Atlantic City is taking a gamble that firing some of its city workers will shore up its deficit. Economists say cuts by state and local governments are creating a drag on the economy. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Oil burns at the Ixtoc 1 offshore drilling rig in December 1979. The rig dumped 140 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico and covered about 170 miles of the South Texas coast, including Galveston. John Hoagland/Liaison/Getty Images hide caption

Chinese paramilitary officers march in front of Tiananmen Gate in Beijing during a rehearsal for China's 60th anniversary celebrations last year. A consequence of China's military modernization program is that some veterans have been left behind, which has led them to protest their condition. Once the backbone of the communist revolution, soldiers are now considered among the groups that should be suppressed. Feng Li/Getty Images hide caption

On Champ, the Toronto band Tokyo Police Club has slowed down its tempo. courtesy of the artist hide caption

Angel Blas, 51, stands in his backyard with one of his pet guinea pigs. A law firm persuaded him to pay $3,500 to negotiate with his lender to refinance his mortgage. Blas says the firm took no action. Ari Daniel Shapiro for NPR hide caption