U.S. HOME CONSTRUCTION SPIKES 6.8% IN MAY TO A SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ANNUAL RATE OF 914,000 *

LATEST FIGURE FOLLOWS A 14.8% DECLINE IN APRIL AND IS WELL BELOW MARCH'S PACE OF MORE THAN 1 MIL, A FIVE-YEAR HIGH *

APPLICATIONS FOR BUILDING PERMITS FELL 3.1% LAST MONTH TO A SEASONALLY ADJUSTED 974,000, CLOSE TO THE FIVE-YEAR HIGH HIT IN APRIL *

U.S. CONSUMER PRICES ROSE 0.1% LAST MONTH, INDICATING INFLATION IS MILD *

IT'S ONLY THE SECOND INCREASE IN SEVEN MONTHS *

CONSUMER PRICES FELL 0.4% IN APRIL, THE LARGEST DECLINE IN FOUR YEARS *

OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, PRICES HAVE INCREASED 1.4% *

RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT SAYS THE G8 SUMMIT'S JOINT STATEMENT ON ENDING SYRIA'S CIVIL WAR WILL NOT MENTION WHETHER PRES BASHAR ASSAD MUST LEAVE POWER AS PART OF ANY PEACE SETTLEMENT *

DEPUTY FOREIGN MIN SERGEI RYABKOV SAYS G8 NATIONS HAVE AGREED THEY SHOULDN'T SPECIFY ANY OUTCOME FROM PEACE TALKS IN GENEVA THAT ALL NATIONS AGREE SHOULD BEGIN SOON *

HE SAYS THE TALKS SHOULD FOCUS ON CREATING A TRANSITIONAL COALITION GOVT FOR SYRIA, BUT SHOULDN'T PREDETERMINE WHETHER ASSAD CAN PARTICIPATE IN THAT GOVT *

RUSSIA ALSO DISMISSED TODAY'S WESTERN CLAIMS THAT ASSAD'S FORCES USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS AS SPECULATED, ADDING THEY REQUIRE FURTHER INVESTIGATION *

FORMAL SYRIA DECLARATION IS EXPECTED TO BE PUBLISHED LATER TODAY *

RUSSIA'S FOREIGN MIN SAYS IRAN IS WILLING TO HALT ITS 20% ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM, A KEY CONCESSION SOUGHT IN INTL TALKS OVER IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM *

IT'S THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ENRICHMENT ACKNOWLEDGED BY IRAN AND ONE EXPERTS SAY COULD BE MADE WEAPONS GRADE IN JUST MONTHS *

SERGEY LAVROV SAYS "FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS" THERE ARE ENCOURAGING SIGNS IN INTL EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE DISPUTE WITH IRAN *

GROUP OF FISHERMAN IN FL DISCOVER A $2.5 MIL BALE OF COCAINE *

INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED PACKAGES, WHICH WEIGHED IN AT ABOUT 55 LBS, WERE FOUND FLOATING ABOUT 2-3 MILES OFF THE COAST OF DESTIN, FL *

AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THE DRUGS CAME FROM VENEZUELA BECAUSE OF LANGUAGE ON THE PACKAGING MATERIAL *

MARRIAGE RATE IN THE U.S. AT ITS LOWEST POINT IN MORE THAN A CENTURY IN THE WAKE OF THE RECESSION *

MARRIAGE RATE IS RISING AMONG WOMEN 25-34, COLLEGE-EDUCATED INDIVIDUALS AND THE AFFLUENT *

HOWEVER, OVERALL DECLINES ARE LIKELY TO SET IN AGAIN AT THE END OF THE DECADE, ACCORDING TO A REPORT BY CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA-BASED DEMOGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE *

THE COMPANY PREDICTS THE AVERAGE AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE WILL RISE TO 29.2 FOR MEN AND 27.1 FOR WOMEN BY 2015, UP FROM 28.2 FOR MEN AND 26.1 FOR WOMEN IN 2010 *

TWO HOMICIDE BOMBERS BLOW THEMSELVES UP INSIDE AND NEAR A SHIITE MOSQUE IN BAGHDAD, KILLING 26 PEOPLE AND WOUNDING AT LEAST 50 OTHERS *

BLASTS ARE THE LATEST IN A STRING OF ATTACKS THAT HAVE RAISED FEARS OF A RETURN OF WIDESPREAD SECTARIAN VIOLENCE THAT PUSHED IRAQ TO THE BRINK OF CIVIL WAR IN 2006 AND 2007 *

NEARLY 2,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN IRAQ SINCE THE START OF APRIL, INCLUDING OVER 220 THIS MONTH *

SWISS LAWMAKERS REJECT A GOVT-BACKED BANKING BILL THAT WOULD'VE ALLOWED SWISS BANKS TO TURN CONFIDENTIAL DATA OVER TO U.S. PROSECUTORS WITHOUT VIOLATING CLIENT SECRECY LAWS *

CRITICS CALL THE PLAN A VIOLATION OF SWISS SOVEREIGNTY, WHICH UNFAIRLY EXPOSES LOCAL BANKERS, ADVISERS AND ATTYS TO LEGAL PROSECUTION IN THE U.S. *

ABOUT A DOZEN BANKS SWISS BANKS HAVE ALREADY BEEN UNDER INVESTIGATION BY U.S. AUTHORITIES *

LATEST VOTE SENDS THE MEASURE BACK TO THE UPPER HOUSE, WHICH APPROVED IT LAST WEEK, FOR FURTHER DEBATE *

STARBUCKS WILL BEGIN POSTING CALORIE COUNTS ON ITS MENU BOARDS NATIONWIDE STARTING NEXT WEEK *

MOVE COMES AS THE FDA FINISHES DETAILS OF A REGULATION THAT WOULD REQUIRE COMPANIES WITH MORE THAN 20 LOCATIONS TO POST CALORIE INFO ON THEIR MENUS *

NATL RESTAURANT ASSOC SAYS IT EXPECTS THE FDA REGULATION TO TAKE EFFECT BY SOMETIME NEXT YEAR *

U.S. SAFETY REGULATORS INVESTIGATING PROBLEMS WITH AIR BAG SENSORS IN THE SEATS OF 2006 THROUGH 2011 SUZUKI GRAND VITARAS AND 2007 THROUGH 2011 SUZUKI SX4S *

INVESTIGATORS SAY SENSORS IN FRONT PASSENGER SEATS TURN OFF AIR BAGS WHEN A CHILD IS SITTING THERE *

NHTSA SAYS IT HASN'T RECEIVED ANY COMPLAINTS OF CRASHES OR INJURIES DUE TO THE ISSUE *

SEN CLAIRE MCCASKILL (D-MO) SAYS SHE'S SUPPORTING A SUPER POLITICAL ACTION CMTE ENCOURAGING HILLARY CLINTON TO RUN FOR PRES IN 2016 *

MCCASKILL IS THE FIRST SITTING MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO ENDORSE THE "READY FOR HILLARY" GROUP *

THE ORG DOESN'T HAVE OFFICIAL TIES TO CLINTON, BUT IS WORKING TO LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR ANOTHER CLINTON CAMPAIGN *

MCCASKILL WAS RE-ELECTED TO HER SECOND TERM IN THE SENATE IN 2012 *

MAN BLOWS HIMSELF UP IN A CROWD OF MOURNERS ATTENDING A FUNERAL IN NW PAKISTAN, KILLING 27 PEOPLE *

AMONG THE DEAD WAS A NEWLY ELECTED LAWMAKER WHO MAY HAVE BEEN THE TARGET *

BLAST WAS THE DEADLIEST ATTACK IN THE REGION SINCE MAY 11 NATL AND REGIONAL ELECTIONS INSTALLED A NEW GOVT IN THE NW PROVINCE OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA *

WORLD LEADERS AT THE G8 SUMMIT DECLARE THAT GOVTS MUST COOPERATE ON CLOSING TAX LOOPHOLES *

G8 LEADERS SAY TAX AUTHORITIES SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY SHARE INFORMATION "TO FIGHT THE SCOURGE OF TAX EVASION" AND MAKE IT HARDER FOR COMPANIES TO "SHIFT THEIR PROFITS ACROSS BORDERS TO AVOID TAXES" *

MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES WOULD BE OBLIGED TO DECLARE HOW MUCH TAX THEY PAY IN EACH COUNTRY WHERE THEY OPERATE *

G8 PLANS WILL BE DEVELOPED AT A G20 SUMMIT LATER THIS YEAR *

HEAD OF THE NATL SECURITY AGENCY TELLS CONGRESS THAT THE GOVT'S SWEEPING SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS HAVE THWARTED SOME 50 TERRORIST PLOTS AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING ONE TO BOMB THE NY STOCK EXCHANGE *

ARMY GEN KEITH ALEXANDER TELLS THE HOUSE INTEL COMMITTEE THAT THE TWO PROGRAMS THAT WERE RECENTLY DISCLOSED ARE CRITICAL IN THE TERRORISM FIGHT *

ALEXANDER SAYS THE PROGRAMS HELP THE INTEL COMMUNITY "CONNECT THE DOTS" *