National

Everybody knows that you're not supposed to smoke while you're pregnant because it's bad for the baby. But nicotine patches often used to help women quit may pose a risk, too, researchers say. Other forms of nicotine replacement may do less harm.

Insurance cancellation notices have sparked a political firestorm. President Obama proposed a delay, but California's health exchange board rejected that fix. Now, despite initial outrage, some people in the state who lost their plans are finding better coverage and good deals on the marketplace.

Crowdfunding is popular among musicians, filmmakers and artists looking for a way to finance their next project. Now the Securities and Exchange Commission is considering rules that would allow small companies to solicit investments over the Internet and sell shares to the public.

The New York State Bar rejected Glass on moral character grounds nine years ago, and the California Supreme Court is likely to do the same. Still, some say the man who fabricated dozens of magazine stories has changed and should be given the chance to practice law.

Previous estimates of the climate-warming gas were based on the rough number of methane-emitting sources on the ground — such as factories, refineries, stoves, swamps, landfills and cattle herds. But by directly measuring levels of methane in the air instead, a new study puts the total much higher.

Charles Hunt — that's not his real name — works for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. To prevent contract killings, he and colleagues pose as killers themselves. Journalist Jeanne Marie Laskas, who wrote a profile of the agent for GQ, says in real life he's a "lovely man" playing a "bit of a superman role."

This week, the Justice Department signed a $13 billion settlement with JPMorgan Chase over the bank's mortgage practices. But it's not the first multibillion-dollar deal. Five banks, including JPMorgan, reached an agreement in 2012. Not all of the results are in, but there are some lessons learned — and lingering concerns.

The Shenzhen-based company BYD started producing cellphone batteries and then moved to electric cars. Now, it's rolling out a fleet of electric buses in the U.S., a first for a Chinese auto manufacturer.

A former Massachusetts chemist is now behind bars because of sloppy drug testing that went on for years, compromising up to 190,000 criminal cases and costing the state millions of dollars. The scandal raises questions of accountability in forensic labs around the country.

The banking giant has agreed to pay a record sum to the U.S. government over charges that it knew it was selling risky mortgage products. But it's not clear exactly what, if anything, the bank is admitting to — or if the government's case would have held up in a jury trial.