Energy giant BP's second-quarter profits slumped 53 percent, with the firm's chief executive warning he saw "little evidence" of growth in oil demand. A security agreement that went into effect at the start of the year mandated the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraqi cities and towns by June 30. Almost a month after the completion of that pullout, the dynamics of patrolling the streets have changed dramatically. The Americans are no longer in charge, subject to the decisions ...

As American soldiers now defer to Iraqi forces in their homeland, the six-year war has changed dramatically for the thousands of U.S. troops deployed to Iraq. A security agreement that went into effect at the start of the year mandated the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraqi cities and towns by June 30. Almost a month after the completion of that pullout, the dynamics of patrolling the streets have changed dramatically. The Americans are no longer in charge, subject ...

The two-story homes on Fir Circle in an upscale Lake Elsinore, California, neighborhood tell two stunningly different tales. Some are vacant, bank-owned and beat-up inside. Others are filled with kids' laughter and the sounds of boxes unpacking and families moving in. Mary Ann Lepley, her husband, Derrick, and their 2-year-old daughter, Melody, have been in their 3,000 square-foot home here for about three months. They bought it for about $250,000. Just two years ago, amid California's housing boom, the same ...