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President Barack Obama promised today to end the cycle of US job losses. Addressing a graduating class of police officers in Ohio, Obama called today’s unemployment report “astounding,” noting that, were it not for his stimulus package, the recruits would be among the 8.1% of Americans out of work. “That is not a future I accept for the United States of America,” Obama said.

The Columbus police recruits are part of a class of 27 who were laid off in January before they could even start walking the beat; Mayor Michael Coleman blamed city budget problems at the time. But Coleman announced last week that Columbus would get $1.25 million in stimulus money to pay the officers’ salaries through the end of the year. (Read more Barack Obama stories.)