Alaska Is Bigger Than I Thought

Bush's stay there this past weekend with the the Danish prime minister marked Bush’s 70th visit as president. President Ronald Reagan, one of the modern presidency’s most “famous vacationer[s],” spent just 335 days at his ranch in Santa Barbara, CA.

2008 retirees need $225,000 for health care

A couple retiring this year will need about $225,000 in savings to cover medical costs in retirement, according to a study released Wednesday by Fidelity Investments.

9/11 protester arrested after yelling at Bill Clinton

A protester has been charged with disorderly conduct after yelling at former President Bill Clinton during a campaign stop...

Air Force agrees to brief Boeing on tanker loss (Reuters)

Reuters - Under mounting pressure from
lawmakers and a top Pentagon leader, the Air Force on Tuesday
agreed to speed up a briefing with Boeing Co about why
it lost a $35 billion aircraft contract to Northrop Grumman
Corp and its European partner EADS .

How to tell if now is the time to refinance

A sharp drop in mortgage rates has sparked a wave of refinancing. But not everyone qualifies. Here is a guide on whether refinancing might be a good option for you.

Texas caucus hardball

The Dallas Morning News gets hold of Clinton caucus "training materials," in which supporters are instructed to fight for procedural control of caucuses."The materials say in part, 'DO NOT allow the supporter of another candidate to serve in leadership roles.'"

As economy tumbles, retirees scramble to cope

Rising food and fuel prices, falling interest rates and screeching declines in global stock markets have retirees paring spending to levels some haven't seen in decades.

Oil Shoots Up to $102 Per Barrel

Crude prices rebounded Thursday, shooting up more than $2 a barrel to a new record as a falling dollar and the prospect of lower interest rates attracted fresh money to the oil market. Retail gas prices, meanwhile, rose closer to records above $3 a gallon.

Protecting investments from steep stock slides

There are ways to minimize losses in a stock market downturn, and you can even profit from one. But each technique, from stop-loss orders to short sales to “put” options, has drawbacks.

Fed Forecasts Slower Economy, Less Jobs

In documents released today, the Fed says it expects slower economic growth.

Anti-marijuana laws need relaxation

The time has come to relax our laws on marijuana use and possession. Admitting one's past use of marijuana is trendy in modern America. It's even a little presidential. Barack Obama smoked his fair share of cannabis. John Kennedy, Howard Dean and John Kerry all owned up to the dirty deed as well. But it's more than just politicians.

Italy's highest appeals court says "leave it alone"

Touching your own genitals in public is a crime says Italian court.

Who's No. 1? $14.3M License Plate Buyer

Man pays record amount for car license plate at Abu Dhabi auction.

South Africa to allow elephant cull

South Africa says it will reverse a ban on elephant culls because the population now needs controlling.

Fly First Class at Coach Prices

Learn how to get luxury treatment in the air while paying economy prices.

Donald Trump on Surviving Housing Slump

Mogul talks professional success, personal failure and surviving housing slump.

Answer Desk: A hostile takeover playbook

If Microsoft has the cash to buy rival Yahoo, why can’t it just call up a stock broker and? buy? all of Yahoo's stock? The Answer Desk, by msnbc.com's John W. Schoen.

10 Tips: Renting rather than buying?

Given the current state of the housing market in many parts of the country, it might make more financial sense for you to rent for the time being rather than buy a home.

Clinton Campaign: Obama Divisive For Calling Us Out On Smear

Seriously, WTF: The Clinton campaign puts out a response from Maggie Williams, which doesn't respond to the question of whether a staffer was circulating the photo of Obama in Somali garb, instead: "If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed."

McCain Breaks Law...That He Wrote

Tomorrow morning the Democratic National Committee will file a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission against John McCain. Why? In the words of DNC Chair Howard Dean: "We want John McCain to obey the law with his own name on it."

MBIA moves to help stability in credit markets (Reuters)

Reuters - MBIA Inc , the world's largest
bond insurer, said it will stop guaranteeing asset-backed
securities for six months and plans to split that business from
its municipal bond unit, moves aimed at restoring stability in
troubled credit markets.

Stocks jump after relief on bond insurers (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. stocks rose more than 1 percent
on Monday on signs the two largest bond insurers would
stabilize, bringing a wave of relief to a market dogged by
concerns of further bank write-downs.

Amtrak's New Look: Screeners, Dogs, Guns

Amtrak says new procedures won't hold up the flow of passengers.

California: Legalize Pot In 2008

The well known marijuana legalization activist Jack Herer is leading an initiative to get marijuana legalization on the 2008 November ballot in California.

GOP congressman indicted for extortion, money laundering

Republican Rep. Rick Renzi has been indicted for extortion, wire fraud, money laundering and other charges related to a land deal in Arizona

The Clinton Camp's "Audacity of Hopelessness"

The Clinton camp has been the slacker in this presidential race, and its candidate’s message, for all its purported high-mindedness, is self-immolating.

Pro-Hillary 527's first spot begin airing ads against Obama

Blog: "If speeches could create jobs, we wouldn't be facing a recession," the narrator says in the spot, titled "Blueprint," that take

Answer Desk: Not a win for tax dodgers

Actor Wesley Snipes' recent acquittal on tax fraud charges is being taken as a victory by a band of tax "protesters." But, they are overlooking a key fact: Snipes still faces jail time.

Economy - Friday (Investor's Business Daily)

Investor's Business Daily - Price pressures could build even if the economy slows further, said Dallas Fed chief Richard Fisher, who voted against the central bank's half-point 14terest-rate cut Jan. 30 due to inflation fears. U.S. growth is "anemic" but the economy should avoid a recession, Fisher said. He questioned "whether inflation expectations are well anchored."

Supreme Court allows retirement plan suits

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that individual participants in the most common type of retirement plan can sue under a pension protection law to recover their losses.

Metals and banks help lift European stocks (FT.com)

FT.com - The mining, metals and banking sectors helped drag European shares out of the doldrums Thursday but a cautious opening on Wall Street and US statistics suggesting a manufacturing slowdown in the Philadelphia region pegged back early gains.

10 Tips: Frugal Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day sure can pack an unexpected financial punch. Consider these tips for dreaming up an approach to this year’s celebration that is both meaningful and economical.

Philly Fed, leading index point to recession (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. Mid-Atlantic factory production
slumped to its lowest level since the last recession, while an
index of future economic activity pointed to even tougher times
ahead.

Luxury Hotels Boom in the Middle East

Palace-style hotels combine ancient aesthetics with modern indulgences.

Deputy tasers high school student against direct orders

Disgusting. Those things need to be banned.

Investor's Corner: Use Fund Data To Find Promising Stocks (Investor's Business Daily)

Investor's Business Daily - Hunters follow footprints when they stalk big game. Likewise, investors can follow the tracks of mutual funds to spot winning stocks.

$1.8M Car, Price That Will Make You Cry

Companies pricing $11K jeans and $1.8M cars are playing on consumers' emotions.

More Republican Sheep on Video

Scary video showing the ignorance of typical Republicans. It would be funny listening to these people as they repeat the lies that they have unthinkingly accepted if they didn't get a vote.

FTSE higher on bank dividend hopes (FT.com)

FT.com - Banks led a FTSE 100 rally on Monday at the start of a busy week for the sector.

What's Changed Since the Virginia Tech Massacre?

"You know, I wish I could tell you that there was a panacea for this kind of thing, but you've noticed that there's been multiple shootings all over this country within the last six months," NIU Police Chief Don Grady told reporters. "...it's unlikely that anyone would ever have the ability to stop an incident like this from beginning."

Dot-Com Dollars: Web Names Bring Riches

Many names sold for more than $100K in '07; an adult-themed name sold for $9.5M.

Congressman fires back against Bush FISA law

Congressman Rush Holt gave an impassioned speech on the floor of the House opposing the Bush FISA law that just passed the Senate.

US Dollar - Biggest Weekly Drop for 2008 - Prognosis Bad

The dollar has lost 5 percent against the euro since Sept. 18, when the Fed lowered its benchmark for the first time since 2003. ``Lower interest rates are hurting the dollar,'' said Axel Merk, who helps manage $285 million assets at Merk Hard Currency Fund in Palo Alto, California. ``Why put the money in the U.S. where all kinds of negative "

Car Repos Soar as Owners Default on Loans

Beware the tow truck: Car repossessions are heading for a record high.

Wal-Mart dumps HD DVDs to back Blu-ray (Reuters)

Reuters - Wal-Mart Stores Inc has
decided to exclusively sell high-definition DVDs in the Blu-Ray
format, dealing what could be a crippling blow to the rival HD
DVD technology backed by Toshiba Corp (6502.T).

Apology to indigenous Australia - transcript of apology

"Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history. We reflect on their past mistreatment. We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were stolen generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's history.

House GOP stages walkout over surveillance, aides' contempt

House Republicans just staged a walkout on Capitol Hill as Democrats considered a resolution that would hold some of President Bush's former aides in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions before the Judiciary Committee.

Bleak economic reports signal recession (Reuters)

Reuters - A series of bleak economic reports
on Friday showed the mood of American consumers deteriorating
in February to a point that has usually signaled recession,
while factory activity in New York state suffered its biggest
drop on record.

The SEIU Picks Obama

The national executive board of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) endorsed Barack Obama Thursday evening.

CNN: Romney to endorse McCain

CNN's Dana Bash reports that former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will endorse senator John McCain. The endorsement is expected to happen at a Boston event at 3:30 p.m. ET today.

Obama Camp: Impossible for Clinton to Win Most Delegates

Sen. Barack Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe argued on Wednesday that it is now "next to impossible" for his candidate to lose the pledged delegate lead it has amassed in the Democratic primary.

Hillary is getting desperate...

Bush on terrorist surveillance: "In order to be able to discover enemy — the enemy's plans, we need the cooperation of telecommunication companies. If these companies are subjected to lawsuits that could cost them billions of dollars, they won't participate; they won't help us; they won't help protect America."

Trader Joe's to Exclude Some China Imports

The move comes after customers voiced concerns about products from China.

10 Tips front page

A reader wonders which businesses do well when the economy heads south.? The Answer Desk, by msnbc.com’s John W. Schoen.

What can you do in 15 seconds?

Brush your teeth? pour a glass of beer? kiss your boyfriend? 15 seconds.. for the people of Sderot 15 seconds is all the time they have to find cover from the rockets launched daily from Gaza.

Chavez Threatens to Halt Oil Sales to US

Venezuelan president threatens to cut off oil to US, calls Exxon Mobil 'Oulaws'.

Netflix picks Blu-ray, good luck renting an HD DVD soon

In what can only be classified as yet another crushing blow to the embattled HD DVD camp, rent-by-mail giant Netflix has just announced its intention to only stock Blu-ray titles in the future...

Fed Cuts Interest Rate - Again

How the Fed's latest rate cut impacts credit cards, mortgages and student loans.

Wall St retreats as AIG adds to credit fears (FT.com)

FT.com - Wall Street stocks retreated on Monday as worries about credit losses at American International Group (NYSE:AIG) added to fears that US companies face further credit-related turmoil.

What the Fed's big rate cut means to you

If you’ve been investing for a while, you’ve lived through the '87 crash and the tech-stock collapse , but that doesn’t make this year’s plunge easy to stomach. So, what’s it mean to you ?

Feel the 'Crunch'? Head to the Pawn Shop

More Americans appear to be selling gold and jewelry to pay their mortgages.

GM sees room to consolidate luxury dealerships (Reuters)

Reuters - General Motors Corp will
step up consolidation of dealerships handling its three luxury
brands in a bid to shore up profitability, the automaker's
chief executive said on Saturday.

Daily Show: Romney never recovered from being a douchebag

"What happened to the Romney campaign?" Jon Stewart asked correspondent Jason Jones. "He was well-funded, and he certainly looked the part," answered Jones, "but I don't think the Romney camp ever recovered from the fact that Mitt Romney is a douchebag."

20+ Ways to Get Rid of Your Debt for Good

This is not a step-by-step guide to reducing debt. Rather, it is a collection of a lot of the wisdom I have read so far on this topic and a list of some of the things that worked for us.

John McCain Booed at Conservative Convention (VIDEO)

John McCain acknowledges controversial illegal immigration voting history at CPAC, gets booed, giggles, then gets cheered!

Lieberman Has “Superdelegate” Status Stripped

Thanks to Zell Miller, there is a rule to deal with Joe Lieberman.

Too Many McMansions: Ride Storm or Sell?

Many homeowners struggle to find buyers for their million-dollar properties.

The CIA operation that should have prevented the Iraq war

When Saad Tawfiq watched Colin Powell's presentation to the United Nations on February 5 2003 he shed bitter tears as he realised he had risked his life and those of his loved ones for nothing.

John Mellencamp Asks McCain Camp to Stop Using His Music

Representatives of John Mellencamp have contacted the McCain campaign to ask them to stop playing Mellencamp’s music at McCain campaign rallies.

The Luxury Cars You Won't Find in the U.S.

Many European automakers produce diesel-engine cars still unpopular in America.

John Hurley: Why Veterans are Voting Obama

Great Article: "Across the country, this scene is repeated. Veterans in enormous numbers, with passion and fervor and commitment are turning out in support of Barack Obama. Vietnam veterans are printing literature, "slim jims," at their expense, highlighting Barack Obama's support of veterans."

Next Michelin 3 Star: Cafe Le Delta?

Delta and other airlines bring in new celebrity chefs to improve their meals.

Hersh confirms: Syrian facility bombed by Israel not nuclear

After Israel bombed a Syrian military facility last September, the United States and Israel claimed the target had been a Syrian nuclear facility under construction. RAW STORY's Larisa Alexandrovna was alone at the time in reporting that the actual target was a cache of North Korean No-Dong missiles being converted into chemical warheads.

Victoria's Secret, Super Bowl Resume Affair

Lingerie chain to run ads during Super Bowl for first time since '99.

US Politics Have No Left Wing

None of the presidential candidates would be a viable politician in Sweden.

Two women 'with Down's syndrome' kill 65 at Iraqi pet market

Two women who reportedly had Down's syndrome may have been unwilling suicide bombers in twin blasts that killed up to 65 people at pet markets in Baghdad today. A female bomber killed 45 people at a packed pet market in Baghdad this, police said, in the deadliest attack in the Iraqi capital in six months.

Countdown Special Comment: On FISA and Telecom Immunity

However, as Keith points out, if the president were to veto the legislation and there was another terrorist attack inside the U.S., he, and he alone would be responsible for it — all in the name of protecting huge corporations over the American people he was charged with protecting.

LA Times Endorses Obama

We urge voters to make the most of this historic moment by choosing the Democrat most focused on steering the nation toward constructive change: We strongly endorse Barack Obama.

10 Tips: How to score big at yard sales

With a little bit of advance planning, you can greatly improve your experience at garage sales and save serious cash on all sorts of purchases, both big and small.

Mock Attacks Test Tech, Transportation

What happens when Washington trains shut down and New York computers crash?

Bush Wary of Jeopardizing Military Industrial Profits

LAS VEGAS - President Bush said Thursday he will not jeopardize security gains in Iraq by withdrawing U.S. forces too fast, another signal that troop reductions could slow or stop altogether this summer.

California: Clinton 43% Obama 40%

This is even before John Edward dropped out of the race.Obama held a three-point lead among white voters in the state while Clinton had a twenty-seven point lead among Hispanic voters. Without Hispanics backing Clinton, She can pull it out at all.

This is how Internet can help make a better world! Want in?

By watching a video online right here and now, you're effectively helping a homeless guy in Paris - with documented proof! How is that for a butterfly effect?

In uncertain times, invest in the long-term

While Wall Street debates whether the U.S. is headed for recession, investors don't have to wait for an answer — they can take steps to limit their risks.

Obama Could WIn New York City!

A WNBC/Marist poll released last week found that although Mrs. Clinton had a 47% to 31% lead over Mr. Obama among likely New York State voters, he was far closer in New York City, drawing 39% of likely voters versus 43% for Senator Clinton. In recent weeks, Mr. Obama's support has been surging among black voters, a demographic he won 4 to 1 in SC.

Republicans Scared: "Obama is the Democrats' Reagan"

Here is a great article from a conservative Republican commentator on Beliefnet. This echoes what we Obama supporters have been saying for months. He thinks Obama will "win in a landslide" if he wins the Democratic nomination: "If I were a Republican, I'd be very, very afraid. Oh wait, I am a Republican. Dang. Lord have mercy."

Airports to Avoid at All Cost

The top places to avoid, unless you like being trapped on the tarmac.

Americans slow to spend down IRA balances

Americans who have money stored in Individual Retirement Accounts tend to hang on to it for use in the later years of their retirement, according to a study being released Monday.

Rudy Giuliani hints at dropping out

In a meeting in the back of his chartered plane en route to St. Petersburg, Fla., a short while ago, the onetime, longtime GOP front-runner told a small group of reporters, including The Times' Louise Roug: "The winner of Florida will win the nomination."

Chavez Urges Withdrawals From U.S. Banks

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged his Latin American allies on Saturday to begin withdrawing billions of dollars in international reserves from U.S. banks, warning of a looming U.S. economic crisis.

Banter Is Enouraged at Some Workplaces

Small business owners should welcome employee chatter.

Wall Street Fights to Reverse Losses

Stocks are up despite a big drop in new home sales, disappointing earnings.

Economy woes batter global equities (Reuters)

Reuters - Persistent fears about the world economy
battered global stocks again on Monday and drove investors
towards safer assets despite expectations of more interest cuts
from the Federal Reserve to bolster growth.

$3 ATM Fees? Banks Hike Price

Struggling financial instutions looking for more ways to raise profits.

The naked truth about women in Russian politics

Heated debates in Russia's State Duma could be about to get even hotter. Among the brand new deputies to win seats are four female ex athletes who have a history of letting it all hang out - for the cameras. All eyes are now on the Duma, to see whether these beautiful ladies bring a new kind of passion to political discussions.

SocGen trader questioned for second day (Reuters)

Reuters - The junior trader blamed for causing a $7
billion loss at French bank Societe Generale faced a second day
of questioning on Sunday by finance police, who said he was
cooperating with their inquiry.

HILLARY IS TRYING TO STEAL THE ELECTION

Clinton said Friday — just four days before Florida's primary — that she wants the convention delegates from Florida and Michigan reinstated. The National Democratic Party eliminated all the delegates from those states because they broke party rules by holding their primaries before Feb. 5. Democrats agreed not to campaign there.

Will Senate Tinker With Stimulus Bill?

Stimulus bill could be delayed by fight to extend unemployment benefits.

Top TVs for Watching the Super Bowl

Before you shell out big bucks for that new HDTV, read this guide.

Home Sales See Largest Drop in 25 Years

For the first time since '68, median housing prices also declined for the year.

Help! I Can't Sell My McMansion

In these tough times, even the rich find it tough to sell a house.

Where tax savings are: Detailing deductions

With the start of the new tax year, the hunt for tax-lowering deductions and credits is officially on. But new opportunities are scarcer this year.

Do It Yourself! Amateurs Bank on Porn

Web site offers real people chance to make real money by having real sex.

British Media Confirms FBI Nuke Cover-up

The Sunday Times has obtained a document that confirms that a file, which the FBI denied existed, could contain information about American officials stealing nuclear secrets for Turkish and Israeli spies, who would then sell the secrets to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Rich Enough to Own the Universe

Dubai's state development arm pushes forward with yet another luxe coastal plan.

Obama wins Nevada -- for real.

While Clinton did edge out Obama in the popular vote by 6%, she only did so by capturing the populous Las Vegas area. Obama won broader support statewide, especially in the more rural areas that Democrats usually flounder in, and thus earned more state delegates than Clinton. Obama is now two delegates ahead of Clinton, and closest to nomination.

U.S. Recession Fears Sink Global Markets

Asian, stock markets have little faith in Washington's stimulus plan.

Scientology and Me by BBC's Panorama

First of three parts, other two are in the related videos. It's an interesting documentary about Scientology in the UK.

Forget Weather, Airlines Cause Own Delays

Pilot shortages, long refuelings and mechanical breakdowns are root of delays.

Stocks dogged by recession fears (Reuters)

Reuters - Stocks in Asia resumed their decline
on Monday, led by banks like Japan's Mizuho, while the dollar
hovered near a 3-year low against the yen after a proposed U.S.
stimulus package did little to soothe fears the world's top
economy will tip into a recession.

Taxpayers getting more privacy with new rule

The final rules issued by the IRS on Thursday require tax preparers to get informed consent before disclosing tax information to third parties or using it for non-return purposes.

Housing Slump? Not in Manhattan

Some New Yorkers still shell out millions for lavish apartments.

Insiders and the Hysteroidal Cycle

If the knowledge remains concentrated in the hands of the few, it has the same consequences as the concentration of money, resources, or business ownership in the hands of a few. It becomes a lever of power and oppression, not freedom and justice

ALL BUSINESS: More misfortune for banks (AP)

AP - Contrarian investors who think now is the time to start buying beaten-down banking stocks could be in for a shock if they don't carefully review those companies' distressed home-equity loan portfolios.

Bush Sees Stimulus Of Up To $150 Bil To Bolster Economy (Investor's Business Daily)

Investor's Business Daily - President Bush on Friday called for a $140 billion to $150 billion stimulus package, saying the U.S. needs a "shot in the arm" to keep housing woes from spreading.

Weekly Jobless Claims Drop Again

Claims for unemployment Benefits fall for third consecutive week.

S?C?R?A?B?U?L?O?U?S? S?U?E?D?

Facebook has been asked to remove the Scrabulous game from its website by the makers of Scrabble. Lawyers for toy makers Hasbro and Mattel say Scrabulous infringes their copyright on the board-based word game.

29 year old dies of taser jolt by Minnesota Troopers

Mark Backlund was driving to the airport to pick up his parents when he got in an accident. State troopers stopped and said he became "uncooperative" and tasered him. He was later pronounced dead. Authorities have not described the uncooperative behavior.

Answer Desk: Questions we didn’t get to in 2007

We get all kinds of business and financial questions at the Answer Desk. Here are some we didn’t get to in 2007. The Answer Desk, by msnbc.com’s John W. Schoen.

NV Supreme Court sides with NBC. Kucinich won't debate.

this is the actual order from the court. Hot off the press.

Michigan's Ominous Message for Hillary Clinton

Analysis of Hillary's inability to convincingly win a state where she had no opposition.

Town may pay seniors to work off taxes

A New York town is pushing a program that would let seniors work part-time, for $7 an hour, to help pay off some of their property taxes.

FTSE 100 fails to hold 6,000 (FT.com)

FT.com - London equities failed to sustain a brief afternoon rebound on Wednesday, and after spending a short period back over the 6,000 mark, the FTSE 100 fell back beneath it.

Artificial Intelligence

President George W. Bush hasn't accomplished much on his voyage to the Middle East, but he did take the time to inflict another wound on the entire U.S. intelligence community—and on the credibility of anything he might ever again say about the world.

90% of World Bank Aid Money Consumed By Corruption

Corruption is an endemic problem in bank projects, swallowing unknown but significant chunks from its $30 billion-plus annual portfolio. No less a problem has been the bank staff's ferocious resistance to anything that might stand in the way of its lending ever more money to projects run by the same governments that tolerate this malfeasance.

Market ends down 2 pct on recession worries (Reuters)

Reuters - All three major U.S. stock indexes
ended down more than 2 percent on Tuesday after a record
quarterly loss at top U.S. bank Citigroup Inc. and a
surprise drop in December retail sales fueled recession fears.

We Own The World by Noam Chomsky

Just a little footnote. How many offensive nuclear armed missiles does the United States have? Well, it turns out to be 10,000. China may now have maybe 400, if you believe the hawks. That proves that they are trying to conquer the world.

Audit: 308,000 barrels missing from Petroleum Reserve

How do you not notice when 308,000 barrels of oil go missing? That's the question government auditors were asking after they looked into the Department of Energy's management of oil received for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Iraq/Afghan veterans have killed 121 after coming home

The NY Times found 121 cases in which veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan committed a killing in this country, or were charged with one, after their return from war. In many of those cases, combat trauma and the stress of deployment along with alcohol abuse, family discord and other attendant problems — appear to have set the stage for a tragedy

Draft Reinstatement Proposed by Congress in 2007

Romney's call for 100,000 more troops would make any future presentations of such a bill passable!"The Universal National Service Act of 2007 was introduced to the United States House of Representatives on January 10, 2007 by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.). It proposed the requirement that all residents in the United States aged between 18"

How to Get Ahead in the Workplace

Taking on added responsibilities can help you advance in the office.

10 tips on tipping: Who gets how much?

Have you ever felt unsure whether you really should be tipping someone at the end of the calendar year? Here are 10 tips on who should get how much.

Fewer Shoppers Hit Malls This Christmas

While sales for this year's holiday season rose, less people visited malls.

Reagan On Giuliani: "I Think He's Crazy"

From Reagan's memoirs.

HOWTO: Mind Control Customer Service Reps

It boils down to, without raising your voice, asserting control over the conversation from the beginning and then never relinquishing that power. By the time you read the true success story at the end, you'll swear the author has Jedi mind-control over customer service reps...

Are we already in a recession?

Economists debate whether the economy may be headed for recession, but many readers believe we are already in one.? The Answer Desk, by msnbc.com’s John W. Schoen.

Blackwater dropped blinding tear gas on Iraqis, US soldiers

"The copter dropped CS gas, a riot-control substance the American military in Iraq can use only under the strictest conditions and with the approval of top military commanders," James Risen writes. "An armored vehicle on the ground also released the gas, temporarily blinding drivers, passers-by and at least 10 American soldiers...."

How to hack a Diebold voting machine [image]

uh oh..

Errors Transposing Votes and Diebold Machines Issues

Allegations of vote fraud in New Hampshire’s primary are growing. The data from Diebold electronic voting machines is up to 5% points different than the hand-written ballots that were cast. Sutton Town has now reported an error in transposing votes and an employee of LHS Associates, whom counted 81% of the vote, has a criminal record.

McCain dissed - good one

Not bad for a talking head

IRS may restrict tax-refund loans

The Internal Revenue Service said Thursday it may restrict tax preparers such as H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt Tax Service from offering refund loans to customers to prevent fraud.

video of Iranian small boats harrasing U.S. Warships

here's to the well trained Sailors who waited for the order to fire. It takes a hell of alot of self control to see a boat coming at your ship at a high rate of speed and not fire on him before he lets loose on you.

David Shuster: 'Bill O'Reilly is a jerk ... a buffoon'

In the middle of a discussion of the Democratic primaries on MSNBC's Morning Joe, correspondent David Shuster burst out, "I don't know if this is the time to talk about Bill O'Reilly, but I've got a lot of things I want to say." When encouraged to "get it out," Shuster stated emphatically, "Bill O'Reilly is a jerk."

Take that New Year’s resolution to the bank

Want to save money or boost your earnings in the coming year? TODAY Financial editor Jean Chatzky shares tips on how to get your finances into shape for 2008.

Countrywide Financial denies bankruptcy rumors (Reuters)

Reuters - Countrywide Financial Corp on
Tuesday denied market speculation it might seek bankruptcy
protection, after shares of the largest U.S. mortgage lender
slid to their lowest level in nearly eight years.

2007: Safest Year to Fly Since 1963

Last year saw the least number of accidents in decades; 965 people died.

GOP Doubts, Fears 'Post-Partisan' Obama

Exploiting a deep well of voter revulsion over partisan gridlock in Washington, Sen. Barack Obama is promising to do something that has not been done in modern U.S. politics: unite a coalition of Democrats, Republicans and independents behind an agenda of sweeping change.

Tax Tactics front page

Although Uncle Sam might not usually be included in your holiday plans, wrapping up a few simple financial tasks before the end of the year can help carry the joy of the season all the way through April 15. ?Financial Editor Jean Chatzky shares practical advice on how to prepare your accounts for the new year.

Ron Paul supporters prepare to protest FOX News debate

Security is tight as Ron Paul supporters prepare to protest FOX News debate

Can Your Investments Help Others?

Getting a return on socially conscious investments isn't just icing on the cake.