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Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.) met with President Barack Obama at the White House Friday morning, giving Rothman's campaign a boost days before he faces congressional colleague Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) in a Democratic primary forced by New Jersey redistricting. According to the Rothman campaign, the president invited Rothman to the Oval Office and 'affirmed his support' for the candidate in Tuesday's election.'President Obama asked me to come to the Oval Office today so that everyone will know that he supports me and wants me to help him with his agenda in his second term, as I have in his first, Rothman said in a statement. 'I sincerely appreciate President Obama s support at this crucial time. It means the world to me to have him take the time out to speak with me this morning and talk about the important progressive issues I m fighting for in the Ninth District.'But on the heels of Rothman's announcement, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest was careful to note that Obama has not endorsed Rothman over Pascrell, seeing as both candidates are members of the party that the president heads. Rothman and Pascrell were once friendly House colleagues who've come to lob some nasty charges at one another as they fight for a single congressional seat. In an interesting twist, the Rothman-Pascrell race revives some old 2008 storylines. Rothman was an early supporter of Obama when he battled Hillary Clinton for the presidential nomination, while Pascrell was an avowed Clinton supporter. In addition to the president's White House meeting with Rothman, Obama adviser David Axelrod has said he's backing Rothman, while former President Bill Clinton announced last week that he would be actively campaigning for Pascrell. As HuffPost's John Celock previously reported, the Rothman-Pascrell battle came about when New Jersey lost one congressional seat and the state's redistricting commission placed Rothman's hometo

CNN celebrated thirty-two years on air on Friday. America got its first cable news network on June 1, 1980. At the time, CNN was the first television network to air news 24 hours a day. Founder Ted Turner dedicated the channel to the cable industry for its 'pioneering sprit,' and the American people for their 'thirst for understanding.' The network posted its very first news broadcast, which includes Turner's remarks, online last year to commemorate the milestone. The segment opened with a shot of the control room, CNN's logo and a graphic that said 'The News Channel.' Then, straight onto anchors David Walker and Lois Hart, who read out the news very simply. No music, no graphics, no preamble not a hologram in sight. But it was something revolutionary all the same. CNN may be struggling now, but its place in history is secured.WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 27: Wolf Blitzer of CNN attends the PEOPLE/TIME Party on the eve of the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 27, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for People)NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 27: CNN anchor Erin Burnett attends the launch party for CNN's 'Erin Burnett OutFront' at Robert atop the Museum of Arts and Design on September 27, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 21: Anderson Cooper speaks during a rehearsal before a taping of Jeopardy! Power Players Week at DAR Constitution Hall on April 21, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images)MESA, AZ - FEBRUARY 22: CNN correspondent John King talks to the audience before moderating a debate sponsored by CNN and the Republican Party of Arizona at the Mesa Arts Center between Republican presidential candidates U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich on February 22, 2012 in Mesa, Arizona. The debate is the last one

Members of jury discuss what went on behind closed doors during deliberation.

House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor unleashed on President Obama and Democrats for low jobs report on Friday, calling the numbers "pathetic."

John Edwards spoke after a jury found him not guilty of one count, and a judge declared a mistrial to the other five counts in the campaign finance trial against him.

Howard Fineman, editorial director for the Huffington Post, and Kenneth Gross, former general counsel to the Federal Election Commission, debate whether or not John Edwards' actions were truly campaign finance violations.

MSNBC Sr. Political Analyst and The Washington Post's Melinda Henneberger joins Chris Matthews to discuss John Edwards' campaign finance trial and the jury's reaction to the evidence shown to them.

Three jurors in the John Edwards trial join TODAY’s Matt Lauer to discuss the mood during deliberations, the reasons they were not able to reach a unanimous decision and whether they believe Edwards is guilty of any of the charges.

After more than four weeks of testimony and nine days of deliberations, jurors in the John Edwards trial were able to reach consensus on only one of six counts, finding him not guilty of receiving campaign contributions from a wealthy heiress.

Ricky Handle, a recent college graduate, and Lucie Fink, a junior at John Hopkins University, help orient parents to the interests of their kids as they return from school for the summer, including popular music artists, movies and websites.

TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie and NBC’s political director, Chuck Todd, debate the possibility of the Justice Department seeking a retrial in the John Edwards case and whether a political comeback is likely for the former presidential hopeful.

John Akomfrah's haunting film-essay weaves Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, with the history of mass migration from Africa, the Caribbean, and South Asia, to Post War Britain. Divided into chapters named after each muse, the film features stunning winter vistas, a soundtrack rich in readings from Homer to Dante to T. S. Eliot, and the music of Arvo P rt and India's Gundecha Brothers. Creating a philosophical rumination on the emigrant's experience, the journey, and the idea of home, THE NINE MUSES is a remarkable meditation on displacement, identity, and memory.