Thousands of school districts across the country have trimmed or eliminated summer classes, ignoring pleas from the Education Department to use stimulus money to retain them.

Facing Deficits, Some States Cut Summer School

Some institutions quietly and creatively charge people more to save and spend their own money.

Bank Fees Rise as Lenders Try to Offset Losses

Robert Bowman, an aspiring lawyer, was refused entry to the New York bar because of $400,000 in student debt.

Finding Debt a Bigger Hurdle Than Bar Exam

Almost 4,000 U.S. Marines moved to clear insurgents from the hotly contested Helmand River valley before the nation’s Aug. 20 presidential election.

U.S. Marines Try to Retake Afghan Valley From Taliban

Late last year, after the financial crisis, Morgan Stanley made a decision that its biggest rivals avoided: burned by the crisis, it would take far fewer risks in its trading.

Risk Cuts at Morgan May Lead to a Loss

Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, a quintessential New York liberal, is fighting an uphill battle for the seat held by Kirsten E. Gillibrand.

For an Insider, a Lonely Road to Senate Run

The Vatican is quietly conducting two sweeping investigations of American nuns, leaving some fearful that they are the targets of a doctrinal inquisition.

U.S. Nuns Facing Vatican Scrutiny

Wall Street ended the week with a sharp decline, spurred by the June jobless report. The Dow fell by more than 220 points.

Markets Fall After Jobs Report

The pace of job losses quickened last month with the American economy shedding 467,000 jobs, as unemployment rose to its highest level in 26 years.

Joblessness Hits 9.5%, Deflating Recovery Hopes

In his best movie roles, Karl Malden is specifically the other man, the guy defined partly by his lack of certain attributes abundantly present in the protagonist.

A Character Actor of Intensified Normalness

Vendors and taxpayers awaiting refunds will get i.o.u.’s as the governor and state lawmakers continue to wrangle over how to close a $27 billion budget gap.

Coffers Empty, California Pays With I.O.U.’s

City renters are taking their money to where the grass is truly greener. They are buying weekend homes.

The New Country Squires

A new American military operation in southern Afghanistan may ignite further tensions among a weary population, officials warn.

U.S. Faces Resentment in Afghan Region

Beijing is steering a push toward wind and solar power, while the U.S. is just starting.

Green Power Takes Root in the Chinese Desert

Two clowns who perform in some of the most troubled places on earth practice in a walk-up near 128th Street.

The Traveling Circus Stops Here

Thanks to the ingenuity and one-upmanship of local concert promoters, yet more concerts are turning up in the most unusual and amazing places.

Keep the Music, Add the Views

Taking time, 10 or 12 hours, to tackle ever-postponed money tasks and clear the books can be lucrative.

A Day to Tackle the Financial To-Do List

Julia McKenzie will have some convincing to do in the new season of “Miss Marple,” which begins on Sunday on PBS’s “Masterpiece Mystery!”

A New Detective in the Drawing Room

“Journey to the Stars,” a new show at the American Museum of Natural History, is easily the most beautiful planetarium show I have ever seen and the most vertiginous.

Catch a Booming, Blazing Star

The new targa-top Solstice is the last of the Pontiacs, the final breath of a brand that failed to adapt to a changing world.

The Last Pontiac

Lenny Shiller, who owns 57 classic cars and trucks, prefers cars that are not “what everybody else has.”

Accumulated, if Not Curated

A writer with an aversion to the water takes a ferry tour of his home city, and finds a reservoir of memories.

Once Around the Island With Gay Talese

The first book is about a group of alien teenagers who hide on earth after their planet is attacked by hostile invaders.

James Frey and Co-Writer Sell Series to HarperCollins

Investors should hope for a boring stretch in the markets. Until the fundamentals improve, more excitement could be dangerous.

Beware of Rallies in Uneasy Times

An article on Tuesday about the possibility of Rhode Island changing its name truncated the state’s formal name and the proposed name. The full name is State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, not simply Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The new name would be State of Rhode Island, not simply Rhode Island.

July 2, 2009

Headlines from July 2, 2009

Facing Deficits, Some States Cut Summer School

Bank Fees Rise as Lenders Try to Offset Losses

Finding Debt a Bigger Hurdle Than Bar Exam

U.S. Marines Try to Retake Afghan Valley From Taliban

Risk Cuts at Morgan May Lead to a Loss

Billboard 200

Lines; Vines And Trying Times

The E.N.D.

Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King

Relapse

Monuments And Melodies

Historical Context for July 2, 2009