The details: Both the U.S. House and Senate took separate votes to deprive the left-wing group Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now of federal funds. The votes, which require follow-up votes in both chambers to become law, came after an expose in which ACORN employees in several cities were caught on tape abetting tax fraud and underage sex trafficking.

Americans claw back some wealth

2| Households $2 trillion richer

The details: The recovery of the stock market from its earlier lows recently helped create more than $2 trillion in additional household wealth for Americans, according to a report form the Federal Reserve. Although the wealth lost before the crash was much greater, it grew back at an annualized 17 percent between March and June.

Bad proteins

3| Breast cancer breakthrough

The details: Researchers from the University of Essex published this week in the journal Clinical Cancer Research that a single protein appears in a different, “bad” form in cancerous breast tissue than it does in healthy breast tissue. The discovery could eventually help researchers reverse the development of tumors.

Saying ‘no’ to stimulus

4| Senior Democrat decries stimulus waste

The details: Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., expressed outrage this week over the Department of Homeland Security’s misuse of $128 million in stimulus money. The objection is particularly salient because the money is slated to go toward little-used border checkpoints in his own state.

Swine flu vaccines

5| U.S. to donate 10 percent of supply

The details: The United States government and American drug makers will donate nearly 200 million H1N1 virus vaccinations to Third World countries through the World Health Organization. The drug makers will donate 150 million, and the government will donate 20 million more, or about 10 percent of its supply.

Density doubts

6| Tysons plan will inundate roads

The details: Fairfax County planning director Jim Zook and his staff belatedly came to the same conclusion as Dulles Rail critics: The high-rise density currently planned for Tysons Corner will overwhelm local roads. The planners recommend scaling back development in Tysons until already clogged arterials can be expanded to handle 100,000 more workers.

Hot about HOT lanes

7| Fairfax board criticizes delay

The details: Fairfax County supervisors are urging Gov. Tim Kaine to end a state-imposed delay and proceed with construction of high-occupancy toll lanes on Interstates 95 and 395 from Spotsylvania to the Pentagon despite an Arlington lawsuit to block it. Supervisors say HOT lines are “the only viable opportunity” to ease congestion on the heavily traveled interstate.

Checking it twice

8| Tuition assistance scrutinized

The details: Citing “systemic” problems with its $1.7 million employee tuition assistance program, Montgomery County officials said that each request will now be reviewed twice before being approved. The county came under fire for spending tax dollars on ice climbing, motorcycle, yoga, and fashion photography lessons.

No more inspections

9| D.C. to end car inspections

The details: D.C. will be the first jurisdiction in the mid-Atlantic region to eliminate its $400,000 car inspection program for private vehicles. The highly unpopular inspection program is set to expire on Oct. 1.

Blue Ribbon

10| Local schools win national recognition

The details: Fourteen schools in the greater Washington area – including Highland Elementary in Silver Spring and Corpus Christi in Falls Church — were designated Blue Ribbon schools by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The program recognizes public and private schools with more than 40 percent low-income students for their success in raising standardized test scores.