Volkswagen Vote is Defeat for Labor in South  —  CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — In a defeat for organized labor in the South, employees at the Volkswagen plant here voted 712 to 626 against joining the United Automobile Workers.  —  The loss is an especially stinging blow for U.A.W. because Volkswagen …

Florida jury in loud music trial reaches verdict on 4 counts, undecided on 5th  —  (CNN) — The jurors weighing the fate of Michael Dunn — the white man who shot into a SUV with black teens after he had asked them to turn down their music — have reached a verdict on four counts …

High cost of an ego trip  —  Very few Americans know how close the country came to catastrophe this week.  —  The final tally shows that the Senate voted by a wide margin Wednesday, 67 to 31, to break Sen. Ted Cruz's filibuster of an increase in the debt limit, thus avoiding a default on the United States' full faith and credit.

GOP: Obamacare hitting seniors hard  —  Republican Rep. Tom Rooney of Florida took aim today at Obamacare's impact on older Americans, saying that seniors across the country are paying “more money for fewer choices, less access and far less peace of mind.”  —  In the GOP's weekly address …

1 in 4 Americans unaware that Earth circles Sun  —  Chicago (AFP) - Americans are enthusiastic about the promise of science but lack basic knowledge of it, with one in four unaware that the Earth revolves around the Sun, said a poll out Friday.  —  The survey included more than 2,200 people …

California's Drought Isn't Due To Global Warming, But Politics  —  Water Wars: President Obama visited California's drought-hit Central Valley Friday, offering handouts and blaming global warming.  But the state's water shortage is due to the left's refusal to deal with the state's water needs.

Cuba shuts down US travel visas  —  The government of Cuba announced late Friday that it will no longer process visas for U.S. travel to Cuba.  —  Cuba said travel will end until a new U.S. bank can be found to process visa fees that are collected and routed to Cuba.

Spying by N.S.A. Ally Entangled U.S. Law Firm  —  The list of those caught up in the global surveillance net cast by the National Security Agency and its overseas partners, from social media users to foreign heads of state, now includes another entry: American lawyers.

FONT:  —  The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team  —  A Pinal County inmate looking to spend some time with his valentine was taken into custody more than three hours after he escaped from jail earlier Friday.  —  Officials said Joseph Andrew Dekenipp, 40, was arrested without incident …

Innovation, Optimism and Jobs  —  Is digital technology destroying middle-class jobs?  Does it exacerbate income inequality?  Does it boost economic growth and productivity — without creating the jobs that ought to come with economic growth?  —  Last month I gave space to a book titled …