A.M. Links: Layoffs Down, Pentagon Workers Dig Porn, Israel Cautions Iran

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  • In July, the number of planned layoffs at U.S. companies dropped for the second month, though the same can't be said of the financial sector, which trimmed the largest number of workers since January. Analysts caution, though, that you rarely see heavy layoffs in the summer.

  • Auto sales were up big in July — but not for Government Motors or Ford, both of which lost ground.
  • The Pentagon told employees and contractors to lay off using their government computers to surf the Internet for porn.
  • Come for the terrorists, stay for the borscht. Russian President Vladimir Putin says the U.S. and NATO should keep their troops in Afghanistan.
  • Fear us, if you dare! former Mossad chief and Israeli national security adviser Ephraim Halevy warned Iran. Not surprisingly, the comments fueled speculation that Israel is feeling irritable toward the land o' Islamic revolution.
  • In the world of that's-no-surprise, it turns out that President Obama not-so-secretly authorized military aid to Syrian rebels.
  • With 100 or so government agencies already authorized to use drones domestically, Rep. Edward Markey favors legislation clarifying who gets to do what kind of snooping.

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