Today's Headlines

Bloomberg:
- The Service Employees International Union and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, two of the three largest unions in the AFL-CIO, may leave the labor federation as early as today because of differences over organizing tactics and declining membership.
- The US House of Representatives may urge regulators to investigate whether the maker of video game “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,” which has hidden sexual content, deceived a ratings board to avoid an adults-only tag.
- North Korea and the five nations trying to persuade it to dismantle its nuclear weapons program are willing to stay in Beijing as long as needed to reach an agreement, a senior US official said.
- Blackstone Group LP is raising $12.5 billion from investors to start the world’s largest takeover fund as corporate buyouts set a record pace.

Wall Street Journal:
- Security vulnerabilities in computer software are on the rise, citing new security research from the SANS Institute.
- People who want to invest small sums at regular intervals have tended to avoid exchange-traded funds because fees are incurred with every trade, but Nasdaq Global Funds is working on a Web-based program that will change that.
- Low levels of industrial chemicals may be responsible for rising rates of cancer and childhood brain disorders, including autism and learning disabilities.
- XM Satellite Radio Holdings and Sirius Satellite Radio are adding local features including traffic and weather reports in a bid to establish a bigger presence in markets served by traditional broadcasters.

NY Times:
- Teva Pharmaceutical is close to completing the acquisition of Ivax for about $7.5 billion in cash and stock.
- Some US cities such as Seattle and Los Angeles are sending police officers to Israel for training on dealing with suicide bombers.
- Sony is forming manufacturing and technology agreements with Samsung Electronics to boost profit and compete more effectively.

China Economic Times:
- China’s coal stockpile reached 115 million metric tons by the end of June because of rising output.