Washington, D.C.
Poll: Clinton not hurt much by GOP attacks
Hillary Rodham Clinton retains broad public support for her performance as secretary of state, a sign that President Obama's struggles abroad and Republican attacks over Benghazi have not been a major drag on her reputation. Clinton left office 18 months ago as the most popular outgoing secretary in recent memory, and 59 percent of the public still approve of her tenure, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll this month. That dipped from 68 percent in late 2012, but 67 percent call her a strong leader in the most recent survey. The findings suggest the public is willing to view Clinton's term separately from Obama as she attempts to define her legacy with the book release Tuesday of "Hard Choices," a reflection on her four years overseeing the State Department.
Illinois
Plastic microbeads banned in products
Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation banning the manufacture and sale of personal care products containing plastic microbeads. Environmentalists have said the non-biodegradable plastic particles used as exfoliants in cleansers and soaps slip through sewage system filters and pile up in waterways, where they harm wildlife. Preliminary studies in Lake Michigan have found millions of microbeads. The new law bans the manufacture of personal care products containing microbeads by the end of 2017, the sale of personal care products and the manufacture of over-the-counter drugs by the end of 2018, and the sale of over-the-counter drugs by the end of 2019. At least four other states are considering similar bills, and at least one, in New York, has a deadline of 2016.
Illinois
Kraft raises prices on its coffee
Kraft Foods has raised the prices of its Maxwell House and Yuban coffee brands, following J.M. Smucker. The prices increased by about 10 percent. Kraft cited gains in the "green coffee" market for the announced price changes. The cost of arabica coffee has surged more than 55 percent this year as Brazil's worst drought in five decades led to coffee crop losses.
Washington, D.C.
Discount drug program is axed
A federal judge has struck down a new rule requiring drug companies to offer certain drugs at discounted prices, saying the Obama administration had no authority to issue the rule. Federal officials said the decision could provide a windfall to drugmakers. However, the pharmaceutical industry said that the administration was stretching the Affordable Care Act to provide discounts on more drugs for more people.
Canada
Helicopter helps inmates escape
The search widened for three inmates who escaped with the help of a helicopter from a detention center in Quebec City a day earlier. It was the second helicopter-aided inmate escape in Quebec province in two years. The chopper landed in the courtyard of the Orsainville Detention Centre, which has barbed-wire fencing and a watch post, and then quickly took off with the inmates, heading west.
Israel
Finance chief calls settlements a waste
Israel's finance minister criticized settlement construction in isolated parts of the West Bank as a waste of money and vowed to bring down the country's governing coalition if it heeds hard-line calls to annex settlements. The tough speech by Finance Minister Yair Lapid highlights divisions in the Israeli government following the collapse of U.S.-brokered peace talks.
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