Groceries and hot running water are bare essentials you can't overlook. But your necessities don't do you much good when you're locked out of the apartment. Call this guy.
Chris Farrell covers buying a home with monetary gifts from your family, what to do when a company wants to buy your stocks and how to cash in a whole mess of old treasury bonds.
Some people are born talkers. Others without a knack for it can learn to yap at business school. Alex Goldmark demonstrates the benefits of Persuasion 101.
A nonprofit group has found a new market of readers that the publishing industry usually has trouble reaching — children from low-income families. Alex Goldmark reports.
A study says TV viewers with DVRs don't fast-forward through commercials as much as advertisers feared, but they still skip them more than half the time. And, viewing of prime-time shows has increased. Janet Babin reports.
The government says there were 157,000 new jobs created in May — quite a bounce back from the previous couple of months. Where did all the new jobs come from all of a sudden?
Investors and executives are paying special attention to a new corporate bankruptcy law that took effect in China today. It's the country's latest stop on the road to a free-market economy. Scott Tong reports.
The Bay State's attorney general is cracking down on scam artists who promise to rescue homeowners from foreclosure but are actually out to steal their homes. Steve Tripoli reports.
A memo from the Office of Management and Budget is ordering agency heads to pass along the specifics of congressional earmarks — those pet projects slipped into spending bills. Hillary Wicai reports.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's closure of a popular TV station has prompted continuing protests. In response, he's pledged to create 24 public universities. How are those two things related? Dan Grech explains.
Is the Earth getting longer? Because our flights certainly are. Ask the airline, though, and they might use "block time" to distort your perception of the clock.
New services are making it possible for store shoppers to do Internet bargain-hunting from their cell phones. Does this mean the end of retail rip-offs? Tess Vigeland talks to CNET's Brian Cooley.
Is it better to invest in a troubled region so an economy can work for change, or pull out? Tess Vigeland talks about divesting with Smith College professor Eric Reeves.
Taking a summer job is a great way for teens to learn about the working world – and themselves. So should parents encourage their kids to skip vacation? Jeremy Hobson finds out.
When the owner of Fox News first came courting, the publishers of The Wall Street Journal snubbed him. Now they're interested, but only if he pays more than the $60-per-share price on the table. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that employees have just six months to sue if they think they're getting less pay. Some Democrats are crafting a bill that would give them more time. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
In New York, the shady practice of scalping tickets may get a little sunshine. The governor is poised to make the practice legal, after a fashion. But is it fair to let the market decide a price?
A panel is expected to revoke the energy company's license because it couldn't make its quotas. But that's mostly because Russia refused to build the pipelines BP needed. Stephen Beard reports from London.
It's the season for college reunions, and at Princeton, that means lots of alum money. The elite school boasts the highest alumni giving rate of any university in the country. Amy Scott reports.
Forecasters say a handful of major hurricanes could hit the U.S. this season. Florida's largest insurer is now a state-run company, filling the void left by wary private firms. But is that a good thing? Dan Grech reports.
Ready for Shrek 4? This year's crop of sequels are money-making machines, and that's got the attention of studio bosses eager to make shareholders happy. But the Daily Variety's Mike Speier says that's not always a bad thing.
James Rogers of Duke Energy has been vocal about the power industry's need to be at the table when Congress writes the rules on carbon emissions. In this Conversations From the Corner Office, he tells why he favors a cap-and-trade system.
Nike today released its latest report on combating abuses in its global supply chain. The company says it views corporate responsibility as an integral part of its long-term strategy. Jeff Tyler reports.
President Bush today proposed new talks on cutting greenhouse gases. His last-minute change of heart — just before the G-8 summit — prompted a few cheers, some boos, but mostly surprise. Sarah Gardner reports.
The immigration bill in Congress would give millions of illegal immigrants a path to lawful status but would leave their families behind. And, Joy Diaz reports, that worries a group of wives in southern Mexico.
Commentator and New York City renter Doug Cordell is here to tell you that the falling housing market has its wider impacts. Like, having to share a place with a guy singing arias in an open bathrobe.
Wal-Mart's annual shareholder meetings have often had a pep rally feel. But with a flat stock price, sluggish sales and PR problems, the company may need some cheerleading at this year's meeting on Friday. Amy Scott reports.
Now that anyone with a couple thousand bucks can get in on the hedge fund game, Chris Farrell explains some of the finer points — like how it's heavily stacked in favor of the hedge fund managers with little regard for investor risk.
Struggling plane maker Airbus got a boost of reassurance today as new French President Nicolas Sarkozy indicated that he will continue to support the state-sponsored company. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
Duke Energy chief James Rogers tells us why he's pushing to have government control of his industry's greenhouse gas emissions in the latest Conversation from the Corner Office.
An American exploration company has found sunken treasure worth half a billion dollars from a Colonial-era shipwreck — only it's not saying where. Spain thinks it might belong to them and has filed a lawsuit to find out. Stephen Beard has details.
One of the top reasons we carry cell phones is to have a lifeline to help in case of emergency. But there are still big holes in the safety net — like 9-1-1 not being able to locate your call — and the FCC wants to fill them. Steve Henn reports.
The country's fourth largest bank, Wachovia, has paid nearly $7 billion to merge with brokerage firm AG Edwards, creating one of the top retail brokerages. And these days it's all about access to customers, Alisa Roth reports.
Northwest Airlines is taking off with a lighter load today as it exits Chapter 11 protection. It shed $2.4 billion in annual costs during bankruptcy, but there could still be turbulent skies ahead. Annie Baxter explains.
Amid scandal over tainted toothpaste coming out of the country, China held a press conference today to answer questions and stress that it's not as big of a deal as some countries are making it out to be, says Daniel Schearf.
That's right, investors in Mexico drove that market to a record high yesterday on news that a soon-to-be-announced tax overhaul may require Mexican businesses to pay more taxes. Seems that's better than no reform at all, Dan Grech reports.
Pfizer, the world's biggest drug maker is facing criminal charges in Nigeria related to a 1996 clinical trial. The company's accused in the deaths of children who received an unapproved antibiotic. Jeff Tyler reports.
The American Civil Liberties Union is suing a unit of Boeing Co., charging that it assisted the CIA in abducting suspect foreigners to overseas prisons where it says they were held and tortured. Bob Moon reports.
Desperate to cool off its stock market, Beijing tripled the tax rate on trades today. In response, the Shanghai composite index tumbled 6.5% — and Wall Street shrugged. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
New York Times reporter Michael Barbaro got his hands on a report critcizing Wal-Mart's so-far unsuccessful attempt to climb out of the bargain basement. He talks with Kai Ryssdal about what's in the report.
Over some truly excellent tuna and sea urchin Kai Ryssdal met Sasha Issenberg, author of "The Sushi Economy," to talk about the role raw fish plays in the world's markets and its popularity in America.
As Americans get bigger, so does the weight-loss business. The diet industry is now a multibillion-dollar enterprise, one whose existence depends on our failures. Helen Palmer reports.
The London Stock Exchange may find some serious competition around the corner. A new E.U. law has paved the way for alternative markets and plans for a rival exchange dubbed Project Turquoise are progressing nicely, Alisa Roth reports.
American advertisers love a good British accent to polish their commercials. You don't say. What's behind the trend? Ashley Milne-Tyte tells us, in her own charming British lilt.
President Bush's choice of former lead U.S. trade negotiator Robert Zoellick to serve as the next president of the World Bank is already getting a positive reaction from other countries.
The housing bubble may be leaking, but some big cities are still gentrifying like it's 1999. High-end development is now forcing out even middle-income workers and that's not going to be good for anyone, including business, warns Angela Glover Blackwell.
A dozen states want to adopt tougher vehicle emissions standards, but they're waiting on the EPA's go-ahead. And after more than a year and a half, California's getting impatient. Sarah Gardner reports.
Soft drink and snack giant PepsiCo has brought one of the junk food industry's most outspoken critics on board to look out for consumer wellbeing. An unlikely match, but probably not a case of "healthwashing" says Stephen Beard.
A 36-year-old wunderkind is being elevated to co-chair at NBC, charged with figuring out how to lift the Peacock Channel out of fourth place. The internet and "long tail" marketing may be key. Alisa Roth reports.
Funny what labor and management are capable of when both sides are afraid of losing big. Detroit's Big Three automakers and the United Auto Workers may have actually found a win-win solution to fast-rising health care costs. Steve Tripoli has details.
The Brazilian meat producer JBS is buying America's third-biggest processor, Swift & Co., for $225 million. If approved, the takeover will create the world's largest beef and pork processing company. Bob Moon reports.
Commentator Jeff Birnbaum says lawmakers have found a new way to fund pet projects that avoids the bad publicity they risked from slipping pork-barrel items into legislation.
President Bush today directed the Treasury Department to tighten existing economic sanctions against Sudan. It's already a crime for American companies to do business with the country. Jeff Tyler reports what's new.
Word is out that former U.S. trade representative Robert Zoellick will be nominated Wednesday by President Bush to be the new president of the World Bank. Hillary Wicai reports.
The Democratic presidential candidates are rolling out their proposals for health care. We talked with economics professor Uwe Reinhardt about which ones might have a chance of becoming reality.
To reduce the number of customers it disconnects for not paying their bills, Israel's national electric utility makes some of them pay before using power. But that's brought some problems, too. Orly Halpern reports.
Green power is good for the environment, right? Southern Californians are finding out it's not that simple, as utilities plan new "energy corridors" for renewable power. Sarah Gardner reports.
Downtown Los Angeles has been undergoing some big changes in recent years, but critics say it's still missing the vibrant core that is the heart of other big cities. Can the Grand Avenue Project change all that? Pat Loeb reports.
Those banks really, really, really want to get their hands on ABN Amro. The consortium has upped its bid to more than $95 billion, but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll steal it away from rival bidder Barclays. Stephen Beard explains.
A severe labor shortage looms in the power industry thanks to rising energy demands and a workforce on the verge of retirement. Sarah Gardner looks at how utility companies plan to keep the juice coming.
German workers have a long and successful tradition of organizing to assert their political will, but lately things haven't been running quite as smoothly for that country's powerful labor unions. Ethan Lindsey reports.
High-ranking officials from the U.S. and Germany are meeting to try to work out a compromise on climate change ahead of next week's G8 summit, but European leaders aren't optimistic, reports Kyle James.
Overall growth of the U.S. economy has been fairly strong despite housing worries, says a new OECD report, but we'll have to figure out how to control inflation and hold things together as Boomers begin retiring. Alisa Roth reports.
A former Chinese official has been sentenced to death for accepting bribes from drug companies. The decision is meant to send a warning to regulators there — and to do a little foreign damage control, reports Scott Tong.
After ar two-decades moratorium on commercial whaling, officials are meeting in Anchorage today to consider lifting the ban. But pro-whaling countries need a three-quarters majority. Sam Eaton reports.
A doctors' group in California is making the costs of several basic medical services available online. The idea is to compete against less-transparent health care providers. Alisa Roth has the story.
Manchester is considering taking a cue from London by charging drivers in traffic-heavy areas. Bob Moon weighs the pros and cons of the potential move with Stephen Beard.
Whether that nagging cough really has gotten ugly or you're cashing in on a hallowed mental health day, there are as many ways to call out of work as there are reasons to do so. Amy Scott prefers cayenne pepper.
CD sales are at another record low, but Aaron Pressman of BusinessWeek magazine says it may just be because our attention is elsewhere. He discusses the music industry with Bob Moon.
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest in Burma.But despite economic sanctions imposed on the country in response, the economy there is thriving. Scott Tong reports.
Demand for tee time in smaller countries tends to make golf a bit on the pricey side. Rico Gagliano discovered a field in The Netherlands that found a creative way to keep prices down.
Checking out open houses has become a popular pasttime for people who have no intent or money to actually buy the house they're looking at. A great story for Cash Peters.
Last week Coca-Cola bought Glaceau of New York. Today there are reports that Coke could take over Britain's second-biggest mineral-water supplier. Stephen Beard reports.
A recent study found that nearly half of American workers don't take all of their vacation days. What is wrong with us? Do we love our jobs that much?Uh, not quite. Stacey Vanek Smith takes a look.
So you're in China and you're dying to learn English. Can't get to class? Too pricey? No worries — the lessons can come to you on your cell phone. Scott Tong reports.
