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The national unemployment rate fell to 9.5 percent in June, its lowest level in almost a year. Private employers added a modest number of jobs, but a wave of census layoffs caused monthly payrolls to drop for the first time in six months.

In the 1990s, the singer-songwriter's debut album helped usher in a new wave of female musicians and established her as a folk powerhouse. Over the next decade, Jewel's repertoire expanded to include pop and country music. Her latest album, Sweet and Wild, holds true to her newer sound but revisits her folk roots with a bonus disc of acoustic versions.

The Japanese automaker, which may recall 270,000 more vehicles, is trying to win back its reputation with U.S. consumers. Toyota has hired outside experts to examine its cars, taken steps to improve quality control and is offering some of the best incentives in the industry.

San Diego County was awarded a $3 million grant from the state for programs to improve residential energy efficiency upgrades and to increase green workforce training opportunities, it was announced today.

Hours after saying he would pay for a verification, Councilman Carl DeMaio decided not to challenge the disqualification of his proposed November ballot measure that would make it easier to outsource municipal services in San Diego.

When the Supreme Court ruled Monday that most Americans can have a handgun in their homes for self-defense, it opened the door for gun rights groups to take on local and state laws. Some states, like California and New Jersey, have some of the country's toughest laws.

The Old Globe's Shakespeare Festival is underway with new artistic direction from Adrian Noble, former head of the Royal Shakespeare Company in England. The plays running in repertory are Shakespeare's tragedy, "King Lear," the comedy "Taming of the Shrew," and the Alan Bennett-penned "The Madness of George III." We'll talk with Noble about the Globe's 2010 Shakespeare Festival.

Indoor tanners must pay a 10 percent tax starting Thursday. Dermatologists hope this mandate will do for tanning beds what similar taxes have done for cigarettes -- encourage people to stop using them. But tanning salon owners say this is the last thing they need in a down economy.

Senate support for the far-reaching bill remained in flux, however. The Senate was forced to delay its vote to mid-July, denying President Obama a victory before Independence Day. Democrats struggled to secure the votes of a handful of GOP senators even after meeting their demands and backing down on a $19 billion tax on big banks and hedge funds.

ANALYSIS: Other news has overshadowed the confirmation hearings, and a Democratic majority in the Senate has made the outcome seem almost predetermined.