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While the U.S. housing market climbs back from the abyss, China’s has been on fire for months after a much briefer slump last year.

State-run banks in China are in better shape. They have stricter lending terms and they didn’t buy toxic U.S. mortgages.

As Beijing cuts off a flood of easy credit to the economy, real estate and other assets might suffer.

But as U.S. investors wait for a bottom in many of the hardest-hit real estate markets, opportunities exist in Chinese properties. The average American isn’t going to buy a Shanghai high-rise — but he can play the market via a few mutual and exchange-traded funds as well as Chinese stocks in New York and Hong Kong.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has launched an addition to its online business that has outside retailers selling nearly 1 million, a move that could help the world’s largest retailer catch up in the online world.

The Walmart Marketplace has products from categories that include home, baby, toys, apparel, sporting goods and sports memorabilia. The company said it picked the retailers — including eBags, CSN Stores and Pro Team — because they have large product assortments and solid customer service track records.

Retail consultant Burt Flickinger III said Wal-mart can use online sales an area for growth, especially considering how the company’s stores have saturated much of the U.S. market. He said Wal-Mart can also draw online customers from the European continent and South Korea, where it no longer has stores.

A federal court in Newark, N.J. has rejected Schering-Plough Corp.’s request for a $473 million tax refund related to the drugmaker’s efforts to avoid paying taxes on $690 million in overseas profits it brought back to the U.S. from offshore subsidiaries.

Income generated overseas that is reinvested into a company’s international operations is generally taxed at a lower rate than profit brought back to the U.S. In 1991 and 1992, the drugmaker — in conjunction with financial adviser Merrill Lynch — set up interest rate swap transactions to return some international profits untaxed.

Everyone, it seems, wanted to talk to Andy Roddick about his loss to Roger Federer in last month’s epic Wimbledon final: the 16-14 fifth set, the 77 total games, the Centre Court crowd chanting the American’s name afterward.

They wanted to console Roddick, pat him on the back, tell him what that match meant to THEM. Maybe offer some advice for next time.

Fellow players in the locker room. Fans on the street. Even the guy who delivers Roddick’s mail at home in Texas.

In a final hour of surprises, Heath Slocum delivered the biggest one Sunday at The Barclays.

One week after Slocum wondered if he would even make it to the PGA Tour Playoffs, he finished off a compelling afternoon at Liberty National by making a 20-foot par putt on the 18th hole for a one-shot victory over Tiger Woods and a cast of stars.

“That putt was magical,” Slocum said. “I’ll remember that the rest of my life.”

“Rachael Ray” and “The Tyra Banks Show” won the talk show categories at the Daytime Emmy Awards for the second consecutive year on Sunday, while the women of “The View” ended Ellen DeGeneres’ four-year reign as best talk show host.

“Cristina’s Court,” now in its third season on Fox, beat out veterans “Judge Judy” and “The People’s Court,” among other nominees, to claim the prize for best legal/courtroom program also for a second year.

“Rachael Ray” took home the “entertainment” talk show prize, while “Tyra Banks” won the “informative” prize. Both shows are syndicated. The talk show category was split into two for the first time last year.

Bankrupt U.S. media group Tribune Co could emerge from bankruptcy in the autumn without a major overhaul of its present top management, the New York Times said, citing people briefed on the restructuring plans.

The status of Tribune’s chief executive Sam Zell is however not clear, the paper said.

People close to the talks told the paper that major creditors have not made it clear whether they want Zell to leave the company or work in another capacity. Zell’s plans are also unclear, the paper said.

A Tribune spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment by Reuters.

Columbia Records will release a series of soundtracks from Fox’s upcoming musical drama “Glee,” beginning with “Glee: The Music, Volume 1″ on November 3.

It contains 17 tracks performed during the show’s first season. The move follows the success of the cast’s cover of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which hit No. 1 on the iTunes chart following its use in the show’s pilot, which was previewed last season after “American Idol.” Selections on the first soundtrack include renditions of Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” and Kanye West’s “Gold Digger.”

“Glee” premieres September 9 and has enjoyed some of the strongest critical buzz among the new fall shows. It also had a screening in July at Comic-Con in San Diego. Fox has struggled to launch dramas in the fall, however, and the musical-drama format is a seldom-tested format. But initiatives that further spread the Twentieth TV-produced show’s soundtrack can only help generate more fans.

Webb Simpson looked at the scores and the weather, neither of which indicated an easy time Friday at Liberty National. He quickly settled on a simple game plan Friday and made it pay off in The Barclays.

Simpson took advantage on some of the shorter holes to give him a cushion for the inevitable mistakes. It led to a 3-under 68 on a long, tough and wet afternoon that put the 24-year-old rookie atop the leaderboard for the first time all year.

“My caddie and I talked beforehand about taking advantage of the par 5s and the shorter par 4s, just because we knew we were going to make bogeys,” Simpson said. “It was just one of those long, tough days. But I feel good with where I’m at.”