Accidentally Killing Birds Isn't A Crime, Says Trump Administration
A legal memo from the Department of the Interior declares that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act applies only to purposeful actions that kill migratory birds.
Business
The Tax Law's New Way Of Measuring Inflation Could Take A Toll On Taxpayers
The tax overhaul uses an alternative measure of inflation that will show less upward pressure on prices. That means tax brackets will adjust upward less often, making many people pay more.
Our Indicators Of The Year
Despite all the protectionist rhetoric, global trade grew really quickly this year. Also: a crazy, 80-year ride from sun god to TMI.
Why Some Homeowners Are Scrambling To Prepay Their 2018 Property Taxes
The tax overhaul President Trump signed into law last week limits the amount of state and local taxes deducted on people's federal returns next year.
Tesla Will Build An Electric Pickup Truck, Elon Musk Promises
In the sort of tease at which he is an expert in delivering to Tesla's faithful, Musk said the truck could be bigger than Ford's F-150, "to account for a really gamechanging (I think) feature."
Episode 544: The M&M Anomaly
David Kestenbaum noticed that a pack of Milk Chocolate M&M's weighs 1.69 ounces, but a pack of Peanut Butter M&M's weighs 1.63 ounces. He had to know why. But the confectionery world has its secrets.
California Says Nestle Lacks Permits To Extract Millions Of Gallons Of Water
California regulators say Nestle lacks the legal permits for millions of gallons of water it extracts from the San Bernardino National Forest and sells under the Arrowhead brand.
New Tax Overhaul Law Has Serious Implications For Nonprofits
Noel King talks to Larry Lieberman of the organization Charity Navigator, who explains why the increase to the standard deduction could cause a drop in charitable giving.
Library Of Congress Will No Longer Archive Every Tweet
The library says that as of Jan. 1, it will only acquire tweets "on a very selective basis." By 2013, the archive had already amassed more than 170 billion tweets.
Measurement Tool Used In New Tax Bill Will Impact Deductions And Brackets
The government tracks prices on consumer goods — eggs, shoes, gasoline, etc. But when prices rise, people often make substitutions, like buying chicken if beef gets expensive. So economists have come up with the notion of "chained inflation" to take substitutions into account. That's the measurement the new tax bill uses, and it makes the consumer price index smaller, with an impact on deductions and brackets.