Economy

There are a lot of celebrities that won’t get out of bed for less than a quarter of a million dollars, but a lot more Americans are surviving on much, much less.

Disapproval of President Obama’s handling of the economy is heading higher — alongside gasoline prices — as a record number of Americans now give the president “strongly” negative reviews on the 2012 presidential campaign’s most important issue, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Turmoil in the Middle East is nothing new. Gas prices going up is nothing new. What is new is the possibility that we could be looking at prices at the pump lurking in the neighborhood of $5 a gallon by the summer. And that’s painful.

Lufkin Industries has completed a merger that will make the company an even bigger worldwide player in oil exploration and production.  Lufkin's British subsidiary, Lufkin Industries Holdings UK Limited, has bought Zenith Oilfield Technology Ltd., based in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Growing numbers of people are traveling really long distances to get to work.  Many even travel hundreds of miles from their homes to their jobs.  They take a combination of cars, planes, trains and buses to get from home to the office, and back. These people are known as -- what else -- "super-commuters."

In news that would make Steve Jobs proud, Apple has been named America’s most profitable retailer, beating out other powerhouses like Tiffany & Co., GameStop and Select Comfort.

It's true.  This year’s Index of Dependence on Government shows some startling findings about the increasing numbers of Americans who rely on the federal government for housing, food, income, student aid or other assistance, but pay no income taxes.

The current head of the World Bank is expected to step down sometime this year, and you may or may not be surprised to know that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is reportedly lobbying for the prestigious and powerful job. But, whether she is or isn't pursuing the job depends upon whom you ask.