Business

Treasury Nominee's Citigroup Experience Raises Questions For Some

9:02am February 12, 2013

by Ailsa Chang

Jack Lew is known as a smart, unassuming budget wonk who has spent most of his career in government policy-making jobs. Lew, President Obama's nominee to be Treasury secretary, is expected to face questions about his management years at Citigroup before the government bailed out the banking giant.

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Bookmakers Gamble On Next Pope

7:13am February 12, 2013

Gambling houses have placed odds on who might become the next leader of the Catholic world. At the top of the list of frontrunners are men not from Europe.

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With too little distilled bourbon to meet demand, Maker's Mark is lowering the product's alcohol content from 90 to 84 proof.

Arts

Less Potent Maker's Mark Not Going Down Smoothly In Kentucky

7:58pm February 11, 2013

by Gabe Bullard

The distillery says it must lower its bourbon's alcohol content to meet demand. The company says consumers won't notice the change, but in bourbon country, Maker's Mark fans aren't too happy about the plan.

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Gas, Oil Booms Bring Complications To Small Towns

3:39pm February 11, 2013

The discovery of oil and natural gas in Wyoming, Colorado and North Dakota has created a new generation of boomtowns. The explosive growth generated by the oil and gas drilling is often accompanied by an influx of new labor. The small towns near the fields wrestle to balance the economic advantages of the boom with the dramatic changes it brings to these tight-knit communities.

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The China Twist by Wen-Szu Lin chronicles the author's (ultimately unsuccessful) attempt to bring Auntie Anne's pretzels to China.

Auntie Anne's Pretzels In Beijing: Why The Chinese Didn't Bite

11:41am February 11, 2013

by Frank Langfitt

It's the entrepreneurs' dream: tapping into China's market of 1.3 billion people. That dream fueled the efforts of two Chinese-American MBAs to take the soft-pretzel franchise — a staple of U.S. shopping malls — to China. Cultural and financial barriers, however, led to a far more challenging reality.

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Potato Chip Flavors Walk On The Wild Side

11:41am February 11, 2013

Lays Potato Chips is expected to announce new flavors on Tuesday. The company had a contest in which they asked for suggestions for new chip varieties.

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A child poses for a picture in front of an astronaut space suit at the Kennedy Space Center on the eve of the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour July 14, 2009 in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

To Infinity And Beyond: Would-Be Astronauts Keep Faith In Uncertain Era

4:58pm February 10, 2013

by NPR Staff

As NASA moves away from manned missions, the private sector is taking on the task. Those hoping for a ride are as eager as ever, and space exploration hasn't lost a bit of its luster.

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Brookfield, Vt., residents fear that Postal Service changes will eventually lead to the closing of their small town post office. About 1,300 people live in Brookfield, according to 2010 U.S. Census figures.

For Rural Towns, Postal Service Cuts Could Mean A Loss Of Identity

12:11pm February 09, 2013

by Steve Zind

The U.S. Postal Service's decision to end Saturday delivery comes on the heels of a plan to reduce hours at many rural post offices. In Vermont, residents of small towns are worried the change is another step toward the eventual demise of their local post offices.

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After their album went to No. 1 on iTunes, Macklemore sent out the following tweet.

Music & Culture

The Real Story Of How Macklemore Got 'Thrift Shop' To No. 1

7:09pm February 08, 2013

by Zoe Chace

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, a rap group out of Seattle, say they rose to the top without a label. That's not entirely true.

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Tourists take photographs in front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 2, the day after Congress passed a bill to avoid the fiscal cliff.

Even Without Earmarks, Tax Breaks And Special Deals Fill Bills

12:28pm February 08, 2013

by Peter Overby

Congress likes to say it doesn't do earmarks anymore. And while that may be true, it's also a fact that targeted provisions are still useful in moving legislation — even critical legislation like the bill that pulled Washington back from the fiscal cliff last month.

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