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Egypt's army chief warns of 'the collapse of the state' if political crisis continues
• CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's army chief has warned of "the collapse of the state" if the political crisis roiling the nation for nearly a week continues.
• The warning by Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, also the defense minister, comes as the country sinks deeper into chaos and lawlessness. Attempts by the Islamist president to stem a wave of political violence appear to have made no headway.
• Some 60 people have been killed in the unrest that began last Thursday.
• El-Sissi's warning came in an address to military academy cadets on Tuesday. His comments were posted on the armed forces' official Facebook page.
• "The continuation of the conflict between the different political forces and their differences over how the country should be run could lead to the collapse of the state and threaten future generations," he said.
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Report: Unemployed people pay millions in needless fees under state-run payment-card programs
• WASHINGTON (AP) -- Jobless Americans are paying millions in unnecessary fees to collect unemployment benefits because of state policies encouraging them to get the money through bank-issued payment cards, according to a new report from a consumer group.
• People are using the fee-heavy cards instead of getting their payments deposited directly to their bank accounts. That's because states issue bank cards automatically, require complicated paperwork or phone calls to set up direct deposit and fail to explain the card fees, according to a report issued Tuesday by the National Consumer Law Center, a nonprofit group that seeks to protect low-income Americans from unfair financial-services products. An early copy of the report was obtained by The Associated Press.
• Until the past decade, states distributed unemployment compensation by mailing out paper checks. Some also allowed direct deposit. The system worked well for people who had bank accounts and could deposit the check without paying a fee.
• It also cost states millions of dollars each year to print and mail the checks.
• Banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co., U.S. Bancorp and Bank of America Corp. seized on government payments as a business opportunity. They pitched card (Continued on page 32)
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