More billionaires than ever ranked in Forbes' annual list. Here are the top 10
There are now more than 3,000 billionaires in the world, according to Forbes' annual ranking of the wealthiest people. They collectively hold about $16.1 trillion in wealth.
Former Mass. Chief Justice On Life, Liberty And Gay Marriage
With its upcoming decisions on same-sex marriage, the U.S. Supreme Court faces the same question that Margaret Marshall faced a decade ago as Massachusetts' chief justice. Marshall says she had little idea that the decision she wrote legalizing gay marriage would be groundbreaking.
The History Behind America's Most Secretive Court
Revelations of phone traffic surveillance by the NSA highlight the ongoing and controversial role of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. It was created to address domestic spying abuses uncovered in the 1970s.
U.S. Unemployment Rate Inched Up In May
The Labor Department on Friday reported a jobless rate of 7.6 percent as employers added 175,000 jobs and more people began to look for work last month. That's up from April's rate of 7.5 percent.
Company Tries To Solve 'Hot Chocolate' Issue
The snack company Mondelez International says it's perfecting a process to make chocolate that won't melt — even in temperatures above 100 degrees. The Deerfield, Ill., company says this new innovation will help it sell chocolate in emerging markets with hot climates and limited refrigeration, like sub Saharan Africa.
City Workers Help Ducks Walk To Water
Syracuse city worker Gary Clifford saw a mother duck leading a dozen little ones down a busy street. He followed in his truck, stopping traffic along the way. Until they walked across a storm drain and four ducklings fell in. Syracuse.com reports a city crew was called in and took the feathered family to a creek.
Justin Bieber Aims For Outer Space
Singer Justin Bieber is the latest celebrity to score a booking on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, destined for its first suborbital test flight sometime this year. He had to put down $250,000.
Intelligence Community Mines Phone Records, Internet Data
Over the past two days, there have been revelations about the way the National Security Agency is gathering information for intelligence. While details of both programs are still coming out, the data collection practice appears to be legal. But it could be the beginning of something new in the intelligence community. And that is, the use of data to find patterns analysts might have missed.
Reports: NSA Mines Servers Of U.S. Internet Companies
News reports have revealed the National Security Agency is data-mining Internet and social media companies including Microsoft, Apple, Facebook and Google. According to reports, the agency is also collecting Verizon phone records of millions of U.S. citizens. For more, Renee Montagne talks to Glenn Greenwald, the reporter who co-wrote the stories for the British newspaper The Guardian.
Ill. Assembly Called Back To Work On Pension Fund Shortfall
Another credit agency is downgrading Illinois after its lawmakers ended their session without addressing the state's $100 billion pension liability crisis. Now, Gov. Pat Quinn is calling the General Assembly back into session.
California Hosts U.S.-China Summit
There's significance behind the choice of California as the venue for the U.S.-China summit between presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping. The state is home to more than a third of the China-born population in the U.S., and Chinese-backed investment groups have been pouring billions of dollars into real estate property and private companies based in California. At the same time, exports of California goods to China are surging, and state leaders are bullish about capitalizing on new markets there.
