States Question What To Do With Surging Tax Revenue
After at least three years of red ink, most states have budget surpluses. It's a sign of a recovering economy and leaves states with a new dilemma: how best to spend the money.
Business
Inmates And Others Can Complain About Jails On Website
Attorneys, visitors, employees and inmates have been reviewing jails on the website Yelp. They offer opinions on everything from cleanliness to guard uniforms to abuse and corruption.
Greek Parliament Approves Massive Layoff Plans
Greek lawmakers approved emergency plans to cut 15,000 government jobs by the end of next year. They have to do it in order to receive more European Union bailout funds.
E-Cigarettes Bring Smokers Back Inside, For Now
Fewer Americans are buying cigarettes these days, but smokeless products like e-cigarettes are on the rise. They're not regulated like other tobacco products, but the FDA warns that day may yet come.
The Lollipop War
Candy makers and sugar farmers have been fighting for years in Congress. The sugar farmers are winning.
Can You Hear Me Now? Cellphone Satellites Phone Home
Never mind the big-budget NASA satellites. A team of young engineers has tricked out a few off-the-shelf cellphones and sent them to space. The smartphones are already above us, sending images and data back to ham radio operators on Earth.
Marathon Beer Proceeds To Go To Bombing Victims
Boston Beer Company has sponsored the marathon for years — even brewing a special beer for the event: 26.2 Brew. The company says it's going to donate all 2013 proceeds of that beer to a local charity that helps families touched by the tragedy.
FAA Expected To Gain Flexibility On Budget Cuts
The Senate has passed a bill to give the Department of Transportation more flexibility in how it makes the mandatory cuts of the sequester. Hundreds of flights were delayed this week after the FAA furloughed air traffic controllers, setting off a political storm.
Spain To Unveil Economic Overhaul Plan
Spain's jobless rate has exceeded even the most dire predictions. As Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy prepares to release a slate of economic changes, Spaniards are hoping he will heed their calls for mercy after years of budget cuts and austerity.
U.S. Economic Growth Regained Speed In First Quarter
Gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 2.5 percent. Consumer spending is up, and home construction rose. But government spending fell, and tax increases and federal budget cuts are expected to slow later this year.