Let’s hope this works out according to plan. A containment cap atop BP’s damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico was removed on Saturday as the first step in an effort that the oil company hopes could fully contain the massive oil leak by the middle of this week. Here’s the big controversy, though: By doing so, BP will make matters worse—at least for the time being—as the removal of the current cap will allow oil to spew unabated into the Gulf until a newer one is installed. If successful, a tighter-fitting cap will be installed in a few days, and is expected to divert nearly all of the leaking crude. Kent Wells, a BP senior vice president, expressed confidence that this approach—one of several implemented in recent weeks—will be a success. “Our intent is to have the ability to contain all the flow,” Wells said at a briefing in Houston. The ultimate goal: to eventually collect all the oil from the well—up to an estimated 60,000 barrels per day—and divert it to collection ships.

Jobs may not be returning to Main Street just yet, but employment numbers are rising on Wall Street. Since Washington recued banks and brokerage firms with its 2008 bailout—and following the steady rise in profits for members of the New York Stock Exchange since—financial companies have become one of the very first white-collar industries to amp up hiring. New York securities firms alone have added nearly 2,000 jobs since February 2010, a trend being seen at firms nationwide, too. Though still a relatively small number, headhunters are predicting an even further upturn in financial-sector job growth. “I think we’re seeing some hiring in anticipation of better times,” Rae Rosen, a regional economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, told The New York Times. “Wall Street typically hires in anticipation of the recovery, and there is a sense that the economy has bottomed out and is slowly improving.” What’s more, generous salary packages are on the rise as well. One executive said he has seen $1 million offers extended to a dozen candidates in recent weeks. May other fields of work be so lucky.

Militants continue to fight back against the intensified coalition war effort in Afghanistan’s east and south. Six American troops died in attacks Saturday, from small-arms fire, roadside bombs, and explosions. Twenty-three U.S. soldiers have died there so far in July. Meanwhile, gunmen shot 11 Pakistani Shia tribesmen to death in the eastern part of the country, and one civilian died when a bomb strapped to a motorbike exploded in Kandahar. Two coalition convoys were attacked in the Kunduz and in Khost; two German soldiers were injured in the Kunduz roadside bomb. During a nighttime raid in the eastern Paktia province, a combined commando unit killed one Taliban leader and took eight others, though locals say those men were not militants. In Mazar-i-Sharif, in the north, a mass rally of thousands of Afghans protested a separate night raid that took two security guards’ lives. In June, 103 coalition troops died, 60 of them American, the most in a month since the war began.

Germany narrowly took a third place win at the World Cup on Saturday after center Sami Khedira headed the ball into the net in the 82nd minute of the team’s match against Uruguay. Germany’s 3-2 was barely decisive; just after the Germans scored, Uruguay striker Diego Forlan took a free kick outside the penalty area that ricocheted off the crossbar in the game’s final seconds, crushing Uruguay’s hopes of beating Germany for the first time in 82 years. “We have a young team and set an exclamation mark here and can reach more,” said Khedira of Germany’s win. Despite their loss, Uruguay's team remained proud of its accomplishments, too. As Forlan put it, “Obviously it’s something spectacular to be among the top four. If someone would’ve asked us at the beginning, we would’ve liked it. It’s something positive.”

Arizona’s controversial immigration bill may be causing unending political turmoil, but it’s certainly been a boon for the legal profession. The latest and seventh lawsuit—which follows a suit brought by the Department of Justice—is the first to object to the legislation’s training guides meant to teach police how to enforce the legislation. Filed Friday in federal court by a group that includes the League of United Latin American Citizens, the suite states that the materials are “so vague and ill-defined that they will certainly lead to widespread racial profiling and discrimination.” One example: A video, released July 1, warns officers not to implement race or ethnicity in their duties, yet notes that it’s fine to consider poor use of English, nervous looks, overcrowded vehicles, or areas where undocumented immigrants often look for work.

Vice President Joe Biden defended the swapping of four U.S. spies for the 10 recently-exposed Russian ones to Jay Leno Friday night. Leno said the four-for-10 deal seemed unfair, and Biden responded that the American four spies were “really good ones.” The Russian 10 hadn’t really done much, the vice president said. Leno then showed Biden a photo of redhead real-life Bond girl Anna Chapman and asked, “Are our spies this hot?” "Let me be clear,” Biden replied in faux seriousness. “It was not my idea to send her back… I thought they’d take Rush Limbaugh.” The veep also expressed his shock and dismay at LeBron James’ move to Miami.

How’s this for scary: Osama bin Laden’s 29-year-old son, Omar, checked into a psychiatric hospital for drug-induced schizophrenia after claiming to hear the voice of his terrorist father in his head. His admittance followed weeks of erratic behavior, in which bin Laden reportedly went on wild shopping sprees, drove erratically, and stayed in bed for days at a time. His behavior has prompted his British wife, Zaina, to ask for a divorce. The reason: Bin Laden, she says, is bipolar—which she blames solely on his father’s terrorist mentalities, as well as family pressures. “I think he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after 9/11,” Zaina told the Daily Mail. “Seeing what his dad done ruined Omar’s life.” Ten days ago, concerned of his condition, Zaina flew to Qatar, where bin Laden lives. She then checked into a hospital’s psychiatric unit. Three days later, however, Bin Laden checked himself out. His odd behavior continues.

“An amazing story,” said Rush Limbaugh, the acerbic conservative radio talk-show titan, during a recent show, referencing editor-at-large Lloyd Grove’s feature in The Daily Beast called “ The Elite Turn Against Obama". The story, which looks at a fallout in President Obama’s elite, upper-echelon support base—many who gathered at this week’s Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado—sat well with a man not typically known for throwing in a kind word. Limbaugh went on to point out the story’s key figures—the New York Daily News publisher Mort Zuckerman and Harvard professor Niall Ferguson—and lauded how they all seemed to agree that Obama’s policies are encouraging laziness. “The damage that’s being done to this country purposely, and that we have to come to grips with it—finally, they’re saying it,” Limbaugh said.

Correction: This post originally said that White House Budget Director Peter Orszag and economic advisor Larry Summers agreed that Obama's policies are encouraging laziness. Summers and Orszag attended the Aspen Ideas Festival, but neither criticized President Obama's agenda while there. We regret the error. 

More seats in the Czech parliament than ever before were given to women during national elections in late May—and now some of those same women are causing quite a stir with a racy 2011 calendar. The calendar features high-ranking legislators—including Katerina Klasnova, a new vice speaker of the parliament’s Chamber of Deputies, relaxing in a bathrobe on her bed—along with four other politicians, all in somewhat revealing outfits. First released during the campaign, the calendar suggests a new movement of Czech women who embrace femininity—and sex appeal—while pushing for more rights in the areas of business and government. “Women’s political influence is growing,” Marketa Reedova, a councilwoman now running for mayor, told The Wall Street Journal. “Why not show we are women who aren’t afraid of being sexy?”

American Idol champ and reigning country star Carrie Underwood tied the knot with NHL player Mike Fisher on Saturday in what their wedding planner called “a spiritual expression of their love.” Their wedding, located in a southern luxury resort, went off without a hitch. 250 friends and family gathered for the ceremony, which featured the couple’s favorite Bible readings and classical music. “We could not feel more blessed to have found each other and to have shared this day with our friends and family that mean so much to us!” Underwood and Fisher told People magazine in a statement. The couple plans to keep homes in Nashville and in Peterborough, Ontario, near where Fisher plays hockey for the Ottawa Senators.

Pakistan says 102 people were killed and 115 were injured by the huge suicide bomb that ripped through a large crowd—one that contained many disabled people waiting for wheelchairs from the government—in Mohmand, in the northwestern tribal area of the country Friday. A barrier wall of a prison crumbled, allowing four insurgents and 21 other prisoners to escape, and storefronts collapsed in the blast. Four policemen were killed by the motorcycle bomb, which was followed immediately by a second explosion. The suicide bomb was another sign of the staying power of insurgents along Pakistan’s rugged border with Afghanistan.

Mel Gibson seemed to weather the media firestorm that followed his drunk-driving arrest and anti-Semitic rant in 2006. A handful of Hollywood types called for a boycott, but Gibson’s apology tour somewhat smoothed things over. But the latest example of the actor’s bigotry—tapes of him threatening his girlfriend with awful racist and sexist taunts—is surely the final nail in the coffin. Gibson’s been dropped by his agency, William Morris Endeavor, just after his longtime agent Ed Limato died. He hasn’t been a bankable star much recently, even though peers like Bruce Willis still nab action roles. Gibson may be able to make movies under his Icon production banner, but who would consider working with Gibson worth the risk to his or her reputation? Though he may have an international audience left, and could make a movie exclusively for another continent, who in North America would bankroll it?

Despicable Me earned $21.7 million Friday, giving it a good chance of winning the box office this weekend. The 3-D animated film is on track to pull in a better-than-expected $50 million over its opening weekend. Coming in second was The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the unstoppable teen vampire saga, which made $11 million for a total of $214.7 million in its 10 days in theaters. Its prequel New Moon, made $230.9 million its first 10 days, for a domestic total of $296.6 million. Predators, starring Adrien Brody, took third place with $10.5 million. In fourth was Toy Story 3, with $6.8 million and a domestic total of $325 million. The Last Airbender came in fifth, with $5.3 million for a total of $88.4 million over nine days.

Five people were injured during the running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain on Saturday. The winding cobblestone streets of the city were slicked with morning dew, making the surface slippery and increasing the chance of runners falling. Of the five hospitalized, only one had to stay for observation. Saturday saw a fast run at just 2 minutes, 53 seconds, as well as the added danger of six bulls separated at the back of the pack. When bulls are separated, they get confused and are more likely to lash out at moving objects, like, say, a whole bunch of men wearing red sashes and running in front of them. Last year, the nine-day festival suffered its first casualty in 15 years when a 27-year-old Spaniard was gored in the throat.

An aid ship bound for the Gaza Strip—and aiming to break the blockade there—will dock in Egypt instead, after pressure from Israel. The ship, flagged in Moldova and chartered by a charity headed by the son of Libya’s leader Muammar Gaddafi, was to depart from a Greek port Saturday. Israel appealed to the U.N., which then held talks with Greece and Moldova. The ship is loaded with cooking oil prefab homes, medicine and food, and will dock at el-Arish, on the coast of the Sinai Peninsula. The incident comes in the wake of the Turkish aid flotilla attempted to break the blockage and was raided by Israeli forces, who killed nine on board.

This may be just the thing the Queen needs to prod Prince William into making up his mind over proposing to his girlfriend. William’s first cousin, Peter Phillips, is expecting a child with his Canadian-born wife, Autumn, in December and will make the Queen, 84, a great-grandmother for the first time. Phillips, who is 11th in line to the throne and has no royal duties, is the son of Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth’s second child and only daughter. "The queen and the duke of Edinburgh, as well as Autumn's family, have been informed and are delighted with the news," Buckingham Palace said.

Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton have their eyes on a new home, a rustic mansion on a sprawling 20 acres in Bedford Hills, a town in Westchester, New York. The $10.9 million estate, called Clover Hill Farm, is on a long private road and features five bedrooms and six and two half bathrooms. Both the chef’s kitchen and the wood-paneled library have fireplaces. Built 10 years ago, the house has rustic details like exposed wood beams. The current owner is Paul Wallace, who founded the Manhattan real-estate firm Broadstone Group and declared bankruptcy in May. The Clintons are expected to close on the estate “within weeks.”

As the debate over marijuana legalization continues on a synethic knock-off is making waves across state legistlatures. The man-made version is called “spice” and it’s becoming increasingly popular—not the least because it doesn’t show up on drug tests, yet gives a marijuana-like high. Its ingredients are not known, and may vary, but it’s generally made by spraying crushed green leaves with man-made chemicals. Its effects, especially long-term, are unknown. In 2009 there were 41 cases of people calling poison control centers with a bad reaction to the drug. That number has mushroomed to 567 in the first half of 2010. Several states have banned the substance, including Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia, and others are working on doing the same. A doctor at the Missouri Poison Center, which has received 60 calls this year from spice users said, "I'm concerned we don't know what's in there, or the quantities that are in there. Some people may argue you shouldn't ban something when you don't know what's in it. But when the public health is of concern, I think it's right to act."

Hometown hero Jimmy Buffet will headline a benefit concert for the battered beach town of Gulf Shores, Alabama. “Live from the Gulf Coast” will be broadcast nationally at 7 p.m. on CMT Sunday, featuring Buffet crooning from a 30,000-person outdoor setting just 100 feet from the shoreline. Businesses along the coast have been badly hurt by the oil spill as tourists cancel reservations on the now-befouled beaches there. The point is to project hope and optimism, the mayor says, and that “we’re crippled, but we’re not dead.” Still, local businesses have been forced to slash prices and offer super deals. Concert organizers have given away 12,500 free tickets to the owners of condos and beach houses to offer as perks to renters. Though the concert is non-political, Buffet has tweaked the lyrics to his signature song, “Margaritaville,” making the end line of the chorus, “I think it’s all BP’s fault.”

Little pit bull pups can practice putting on their lipstick this September, when a new biography of Sarah Palin aimed at 9- to 12-year-olds will be released. Christian book publisher Zondervan will release Speaking Up: The Sarah Palin Story as part of a series featuring big names in the news and role models who work for a better world based on their Christian faith. (A Tim Tebow bio is in the works, too.) The biography is unauthorized and will be based on previously published material; Zondervan did not speak to the former vice presidential nominee or anyone in her inner circle. The story will start with Palin’s Alaskan childhood and show that "with guts, character, determination and unwavering faith in God, even an ordinary person can change the world." Bristol Palin’s teen pregnancy will not get a mention.

Though it continues to lobby for a moratorium on offshore drilling, the Obama administration apparently has no qualms about pushing ahead in onshore drilling. On Friday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the impending sale of about 1.8 million acres of Alaska’s North Slope for oil and gas exploration, an area that's part of the state’s National Petroleum Reserve. The reserve covers 23 million acres on the North Slope in Alaska—an area about the size of Indiana—and 190 tracts will become available for drilling; bidding starts August 11 in Anchorage. The Bureau of Land Management did set aside the area around Teshekpuk Lake to protect migratory birds, but the fact remains that a chunk of Alaska is now open for drilling business, one of dozens of similar deals in Western states. To some, the environmental considerations are not enough. "They're not going to cut off its heart," Brendan Cumming of the Center for Biological Diversity said of the area, "but they're still cutting off an arm and a leg."

Three months after a South Korean warship was torpedoed, North Korea celebrated “a great diplomatic victory” when the United Nations Security Council stopped short of blaming it for the incident Friday. A separate investigation by South Korea had placed responsibility squarely on its neighbor to the North. The U.N.’s conclusion seemed to come at the urging of China, North Korea’s only ally, who pressed regional powers to "flip the page of the Cheonan incident" and return to the negotiating table on issues like nuclear disarmament. Six-way nuclear talks involving both Koreas, the U.S., Japan, Russia, and China have stalled since 2007. "The DPRK will make consistent efforts for the conclusion of a peace treaty and the denuclearization through the six-party talks conducted on equal footing," North Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

President Obama said the country must help veterans get help with post-traumatic stress disorder, ahead of Veterans Affairs’ expected announcement Monday that will make it easier for veterans to get federal benefits for their PTSD. Veterans will soon have less of a burden to prove that they suffered horrible events during combat, and instead will just have to show that the conditions existed while they were deployed that could have caused PTSD. Speaking in his weekly radio address, Obama said the rule change stems from the nation’s "solemn responsibility to provide our veterans and wounded warriors with the care and benefits they've earned when they come home." An estimated 20 percent of returning veterans have PTSD or major depression symptoms—about 300,000 people.

Anadarko Petroleum is refusing to pay the $272 million dollar bill sent by BP stemming from the costs of cleaning up the oil spill gushing from the busted Macondo oil well, in which Anadarko owns a 25 percent nonoperating stake. Anadarko accuses BP of “negligence” or “willful misconduct”—something the company says it’s not responsible for. In June, BP sharply disagreed when Anadarko said its business partner should take on all the costs of the spill. Japanese company Mitsui has a 10 percent stake in the well and has not responded to a $111 million bill from BP. Meanwhile, BP has yet another plan to plug the leak. Taking advantage of good weather, BP said Friday it would start working on a new cap for the well. The new cap would take at least five days to install, and temporarily cause more oil to spew into the Gulf, but would finally stop the flow once it is in place.

The events leading up to Friday’s Cold War-style spy trade on the airport tarmac in Vienna may have seemed like the product of a frenzied bout of negotiations and last-minute discussion. But for the U.S., it was all part of the plan. The spy swap had reportedly been on the table for the U.S. government for over a month, even before any arrests were made, as a tactic to leave delicate Russian-American relations unharmed. The idea was first laid out in the same Oval Office meeting that saw President Obama approve the plan to round up the largest ring of Russian sleeper agents since the Cold War. “There was a full discussion about what was going to happen on the day after,” one senior White House official said.