Economy

Music-Streaming Services Hunt For Paying Customers

8:58am December 27, 2012

by Laura Sydell

Services like Pandora and Spotify have been trying to win over two types of customers: younger people who don't buy music at all and older people who still like physical albums. But it's been difficult to lure customers willing to pay for music they won't own or that they can find for free online.

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5 Days Left To Avoid 'Fiscal Cliff" Extremes

5:06am December 27, 2012

President Obama returns to Washington Thursday as do members of the U.S. Senate. They're cutting holiday plans short in hopes of coming up with a deal to avoid the tax hikes and budget cuts set to take effect on Jan. 1.

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Economy

Measuring The Impact Of Your Charitable Donations

2:56pm December 26, 2012

As the year comes to a close, many people turn attention to giving back through charitable donations. With the economic recovery, many are seeking out more information to be sure that the donations go to the intended cause.

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Economy

Worst CEO List, Who's On It?

6:53am December 26, 2012

David Greene talks to Sydney Finkelstein, who teaches management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, about his list of the worst CEOs of 2012. Of interest is not just who made the list this year, but who didn't.

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A lone employee oversees Hewlett-Packard workstations being assembled at a plant on Jan. 1, 1993. Huge improvements in computer technology propelled the economy during that decade.

Back To The Economy Of The '90s? Not So Fast

9:42am December 25, 2012

by Uri Berliner

As the parties wrangle over taxes and the "fiscal cliff," there's been a lot of talk about the golden days of the 1990s — and each party's role in creating it. Yet economists say a lot was happening outside Washington as well.

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Plug Pulled On 'Plan B,' House Breaks For Christmas

11:16am December 21, 2012

by Tamara Keith

House Speaker John Boehner was dealt a major defeat Thursday night. After spending most of the week trying to round up votes for his "Plan B" to extend tax cuts for virtually everyone, he pulled the measure without a vote. The clock keeps ticking toward the end of the year, when automatic tax increases and spending cuts are set to hit.

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Low-Profile Power Player Jack Lew May Be In Line For Treasury Post

3:16pm December 20, 2012

by Mara Liasson

Now the White House chief of staff, Lew finessed the 2011 deal that set up the automatic spending cuts and tax hikes set for the new year — and did it in a way that put President Obama in the catbird seat for the current talks. Now he's a possible pick to be the next Treasury secretary.

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High school student Jon Ledbetter designs his own "NikeiD" sneakers. Ledbetter can post his designs on Nike's website, where other shoppers can also order them.

Economy

From Shoes To M&M's, Custom-Made Products Take Off Online

1:53pm December 20, 2012

by Kathy Lohr

The ability to customize products began with computers more than a decade ago. Now, you can create your own T-shirts, jeans, custom-blend cosmetics and candy. Even luxury brands like Burberry, Prada and Louis Vuitton now let customers design their own looks.

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Credit Rating Upgrade Is Good News For Greece

5:44am December 20, 2012

by Joanna Kakissis

A day after eurozone lenders finally released about $45 billion in loans to Greece, a top credit agency raised its rating on the country by a six points. It's a rare piece of good news for Greece, which still faces Depression-level unemployment and at least another year of recession.

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Economy

Herbalife Brings Almost 500 Jobs to Forsyth County

3:36pm December 19, 2012

Herbalife is moving to Forsyth County. The Winston-Salem Journal reports the company has chosen to locate a manufac