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Lawyers for some of the nation's largest retailers say Visa and MasterCard illegally thwarted for years the growth of debit-card networks, The Wall Street Journal reports. The allegations stem from recently unsealed court documents from a class-action suit that includes Wal-Mart and Sears. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.

SYRIA - Hopes for an early breakthrough in the Israeli-Syrian Peace Talks have faded but slow movement forward continues. NPR's Ted Clark reports. -b- 16. CREDIT CARD SECURITY - NPR's John McChesney reports that Visa and Mastercard have agreed on a single technical standard that they say will allow for secure purchases over the Internet. The two credit card giants had been pursuing different systems with conflicting security specifications. Today's announcement means banks and consumers will not have to worry about choosing one system over the other.

It was announced today - "the electronic cash" of the future. Citibank, Chase Manhattan, Mastercard and Visa announced a joint project...The idea being-- a consumer loads the amount money onto a plastic card... much like a Metro or phone card or debit card.. let's say $100. This card would be accepted in lieu of cash at places like the dry cleaners or in a taxicab. The difference between this and a debit card? It's quicker to process. There will be a test run by year's end in New York, city. Robert Siegel talks with Henry Lichstein (Lick-stine), the vice-president for advanced technology at Citibank, about this "cash of the future."

Companies including PayPal and Apple are competing to convince merchants and consumers to use their swipe-and-go mobile payment systems. Credit card breaches may speed up the use of digital wallets.

Mastercard, Discover, American Express and Visa have all announced that they are limiting policies requiring you to make your mark. They say advances in technology make fraud less likely.

The most popular video on YouTube has no lip-synching Chinese teenagers, no babies falling over, no drunk cats: It's Barack Obama's speech on race. So far, the Obama speech has been clicked on 1.6 million times and has drawn more than 4,000 comments, ranging from "awesome" to "no, we can't" to "Barrack to the Future!!"

Dig below the strata of pop songs so ubiquitous you can't stand to hear them anymore, and you'll find plenty of riches in the Top 40, from country crossover to innovative R&B and classic pop.

Many have tried and failed with this kind of payment option before. But Apple's launch is bigger, with more financial institutions' support, and consumers may be more security-conscious.

Apple wants to change the way you pay for things. Credit card companies are embracing its new mobile payment system as a boost to security, but analysts say Apple could disrupt the payments industry.

Two new discs from far-flung places that highlight the instrumental power of the human voice: Czechoslovakian crooner Sui Vesan sings in an invented language, and Italian singer Gianmaria Testa's velvety voice belies his day job as a station master for the Italian rail system.