Economy & Business

"A bipartisan group of senators is urging President Obama to encourage Canada to forge an agreement on a new softwood lumber trade deal."

"Venezuela has no shortage of problems, but one of the more curious is its cheap prices at the gas pump. ... Venezuela is hardly the only developing country wasting oil and natural gas with consumer subsidies."

"Researchers estimate the United States economy takes a $340 billion hit annually as endocrine-disrupting compounds lower IQs, increase behavior problems and exacerbate health woes like obesity and diabetes."

"Washington residents will have the chance to vote on a carbon tax at the polls this November. The proposed tax, which is the first of its kind in the nation, could set a precedent for how other states handle greenhouse gas emissions."

"The beverage giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have given millions of dollars to nearly 100 prominent health groups in recent years, while simultaneously spending millions to defeat public health legislation that would reduce Americans’ soda intake, according to public health researchers."

"Nearly 100 national health and medical groups — including the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — enjoy sponsorships by Coca-Cola Co. or PepsiCo, according to a new study by two Boston University researchers."

"After years of slow, steady growth, residential electric prices are poised to decline for the first time in nearly a decade and a half."

"US plug-in vehicle sales reached a quarterly record for the three-month period that ended September 30, as demand improved for plug-in models such as the Tesla Model S battery-electric vehicle and the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS)."

"ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Joan Galasso walked through the empty wreck of the waterfront seafood restaurant she and her husband started a quarter-century ago and was horrified."

"PARIS - Invasive insects cause at least $77 billion (69 billion euros) in damage every year, according to a study released Tuesday that says this figure is 'grossly underestimated' because it covers only a fraction of the globe."