Los Angeles is considering raising its minimum wage from $9 to $15 an hour in order to help its 800,000 residents in poverty. But no major city has yet raised its wage this dramatically or this fast.
Oil prices aren't the only thing that's dropped. The prices of everything from corn to sugar have fallen, too. So some economists predict lower prices at the grocery store later this year.
With gas prices down, a growing number of states are turning to a gas tax increase. New Jersey looks at following suit to fund much-needed projects, but some drivers aren't eager to pay up.
Most union members won't benefit from a higher minimum wage because they already earn far more than that. With membership declining, some union leaders fear collective bargaining is dead.
The prices that gas stations charge for fuel can vary widely. Smaller, independent stations are able to sell the cheapest gas because they undercut competitors by buying unbranded gasoline.
More homeowners are cutting energy costs by installing solar panels, due in part to leasing programs that require no up-front investment. Leasing means less hassle, but may also save you less money.
In North Dakota, falling oil prices have barely caused a ripple. In Alaska, lawmakers are calling it a "fiscal apocalypse." Wyoming is neither panicking nor ignoring the decline in prices.
More than half of the accounts with allowable claims against disgraced financier Bernard Madoff have now been fully repaid, according to the trustee handling recovery efforts.