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California's gas prices, well above the national average, have gone into overdrive, topping $6 a gallon in October. Why is gas so expensive in a state that's synonymous with the automobile?

By Joyce KryszakBuffalo, NY – The state's new higher academic standards are leaving poorer children farther behind. The State Board of Regents Thursday…

The Justice Department has sued Visa, accusing the giant payments company of seeking to monopolize the debit card business.

By Mark ScottBuffalo, NY – Two of the area's three HMOs will be offering their senior subscribers the Medicare Drug Discount card while the third will…

It was announced today - "the electronic cash" of the future. Citibank, Chase Manhattan, Mastercard and Visa announced a joint project...The idea being-- a consumer loads the amount money onto a plastic card... much like a Metro or phone card or debit card.. let's say $100. This card would be accepted in lieu of cash at places like the dry cleaners or in a taxicab. The difference between this and a debit card? It's quicker to process. There will be a test run by year's end in New York, city. Robert Siegel talks with Henry Lichstein (Lick-stine), the vice-president for advanced technology at Citibank, about this "cash of the future."

Friday, the MLB debuted its new playoff format: Two wild-card teams from each league played in a high-stakes, single-shot game to advance to the full playoffs. The Baltimore Orioles defeated the Texas Rangers, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Atlanta Braves. NPR's Tom Goldman speaks with host Scott Simon about those games and the Rockets' Royce White, who plays in the NBA with a generalized anxiety disorder.

NPR's Richard Harris reports that two mathematicians have independently arrived at conclusions that show that the inclusion of wild cards in poker games upsets the balance of five-card poker. When wild cards are included, the hand that's technically the hardest to achieve does not always win the game.

NPR's Tovia Smith profiles Andrew Card, who is expected to become White House chief of staff in a Bush administration. A longtime Bush family loyalist, Card is seen as a tough manager, but one who has the ability to reach across party lines.

Auto insurance companies often use credit history as a factor in setting premiums

Brazil's banks started giving easy credit about eight years ago. The country was booming, and a new consumer class was created, fueling growth. But that boom is now over, and Brazilians are some of the most indebted people in the world.