Around the Nation

Politics & Government

Senators Express Concerns About Smithfield Foods Merger

4:52pm July 18, 2013

by John Ydstie

Smithfield CEO Larry Pope tried to reassure lawmakers that the sale of his Virginia based company will not mean a transfer of jobs to China or a reduction in food safety. He appeared before lawmakers on the Senate Agriculture Committee on Wednesday.

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Wheat grows in a test field at Oregon State University in Corvallis. Some scientists believe that there's a chance that genetically modified wheat found in one farmer's field in May is still in the seed supply.

In Oregon, The GMO Wheat Mystery Deepens

4:34pm July 18, 2013

by Dan Charles

Government investigators are trying to solve an agricultural whodunit: How did genetically engineered wheat that was never approved for sale end up in a farmer's field in Oregon? Some are raising the possibility of sabotage; others suspect simple human error.

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Congress Takes Renewed Aim At Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac

7:45am July 18, 2013

by Chris Arnold

Risky bets by the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac helped to trigger the financial crisis. After being bailed out by taxpayers and put under government conservatorship, there's new momentum in Washington to dismantle the mortgage giants.

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PayPal Glitch Makes Pa. Man Very Rich

7:45am July 18, 2013

For a moment, Chris Reynolds was the world's richest man. The Pennsylvania resident checked his PayPal account expecting a zero balance. Instead, he found a credit of more than $92 quadrillion. The error was eventually fixed.

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96-Year-Old Store Owner Wins Standoff With Robber

7:45am July 18, 2013

Magaretta Wolf has owned a grocery store in Marshfield, Wis., for more than 50 years. When a masked robber demanded she hand over the store's cash, Wolf refused. She didn't even budge when the robber displayed a small knife. Noticing a security camera, he finally ran out the door.

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Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

'We're Here To Stay' Says Newly Confirmed Consumer Watchdog

7:11pm July 17, 2013

by Mark Memmott

After two years of political bickering, Richard Cordray has been confirmed as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He thinks that, in the end, his agency has won bipartisan support for the work it will do.

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Politics & Government

Paul, Cruz Back Bill Changing Military Sexual Assault System

6:46am July 17, 2013

by Ailsa Chang

Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is winning more support for her effort to put serious military criminal cases in the hands of prosecutors. Commanders currently decide whether to try a case. On Tuesday, two Republican senators, and possible 2016 presidential hopefuls, added their names: Ted Cruz and Rand Paul.

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National

Holder: It's Time To Examine 'Stand Your Ground' Laws

5:08am July 17, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was speaking at the NAACP's annual convention in Orlando, Fla., a short distance from where unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin was shot and killed last year. More than two dozen states have laws that allow people to use deadly force to defend themselves if they believe they are under attack.

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Economy

Rising Interest Rates Worry Banking Industry

5:08am July 17, 2013

by Jim Zarroli

Five years after the start of the financial crisis, the U.S. banking industry continues to earn strong profits. On Tuesday, Goldman Sachs became the latest big bank to report better than expected earnings. But rising interest rates mean a riskier environment for banks.

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Angel Ramirez, a North Camden Little League player, walks through the Sixth Street drug corridor, known as "Heroin Highway," on his way home from practice in Camden, N.J. The Little League program is aimed at keeping kids in the struggling city engaged in

National

Baseball League Creates 'Islands' Of Refuge For Camden Kids

8:00pm July 16, 2013

by Steve Ercolani

Bryan Morton and the North Camden Little League are trying to revitalize one of the most drug-ridden parts of Camden, N.J., through baseball. The league offers a safe after-school activity and an escape for children in Camden.

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