Washington does battle over war spending

Lawmakers are squaring off with the White House over Iraq funding. Congress is expected to set deadlines for U.S. troops to come home when it delivers its supplemental war spending package. Bush has promised a veto.

Let the Bush tax cuts go

The rich are rich enough, says commentator Ben Stein. He argues that America's wealthiest can afford to pay higher taxes so that America can afford to do more for the men and women serving in our military.

Motion-capture thespians

The high-tech world of video gaming is providing a whole new stage for aspiring actors. And it's win-win: The actors get experience and a paying gig. And it's faster and cheaper for the game makers than creating forms from scratch.

Lenders shut out of student loan database

The Department of Education shut down its National Student Loan Database late last night, denying thousands of lenders access following reports of unlawful data mining for information about U.S. college students and their families.

It's a British retail invasion

A major new competitor looms on the horizon for U.S. convenience stores and markets. British super-retailer Tesco is about to open stores here and analysts say it could pose a legitimate threat.

Bad news for Belgium

GM is streamlining production of its popular Astra model in Europe, and the 1,400 jobs cut are all coming out of Belgium. And if plants there don't bring costs down, GM indicated it may shift that production work to Asia.

A greener way to cut grass

The EPA has proposed new rules designed to help reduce summertime smog. It says adding catalytic converters to small engines on boats and lawnmowers could bring levels down as much as 10%, but manufacturers say it could be dangerous.

Technology's green giants

Rivals in the ultra-competitive tech industry don't work together often, but today they're making an exception and meeting in Denver to try to help save the environment — and money of course.

First bird flu vaccine for humans OK'd

The vaccine is less than 50 percent effective and only has a shelf life of 18 months, but the FDA says it's still worth approving and stockpiling — because in the event of a pandemic, saving some lives will be better than none.