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Nearly 500,000 dirty diesel vehicles could be taken off the roads under a settlement approved by a judge in the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal. VW has agreed to pay up to $14.7 billion to resolve claims from consumers and the U.S. government. Customers will be compensated under a VW buyback program, and the company will also pay to offset the pollution caused by the rigged diesel vehicles.

Boeing reported a big cut in profits on Wednesday as the 737 Max remains grounded. The company fired a top executive as questions remain about when the Max will return to service.

Last year it was all about chairs and headphones. This year it's time for T-shirts and sneakers — and more laptops. Back-to-school shopping in the U.S. is expected to top $37 billion.

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Ben Ginsberg, a top Republican election lawyer, about Supreme Court rulings that blocked an attempt to challenge ballot deadlines in two swing states.

Incumbent Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick managed to defeat challenger Freman Hendrix in Tuesday's vote. Kilpatrick won another term despite being accused of using city finances to enrich himself and his family. Steve Inskeep talks with Detroit Public Radio's Quinn Klinefelter about the election.

The Iraqi government announces an investigation into the abuse and torture of more than 170 prisoners held at a Ministry of Interior detention center in Baghdad. Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said one of his top deputies has been appointed to conduct the probe.

Mike Heidingsfield spent 13 months in Iraq as the top civilian commander in charge of training Iraqi police. He tells Linda Werteimer that Iraqi police are now a more visible presence, but that makes them targets for insurgents, too.

As Iraqis prepare for parliamentary elections, U.S. and Iraqi army commanders are gearing up for a massive security operation on polling day, Dec. 15. The top U.S. military commander in Iraq traveled around the country this week, focusing on election security.

On top of the humanitarian crisis, Ukrainians worry about Russian destruction of cultural heritage sites. In Lviv, they're wrapping statues in fireproof material to protect them from Russian bombs.

The global benchmark topped $115 briefly on Wednesday, just days after it crossed the triple-digit mark for the first time in seven years.