Latest Stories

What makes Guinness beer such an integral part of pubs worldwide? Writer Bill Yenne talked to everyone from its master brewer to pubgoers and put their thoughts into a new book. He shared some of them with Kai Ryssdal.

The high end of the retail market has been immune to the queasy economy. Adults with disposable income have kept brand-name retailers feeling no pain. But Andrea Gardner tells us the average luxury consumer is getting younger -- much younger.

Kai Ryssdal reviews listeners' concerns about NHL hockey, poker, logging, "supremely ugly" clothing, scuba diving and -- oy! -- is it Yiddish or Hebrew?

The European Commission won a landmark case against Microsoft last month, in which it charged the company with maintaining a monopoly on computer operating systems and media players. Commentator Barry Lynn says Washington ought to think like the Europeans.

Remember in grade school when you had the cool kids and the losers? The Scripps media company has taken a page from the 5th grade handbook. Broadcast darlings like HGTV and the Food Network on one side, old-media slackers like newspapers on the other. Jeff Tyler reports.

Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill want companies such as Verizon and MCI to detail how they've participated in federal eavedropping. But the companies say the executive branch won't let them tell. Evan Perez of the Wall Street Journal explains with Kai Ryssdal.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke have modified their public statements on the state of the U.S. housing market. Each now says they see a significant risk to the economy. Steve Henn reports.

Oil closed on the NYMEX market today at $87.61 a barrel. What happens if, or maybe when, it hits triple digits -- at $100 a barrel? John Dimsdale reports.

House and Garden magazine is attempting to win readers by posing editor Dominique Browning in the window of a Crate and Barrel. Jill Barshay reports stunts like these are becoming more common for glossies.

The numbers are in for what presidential candidates pulled from fundraisers over the summer, and the Democrats raised twice the amount as the Republicans. But candidates from both parties are spending more than they're raising. Dan Grech reports.