POL-Ryan-Virginia

In a further sign of Republicans' efforts to take back Virginia in November, Rep. Paul Ryan has spent more days in the commonwealth than any other battleground state since he became Mitt Romney's running mate.

POL-Romney-Fundraising-After-Ryan

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign is touting new fundraising numbers since the announcement of Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate. n a statement released to reporters Friday, campaign manager Matt Rhoades said "it's clear that (Romney's) choice has reshaped the race in a positive way."

POL-Attack-The-Strength

In 2004, Sen. John Kerry entered the campaign against incumbent President George W. Bush with a seemingly unassailable advantage on a sensitive issue -- the liberal Kerry served in the Vietnam War, and the conservative Bush didn't. Rather than avoid the topic, Bush supporters came up with the notorious "Swift Boat" campaign that raised enough questions about Kerry's war record to negate a major strength.

POL-Romney-CEO-president

Mitt Romney seemed to channel his inner CEO on Thursday when he sketched out a chart on entitlements on a whiteboard. There he stood, hair slicked down, white shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, listing differences between his and President Barack Obama's Medicare plans. If the scene seemed better suited to a corporate boardroom than the campaign trail, it is because the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is far more comfortable throwing out ideas than with having them challenged, experts say.

POL-RNC-Video-Serious

The Republican National Committee on Friday mocked President Barack Obama's recent interview with a New Mexico radio station -- an interview which included questions on food, music, and what superpower the president would most like to have. The RNC spliced the interview into a web video which shows Obama on the phone with his feet up and the words, "This is not a parody: Actual Interview with President Obama."

POL-Morello-Paul-Ryan

Paul Ryan's claim that Rage Against the Machine is among his favorite bands did not poll well with the rap metal group's guitarist Tom Morello. Morello, who was a vocal supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement and is well-known for supporting union rights, railed against the Romney-Ryan ticket, which he sees as supporting the 1%.

POL-RNC-July-Fundraising

The Republican National Committee said Friday it raised $37.7 million in July, making last month the best July in the party committee's history.

MONEY

MONEY-state-unemployment

The state unemployment picture worsened last month, with jobless rates creeping higher in 44 states, according to a government report released Friday.

MONEY-mortgage-fees

Lenders would have to offer potential home buyers an option to get mortgages with no fees, under a rule proposed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

MONEY-stocks-markets

U.S. stocks ended a listless day higher Friday, with the broader marking capping off a sixth week of gains.

MONEY-apple-stock-high

Shares of Apple set another all-time high on Friday on growing expectations for an upcoming wave of new gadgets.

MONEY-progressive-settlement

Insurance company Progressive felt the wrath of the Internet this week after the brother of a policyholder who died in a car crash posted a startling missive about how the family's claim was handled. Progressive has now reached a financial settlement with the family. Matt Fisher detailed his family's nightmare in a Tumblr post on Monday with a shocking title: "My Sister Paid Progressive Insurance to Defend Her Killer In Court." Three days later, Progressive said it reached a settlement with the Fishers.

MONEY-zeek-rewards-ponzi-scheme

Federal regulators announced fraud charges Friday against a company they said was operating a $600 million Internet Ponzi scheme "on the verge of collapse."

MONEY-eddie-murray-insider-trading

Baseball Hall-of-Famer Eddie Murray was charged with insider trading Friday by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The former Baltimore Orioles star was accused of trading on tips from former teammate Doug DeCinces, who agreed to a settlement with the agency last year. DeCinces allegedly traded on and passed information about Abbott Laboratories' 2009 acquisition of Advanced Medical Optics after learning about it from his neighbor, company CEO James Mazzo.

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