Executives from Japanese camera and medical device maker Olympus admitted Tuesday that the company has been using accounting tricks to cover up losses since the 1990s. The announcement comes after a scandal erupted last month.

Proposals to increase Medicare's eligibility age to 67 from 65 have been gaining traction in Congress, and there's little doubt that the shift in health insurance coverage would reduce federal spending. But some experts say the costs could shift to employers and state governments, and actually cause an increase in overall health spending.

TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline would cut through the Ogallala aquifer, a major water source that supplies about 80 percent of Nebraska's water for drinking and irrigation. Legislators have introduced bills preventing pipelines in environmentally sensitive areas.

After Chinese officials released outspoken artist Ai Weiwei from three months in jail, the government slapped him with a tax bill of more than $2 million. The artist has received more than $800,000 in donations to help pay off the bill.

Japanese electronics makers Sony and Panasonic are throwing in the towel when it comes to flat screen TVs. Bested by their Korean counterparts, the companies recently announced they are shrinking their money-losing operations. Analyst and investors are wondering why they didn't do it sooner.

The lawmakers' vote on the plan is also a test of Italy's leadership, and whether it's stable enough to deal with its troubled government finances. Meanwhile, major U.S. banks have backed off plans to impose new debit card fees, but thousands of people still shifted their money to smaller institutions.