day again for me. Here's an open thread for you, all topics welcome.

Ironic quote of the day from David Brooks:

[T]he president lost his cool. Obama never should have gone in front of the cameras just minutes after the talks faltered Friday evening. His appearance was suffused with that “I’m the only mature person in Washington” condescension that drives everybody else crazy.

Coming from Brooks, that's rich.

Open Thread.

Colorado gets its first IKEA store Wednesday, and people began lining up at 9 am this morning. They will camp outside to be one of the first 38 people in line to get a $399 sofa free. Why 38? It's the 38th IKEA store in the U.S. The next hundred get an armchair.

The 415,000 square foot Swedish home furnishing store is south of Denver, in Centennial. The public is told to expect traffic delays on I-25 near the store for days after opening. 40,000 people a day are expected to visit the store during opening weekend.

Is this an amusement park or a store? Apparently, both. The best bargain may be the 99 cent breakfast of bacon and eggs, served every day.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Open Thread.

Amy Winehouse Is dead. RIP.

Cadel Evans has won the Tour de France.

Open Thread.

Krugman:

There’s an old quotation, attributed to various people, that always comes to mind when I look at public policy: “You do not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed.” Now that lack of wisdom is on full display, as policy elites on both sides of the Atlantic bungle the response to economic trauma, ignoring all the lessons of history. And the Lesser Depression goes on.

Ain't that the truth.

Open Thread.

Our earlier open thread is full, here's another one, all topics welcome.

Another busy work day here.

The hanging death of Jonah Shacknai's girlfriend so soon after of the death of his six year old son Max, who had fallen down the stairs days earlier, is a bit of a puzzler.

But San Diego County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Roy Frank and Coronado police Chief Louis Scanlon, in separate interviews, have stressed to reporters that there are suicide cases in which the person ties their hands to keep from trying to loosen the knot around their neck.

The Sheriff's Department, taking the lead in the investigation of Zahau's death, has said it cannot yet decide between suicide and foul play as the cause of death.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

One of those days.

You'll want to watch the Tour de France the next 4 days, two mountain top finishes in the Alps (tomorrow on the HC (Beyond Category) Col de Galibier after two HC climbs, Friday on the Alpe d'Huez), and Saturday the likely decisive time trial in Grenoble.

Sunday is the parade down the Champs Elysees (except for the sprinters and their leadouts.)

Open Thread.

New Jersey's Governor Chris Christie today said he will allow the medical marijuana bill passed under his predecessor to be implemented. Doctors will be allowed to prescribe marijuana in New Jersey (but patients can't grow it.)

Only patients in New Jersey suffering from specific ailments such as HIV, cancer and multiple sclerosis can be prescribed medical marijuana, and then only after other treatments have failed. The law also is the first in the nation to prohibit patients from growing their own crop at home.

New Jersey is now the 16th state to allow medical marijuana (the District of Columbia does as well.)

It's too hot to blog any more tonight, and our earlier open thread is almost full, so here's another one, all topics welcome.