WASHINGTON –Lawmakers, backed by consumer groups and retailers, called yesterday for passage of a bill that would open the interchange market to competition, allow retailers to reject cards with high fees–like rewards cards–and authorize the Federal Trade Commission to review MasterCard and Visa rules for fairness and competitiveness.

GILBERT, Ariz. – Police are looking for a man who robbed a Tempe Schools CU branch yesterday and left behind a fake bomb discovered in a trash can inside the business before he fled with cash.

DALLAS – Credit union executives expressed rising optimism for the near-term for the second quarter in a row in Southwest Corporate FCU’s quarterly Credit Union CEO Confidence Survey.

MADISON, Wis. – CO-OP Financial Services said yesterday it has agreed to buy The LoanLink Center from CUNA Mutual Group, the latest asset sale by the credit union insurer.

WINDSOR, Conn. – A woman on parole for the 2006 armed robbery at Charter Oak FCU was charged this week with robbing six banks in as many days last month.

FLORENCE, S.C. – The Carolinas CU Foundation contributed $8,000 to the Care House of Pee Dee.

SAN DIEGO – San Diego County CU opened its newest branch in Mission Valley, in the Fenton Marketplace, just west of Qualcomm Stadium.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Education CU will conduct its own ‘Pay it Forward’ campaign by offering visitors to its branches $20 to answer the question "If Educational Credit Union gave you $20 to Pay it Forward. What would you do?"

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Alliance CU will award $5,000 this weekend to the winner of its Ugly Car Contest, as determined by voters over Facebook.

KEY WEST, Fla. – Troubled Keys FCU, taken under conservatorship by NCUA two weeks ago, has stepped up its battle with its former president, claiming the chief executive of the $200 million credit union "scrubbed," or erased thousands of computer files just before his November 2007 firing.

WASHINGTON – Credit union representatives will join the bankers before Congress this morning in opposition to a new bid that could lead to government regulation of the market for credit card interchange fees.

WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department announced plans yesterday to finally start buying troubled mortgage assets next week in a program that will provide some relief for troubled credit unions, especially corporate credit unions holding large portfolios of underwater mortgage-backed securities.

COLORADO SPRINGS – Air Academy FCU will more than double its office space to 52,000 square feet with next week’s opening of a new headquarters.

PHILADELPHIA – Three men were charged with providing waiters and waitresses at Ruby Tuesday’s restaurants with credit card skimmers that were used to steal card information and make tens of thousands of dollars of unauthorized purchases in credit union and bank accounts.

CINCINNATI – Cinco Family Financial CU has served an eviction notice on the owner of an East Walnut Hills mansion featured in the 1988 hit movie "Rain Man.’

PONTIAC, Mich. – Genisys CU began an In-School Deposit Days program at Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency Head Start to teach pre-school students the importance of saving money.

AUSTIN, Texas – Velocity CU is one of the first credit unions to integrate RateGenius, a direct-to-consumer auto loan refinancing solution, with the Teres Solutions SAIL l ending platform.

HOUSTON – Smart Financial CU has signed a multi-year contract with Data Foundry for disaster recovery services.

MIAMI – Dade County FCU said yesterday it signed with Aithent to install the company’s Case Management Solution for financial crime investigations.

WASHINGTON – The Center for Responsible Lending, a consumer lobby group financed by Self Help CU, issued a report yesterday indicating that fees earned from overdraft protection programs have become a lucrative profit center for credit unions and banks and urged Congress to enact new restrictions on the programs.