Access to affordable credit helps me pay my employees, but I don't really need it.

Infliction is killing me!

But who cares? Big retailers are making record profits!

That's why we support the Durban Marshall Credit Card Bill!

See? Banks and credit unions help small businesses make payroll.

This bill would cut the vital resources they need.

While increasing megastore profits, they deserve it. Don't they?

Tell Congress, stop the Durban Marshall money grab for corporate megastores.

Paid for by the Electronic Payments Coalition.

Here's your midday brief for Wednesday, February 11th.

I'm Alex Oslo for the Wall Street Journal.

The U.S. economy added 130,000 jobs in January, its strongest growth in more than a year.

The surprisingly strong gains were concentrated in the health care and social assistance sector.

That's been the main engine of jobs growth in recent months.

As for the unemployment rate, that fell to 4.3 percent, from 4.4%. The numbers make it harder for the Federal Reserve to

justify more interest rate cuts on the basis of weakness in the labor market. However,

revisions out today to job numbers stretching back almost two years show just how tough the job

market has been.

The Congressional Budget Office says the U.S. budget deficit will remain roughly flat for the

next two years and then widen over the next decade. Interest costs will consume an increasing

share of spending. The Budget Office estimates that by 2036, that is, in a decade, the deficit will be more than

$3 trillion, or 6.7% of GDP. That's a level the U.S. has exceeded only a few times since World

...