All play no work: Jefferson County’s jobless rate reached 10 percent last month, the highest point since 1985. Just a year ago, that number was at 6 percent. One state officials says, ”Companies are still not hiring even temporary workers at this point,” so expect the job slump to continue.

The guest list: I know you are dying to know what “celebrities” will make an appearance at the Barnstable Brown soiree. That’s right, En Vogue and Boys II Men will be there, partying like it’s 1992.

Crackin’ out: President Obama is joining a federal judge in pushing to ease prison sentences for those caught with crack, a crime that results in a much harsher punishment than its pricier counterpart cocaine. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., concurs, pointing out: ”Under current law, mere possession of five grams of crack — the weight of five packets of sweetener — carries the same sentence as distribution of half a kilogram of powder or 500 packets of sweetener.”

Swine flu fatality: Health officials today confirmed the first swine-flu death in the United States. The victim was a toddler from Mexico who died in Texas. There have been 91 confirmed cases of the illness in the U.S.

Red meat=early death?: This is not good news for burger-loving Americans — a new study says people who eat the most red meat die sooner than those who are less inclined to scarf down steaks and such. The new findings suggest that over the course of a decade, the deaths of a million men and perhaps half a million women could be prevented by eating less red and processed meats.