And they point out that the in the so-called Transatlantic Bomb Plot last summer, most of the defendants were charged within 14 days - half the current limit.

BBC: Analysis

The SEC has faced a heap of criticism for repealing the so-called uptick rule in the summer of 2007, a move that many say exacerbated the sharp sell-off in 2008, particularly in financial stocks.

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Natalie Kaye Parsley, a 39-year-old single mom in Magnolia, Texas, tipped the scales at 125 kilos last summer when she opted for so-called gastric bypass surgery.

FORBES: Willpower-Free Dieting

"We are a few senior players short this summer, we all known they have gone to so called bigger clubs, " Rhodes continued.

BBC: Steve Rhodes enthused by Worcestershire's young players

The so-called London Whale blunder weighed on shares heavily in the spring and summer, but with the year winding down the stock was just a few bucks shy of its 2012 highs.

FORBES: Bank Of America Doubles, But The Dow's 2012 Gain Is Built By Home Depot

It also has initiatives promoting farmers' markets, having schools buy their foods locally, feeding low-income children nutritional foods during the summer, and encouraging grocery stores to operate in so-called "food deserts" that have little or no access to supermarkets that sell fresh and affordable foods, Vilsack said.

WSJ: Ag chief: youth obesity issue of national security

Last summer, Direct Edge was at the center of a controversy over so-called flash trading, in which users of its ECN are flashed unfilled orders for fractions of a second before those orders are routed out to rival exchanges.

FORBES: Birth Of A Stock Exchange