12+DEC

 **** __House Approves Tougher Rules on Wall Street__ **** By CARL HULSE The regulatory overhaul, meant to address what supporters have called the underlying causes of the financial crisis, has yet to pass in the Senate.

**** __Poor Children Likelier to Get Antipsychotics__ **** By DUFF WILSON Some children from poor families may be receiving powerful drugs not because they need them but because it is deemed a cheaper way to treat a problem.

**** __Violence Grips South Sudan as Vote Nears on Independence__ **** By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN More than 2,000 people have been killed this year in southern Sudan in ethnically driven battles, with some Sudanese believing that northern Sudanese leaders are arming factions. **** __New Cases Test Optimism on Extremism by U.S. Muslims__ **** By SCOTT SHANE The rampage in Fort Hood, Tex., and the account of Virginia men who went to Pakistan challenge the idea that U.S. Muslims are less vulnerable to radicalization than those in Europe.

**** __Greece Struggles to Stay Afloat as Debts Pile On__ **** By RACHEL DONADIO and NIKI KITSANTONIS Greece’s problems are being closely watched as other European nations, including Ireland and Spain, struggle to prove they can stimulate growth.

**** __China Indicts Prominent Dissident__ **** By SHARON LaFRANIERE Liu Xiaobo, one of China’s best-known dissidents and an author of a pro-democracy manifesto, was indicted Thursday on charges of trying to subvert the state. **** __Geothermal Project in California Is Shut Down__ **** By JAMES GLANZ After safety concerns, the company in charge of a project to extract renewable energy from deep bedrock has informed federal officials that the project will be abandoned.

**** __Immigration Officials Arrest 300 in California__ **** By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD Federal agents say the three-day sweep represents a new resolve to zero in on serious criminals who are in the country illegally.

**** __Sanford’s Wife Files for Divorce__ **** By ROBBIE BROWN Jenny Sanford announced on Friday that she is filing for divorce from her husband, Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina, who confessed in June to an affair. **** __The Lure of Store Credit Cards, and the Hook__ **** By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD A 15 percent discount, or no interest payments for 18 months, sounds enticing, but there are some other things you need to know about store-brand credit cards.

****YOUR MONEY**** **** __Redeem All of Gift Card, or Give Store a Present__ **** By RON LIEBER Major retailers and banks often profit from unspent portions of gift cards, but consumers don’t seem to notice.

**** __Retail Data Shows Strong Start to Holiday Season__ **** By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ The figures reinforced expectations of a modest rise in consumer spending over the next few months.