Congressional negotiators have agreed to a deal that would extend the payroll tax cut through the end of the year. Yesterday, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping visited the White House and the Pentagon before meeting with American business leaders at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Westminster Dog Show dropped Pedigree as a sponsor this year, saying its sad ads that promote adoption from animal shelters turned off its audience. And President's Day is fast approaching, but a lot of Americans don't take that day, or others, off -- and that could be a problem for the economy.

Two former Bear Stearns executives accused of misleading investors about the quality of risky mortgages have settled with the federal government. Waffle House is transforming more than a hundred restaurants into Valentine wonderlands. President Obama is meeting today with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, who is expected to be the next president of China. And some experts are looking to Zynga's earnings to help predict how Facebook will fare in the coming months.

President Obama will announce his proposed budget for 2013 today, and it is expected to include a lot of infrastructure spending. In Greece, big budget cuts were passed over the weekend -- but how do the new minimum wage requirements and public sector job cuts there compare to the U.S.? And we take a closer look at the world of natural gas through the eyes of an energy company CEO.

First Lady Michelle Obama's plan to make Americans healthier isn't stopping at school lunch; she now wants the military to shape up as well. Greeks are striking again today to protest deep cuts the government wants to make in order to get more bailout money. The unemployment rate dropped last month to 8.3 percent, but some economists say the news isn't as good as it sounds. And big drinks companies are fighting in what some might call "whiskey wars."