Business_Finance

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President Obama speaks at Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Ill., on March 15, 2013. The president urged congress to authorize $200 million a year for research into clean energy technologies that can wean automobiles off oil. (Associated Press)

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Wayne LaPierre, the National Rifle Association's executive vice president and CEO, speaks at the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., on Friday, March 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

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**FILE** Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter speaks March 1, 2013, during a news conference regarding the automatic spending cuts at the Pentagon. (Associated Press)

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With millions more upwardly mobile Chinese buying cars every year, the need for gas is growing, too, creating lines at gas stations requiring traffic directors. China is now the world’s biggest and fastest-growing market for automobiles. (Imaginechina via Associated Press)

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In February, the number of homes going into foreclosure saw a slight increase from January. But the rate was down from the same time last year, according to a monthly report from RealtyTrac. Bank repossessions also declined. (Associated Press)

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John Jackson, co-owner of Capitol City Arms Supply, shows an AR-15 assault rifle for sale at his business in Springfield, Ill., on Jan. 16, 2013. (Associated Press) **FILE**

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Richard Cordray and Mary Jo White are sworn in March 12, 2013, before testifying in front of the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill for their confirmation hearings. Cordray and White are President Obama's picks to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Securities and Exchange Commission, respectively. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)