Business_Finance

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Riley O'Halloran, 15, of Gaithersburg, Md. hangs upside down on the "Fireball" ride at the 2011 Montgomery County Agricultural Fair in Gaithersburg, Md. (Pratik Shah/The Washington Times)

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A lovely day at the 2011 Montgomery County Agricultural Fair in Gaithersburg, Md. (Pratik Shah/The Washington Times)

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Fairgoers ride "Vertigo" at the 2011 Montgomery County Agricultural Fair in Gaithersburg, Md. on Tuesday, August 16, 2011. (Pratik Shah/The Washington Times)

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ASSOCIATED PRESS Members of the public, many representing unions, listen as people speak Tuesday during a public hearing on proposed toll increases in New York. The union members mostly support the toll increases to fund projects that they think will create jobs.

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President Obama speaks during a Rural Economic Forum on Aug. 16, 2011, at Northeast Iowa Community College in Peosta, Iowa, during his three-day bus tour devoted to the economy. (Associated Press)

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President Obama stops for breakfast on Aug. 16, 2011, with small business owners at Rausch's Cafe in Guttenberg, Iowa, during his three-day bus tour devoted to the economy. (Associated Press)

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A statue of former Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin stands guard outside the Treasury Building in Washington.

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GOING GOURMET: Executive chef Richard Cook (above left) and market manager Sergio Rarujo arrange the main display case at BlackSalt in the Palisades, one of many new restaurants that have enlivened the D.C. dining scene. (Andrew S. Geraci/The Washington Times)

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"If we have four issues at the wireless industry, the first three are spectrum, spectrum, and more spectrum," said Steve Largent, president and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association. Spectrum allows carriers to offer more data services. (Pratik Shah/The Washington Times)

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Brandon Banks has blazing speed on kick returns, but his 5-foot-7, 155-pound frame limits his effectiveness as a receiver. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

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"The bottom line is you want to stay in business," said Jim Capannari, an ice cream maker in Illionois, who raised the cost of his cones by 10 cents and then explained why to customers on a sign he posted. Mr. Capannari pours ingredients in making a batch of ice cream. (Associated Press)

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A favorable report on jobless claims was a bit of good news in a gloomy economic picture that led to gains on Wall Street on Thursday. The Dow, Standard & Poor's and Nasdaq all closed in positive territory. (Associated Press)

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"You have to find the right personality," said Kevin Emmons, marketing director at Miss Pivot, a wing-woman service in Indianapolis. "In the beginning, we had a bunch of promotional girls who wanted to do this, but it turns out they are very good at getting value for themselves - not good at getting value for our clients."

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Rachel Weisz is an engaging, forceful presence as a police investigator in "The Whistleblower," which also stars Vanessa Redgrave.

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President Obama gestures while speaking about the role innovative technologies play in fuel economy standards and the economy on Aug. 11, 2011, at Johnson Controls Inc. in Holland, Mich. (Associated Press)

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Trader Edward Curran smiles as he works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Aug. 11, 2011. (Associated Press)

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Traders crowd the post of specialist Patrick Murphy (right) on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney answers reporters' questions after he talked about the economy at Vermeer Corporation in Pella, Iowa, on Wednesday. He'll be participating in a debate with other Republican presidential candidates on Thursday. (Associated Press)

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House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Peter King, New York Republican, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 27, 2011, for the committee's hearing on Islamic radicalization in the US, focusing on recruitment within the Muslim American community. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)