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News In Brief

MID-DAY UPDATE: Gary Locke expected to be new U.S. Ambassador to China, Oil prices fall on OPEC discussions

Katharine Crnko Mar 8, 2011
News In Brief

MID-DAY UPDATE: Gary Locke expected to be new U.S. Ambassador to China, Oil prices fall on OPEC discussions

Katharine Crnko Mar 8, 2011

Today President Obama is expected to nominate Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to be the new U.S. Ambassador to China. He’d be the first Chinese-American to hold the post. Many analysts expect China to welcome both his heritage, and his experience.

Oil prices are slightly lower in overseas trading this morning. That’s mostly because OPEC is holding informal talks that could lead to pumping more oil into the system. The cartel of oil-producing nations says it is trying to stabilize the oil market, following the loss of a million barrels a day from Libya.

It’s been two years since President Obama pressed a symbolic ‘reset’ button in relations with Russia. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is traveling to Russia to build on two years of improving ties as elections draw closer in both nations.

Which of these countries produces more tobacco than any other? Is it A) The United States of America; B) Brazil; C) India; or D) China? Stephan Richter, editor in chief at TheGlobalist.com quizzes Jeremy Hobson on his tobacco knowledge.

Sharing space with a roommate is never easy, especially figuring out who pays how much. Well, battle no more! Harvard grad student and self-professed math geek Jonathon Bittner has come up with SplitTheRent.org — an online calculator that, to-the-cent, figures out the fairest amount for all parties of the pad.

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