Europe moves to protect taxpayers when banks fail. After yesterday’s Supreme Court decision, the same sex marriage ban in California, Prop 8, is effectively no more. So what’s the future of referenda in the wake of the high court decision? And loans remain cheap for wealthy borrowers with good credit scores, but if you’re poor or don’t have great credit, it’s a very different story.

President Obama is on his way to Africa for a week-long trip that will take him to Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. The visit is, in part, aimed at increasing U.S. trade and investment on the continent. China’s markets are down as the country’s central bank cracks down on ‘shadow banking’ by tightening credit. And 401(k), 403(b) — which retirement plan is the best for you?

A look at two Mexican border factories that likely provide better benefits than your job. An economy bigger than India’s, Russia’s, or Canada’s might need a bailout this year. What’s ahead for Italy in the next six months? And one word: plastics.

A new study shows Southwest states — New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada — rank the lowest when it comes to child well-being. Markets in China continue their plunge, but the Chinese government says that’s ok. And you’ve heard of shrinking airplane legroom, but what about shrinking armroom?

Today is the first day of summer and that gets some retailers nervous. Shoppers are scarce in the season, so stores are rolling out the sales. In Los Angeles, the grocery store Ralphs is expected to close its doors forever. The store, which is in a low-income neighborhood, has some residents criticizing a disturbing pattern. And how will China’s credit crunch be felt abroad?

The Supreme Court could announce as soon as today whether it will consider a case on recess appointments made by President Obama. That decision could have a major impact on Washington’s consumer watchdog group. How is the Federal Reserve’s meeting playing abroad? Adjunct and non-tenure track professors are joining unions, hungry for benefits and job security they currently lack. And in a twist, they’re not always joining the unions you might expect.

The British government says bankers who recklessly mismanage their banks should go to jail. Who will take over the Federal Reserve when Ben Bernanke leaves? GDP, unemployment rate, the Dow — some economists think these numbers don’t tell us enough about how real people are actually doing. We take a look at a new measure of America: human development.

Protests flare in Brazil over widespread dissatisfaction with government services. China launches a pilot carbon trading market in the southern city of Shenzhen. A quiz about the world’s gold supply. And counting the economic boost of a royal birth.

Leaders of the world’s richest countries meet in Northern Ireland today for their annual G8 summit. They will talk about the conflict in Syria, but also about international tax avoidance. And in Syria, a year of unrest and civil war has pushed some private citizens into refining their own oil. Finally, a giant grocery wholesaler accuses potato growers of price fixing.