Climbing into his Volvo, outfitted with a Matrics antenna and a Motorola reader he’d bought on eBay for $190, Chris Paget cruised the streets of San Francisco with this objective: To read the identity cards of strangers, wirelessly, without ever leaving his car.

Arkansas rice farmers are hopeful that negotiations in China could open the door to a new line of exports. Greg Yielding, executive director of the Arkansas Rice Growers Association, said the possibility of the U.S. exporting rice to China is expected to top the agenda during negotiations in Shanghai on Monday and Tuesday between officials from U.S. and Chinese food-inspection agencies.

President Barack Obama said Saturday more time was needed for his $787 billion stimulus package to work, predicting the spending would have a bigger impact on the economy later this year.

Croatia’s government on Saturday presented budget cuts to fight the financial crisis and announced more tough savings soon, insisting the country won’t need to call in the International Monetary Fund for help.

The agriculture industry and the Humane Society have different ideas about regulating animal welfare and safety in Michigan.

President Barack Obama said Saturday the $787 billion stimulus program must be given a chance to work before consideration is given to a second such jolt for the still-ailing economy.

Lasting worldwide recovery “is still a ways off,” President Barack Obama declared Friday, but he also said at the conclusion of a global summit that a disastrous economic collapse apparently has been averted.

Honesty: Lawmakers voted on the stimulus and global warming bills without having read either. Eventually they’ll vote on health care legislation…

Blake Curd fears that Congress and industry lobbyists are using medical insurance reform to go after physician-owned hospitals.

Tens of thousands of University of California employees would be forced to take furloughs and lose pay under a plan proposed Friday to offset deep funding cuts to the 10-campus system.