Two-part 'fiscal cliff' deal taking shape

WASHINGTON -- The outline of a compromise over upcoming federal tax hikes and spending cuts began to come into focus Friday...

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Sugar Drops: 10 Pop Culture Moments for Twinkies

The Twinkie is iconic. Pretty much everyone knows what they look like, taste like, even smell like. And that – legend has it – they'll last forever. Well, sort of. Hostess Brands, the makers of Twinkies, filed a motion to liquidate Friday, meaning the company may not be around much longer (maybe). But even if the cake-y creamy concoction does meet its end, it leaves...

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Robert Pattinson looks for danger after “Twilight”

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Robert Pattinson has set young hearts aflutter as the teen vampire Edward Cullen in the “Twilight Saga” films, but as the sun sets on the franchise that launched his career, the actor is looking for more grown-up and “dangerous” roles.“Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” released this week, is the fifth and final in the series, and Edward’s...

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Personal Health: Quitting Smoking for Good

Few smokers would claim that it’s easy to quit. The addiction to nicotine is strong and repeatedly reinforced by circumstances that prompt smokers to light up.Yet the millions who have successfully quit are proof that a smoke-free life is achievable, even by those who have been regular, even heavy, smokers for decades.Today, 19 percent of American adults smoke, down from more than 42 percent half...

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2 Banks Settle With S.E.C. on Mortgage Securities

JPMorgan Chase and Credit Suisse have agreed to settlements with the Securities and Exchange Commission totaling $417 million over their packaging and sale of troubled mortgage securities to investors, the agency said Friday. The settlements are the latest major penalties extracted by the agency in a broad investigation into the way Wall Street firms bundled mortgages into complex investments before...

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BP fined, charged in oil spill that showed 'profit over prudence'

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Watch Man Speed Up 'Call Me Maybe' With His Heartbeat

By Eliot Van Buskirk, Evolver.fmOne of the stranger fruits born by Music Hack Day Boston this past weekend was Heart Beats, which mashes a heart-rate-detecting watch with Max/MSP to control music’s tempo with the subject’s heartbeat.“Heart Beats continually modifies the tempo of your music to match your heart rate,” writes its creator, Ryan Challinor. “Hopefully...

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Drug charges dropped against Jon Bon Jovi’s daughter

(Reuters) – Drug charges against the daughter of rock star Jon Bon Jovi were dropped on Thursday, a day after she suffered a suspected heroin overdose, officials in New York said.Oneida County District Attorney Scott D. McNamara said in a statement that Stephanie Bongiovi could not be charged because New York law prohibits the prosecution of people who...

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I Was Misinformed: The Time She Tried Viagra

I have noticed, in the bragging-rights department, that “he doesn’t need Viagra” has become the female equivalent of the male “and, I swear, she’s a real blonde.” Personally, I do not care a bit. To me, anything that keeps you happy and in the game is a good thing. But then, I am proud to say, I was among the early, and from what I gather, rare female users. It happened when the drug...

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DealBook: In a Switch, Investors Are Buying European Bank Bonds

LONDON — European bank debt, once an investment pariah, is suddenly popular.In recent weeks, money managers have been readily buying the new bonds of the region’s financial institutions, deals that just months ago would have seemed unpalatable. Bank of Ireland, which received a bailout in 2010, sold $1.3 billion of bonds on Tuesday and found strong demand. It was the largest offering by an Irish bank...

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