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Freddie Bowers and his dad, Larry, have sold fireworks in LaVergne, Tenn., for a lifetime. But, the sparklers are off limits this year since the region has had the hottest streak in recorded history and several small fires in the area have been blamed on fireworks.

For people in the fireworks business, Christmas usually comes in July. Only this year, three-quarters of the country are experiencing some level of drought and from the Mountain West to the Southeast, cities are temporarily banning fireworks.

The fallen leader of Barclays Bank got on the hot seat before members of the British Parliament on Wednesday. Robert Diamond, an American, resigned Tuesday as CEO of the bank — the latest executive to lose his job over an interest-rate manipulation scandal.

The scandal has not only consumed Barclays, it also threatens to engulf other international banks — and high-ranking government officials, too.

Diamond started his career at Barclays on Independence Day, exactly 16 years ago. On Wednesday in London, he set off some fireworks all his own.

Summer sun means blistering hot temperatures and wilted gardens. And it also means that ultraviolet rays are out in full force.

Besides slathering on the right sunscreen to safeguard your skin, you also need to protect your eyes from blasts of UV light.

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Good morning. I'm Linda Wertheimer. An Arkansas woman high-tailed it home after she rear-ended another car in Van Buren. It didn't take long for police to find her. When they did, they slapped her with a citation for following too closely and leaving the scene of an accident. Her excuse? She didn't think there was enough damage to call the cops and she was afraid her ice cream was melting. A bit of a messy alibi. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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Our last word in business today: body of work. That's the legacy left behind by Italian car designer Sergio Pininfarina. He died yesterday in Turin, Italy at age 85. His family's design firm was behind the sleek, elegant bodies that became a hallmark of Ferrari automobiles.

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And if our Pie Week isn't enough for you, how about a new pie every day?

EVAN KLEIMAN, BYLINE: I said that I was going to make a pie a day all summer. Everybody's ears pricked up.

MONTAGNE: Evan Kleiman is the host of GOOD FOOD, a program from member station KCRW in Santa Monica.

KLEIMAN: All my producers at the radio station said: You know, you really have to do this now. And I just started. And it was sort of this free-flowing thought process of I would make a pie, and then I would criticize it.

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NPR's business news starts with a U.K. interest rate probe.

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WERTHEIMER: The former chief executive of Barclays is testifying before a parliamentary committee in Britain. Bob Diamond, who resigned yesterday, is being asked about the rate-setting scandal at the bank. He told lawmakers in the hearing today that it was an unfortunate series of events. Yesterday, Barclays released documents suggesting a Bank of England official may have pressured Barclays to lower its rates. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.

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This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer.

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And I'm Renee Montagne. Good morning.

Maybe you won't pay several hundred dollars for a pair of sneakers, but there are a lot of people who will — providing they are the right sneakers. The demand for certain models has spawned a robust market for re-sellers — people who buy up the available supply and re-sell them for a profit.

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The Olympic Games are now just over three weeks away. NPR's Philip Reeves is tracking preparations. He brings us his latest letter from London.

PHILIP REEVES, BYLINE: So it's true then. Surface-to-air missiles really will be stationed on London's rooftops during the Olympic Games.

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Pakistan and the United States have reached agreement to reopen the strategic land supply routes from Pakistan into Afghanistan. Pakistan closed those routes last November after a U.S. attack left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead. Pakistan had wanted a formal apology from the U.S. but the administration refused because it believed American troops had come under fire first from the Pakistani side. But yesterday, Secretary of State Clinton made comments that finally broke the logjam.

NPR's Mike Shuster has more from Islamabad.

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A bit of good news for Colorado. Yesterday, firefighters battling wildfires there got a boost from some much-needed rain.

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The fires and drought conditions in the state prompted a firework ban for this 4th of July holiday. But an exception was made last night in Denver, where a giant crowd gathered to watch fireworks and applaud the efforts of those fighting to contain the fires.