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The Bullpen

Dana Liebelson

The problem with outsourcing the military

Edward Morrissey

Obama's boneheaded health-care fight with Catholics

Daniel Larison

The brewing proxy war in Syria

Robert Shrum

Nominating Mitt Malaprop

Paul Brandus

Obama's 5 biggest mistakes

Shoppers at an Arkansas Walmart scramble for $2 waffle makers: The chain's Black Friday deals inspired unhinged behavior from rioting to parking lot shootings.

Walmart's violent Black Friday: 5 'grim' incidents

November 28, 2011, at 10:50 AM

Crowds who came looking for holiday deals came face-to-face with riots, shootings, and pepper-spray attacks

23 Comments

America has lost out on as much as $606 billion in international tourism revenue because of bureaucratic red tape.

America's lost tourism opportunity: By the numbers

November 23, 2011, at 4:07 PM

Strict visa regulations are making it harder for foreigners to visit the U.S. — depriving the country's tourism industry of much-needed revenue and jobs

6 Comments

Kohl's new Black Friday ad appropriates Rebecca Black's viral hit in a catchy (if annoying) attempt to get customers in a holiday shopping mood.

Kohl's Rebecca Black commerical: 'Most annoying Black Friday ad ever'?

November 22, 2011, at 1:25 PM

The department store hopes to get holiday shoppers in the door by spoofing Black's "Friday" — but might end up just irritating everyone instead

34 Comments

The new reality show "Oprah's Next Chapter" follows the famous talk show host as she travels around the world to pal around with celebrities, including Steven Tyler in his New Hampshire home.

Can Oprah's reality show rescue OWN?

November 21, 2011, at 3:18 PM

The Queen of Talk will get back in front of the cameras for Oprah's Next Chapter, a new series she hopes will halt her network's ratings slide

6 Comments

Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman at the review site's recently opened New York headquarters: The popular site hasn't turned a profit in years, but investors are still expected to leap at Yelp's IPO next year.

Yelp's $100 million IPO filing: 4 takeaways

November 18, 2011, at 4:18 PM

The user-generated review site is the latest internet company looking to go public — even though it's still unprofitable

6 Comments

If you need a toilet break after finishing that venti coffee, too bad: Starbucks is reserving bathrooms at its Manhattan locations for employees only.

Starbucks closes its public bathrooms: The best wisecracks

November 16, 2011, at 3:07 PM

The coffee king mandates that its frequently-trafficked NYC restrooms will be restricted to employees only — sparking both anxiety and jokes

22 Comments

Bargain hunters outside a Virginia Target last year: Target stores are planning to push Black Friday openings to midnight, potentially forcing employees to cut their Thanksgiving dinners short.

Midnight openings on Black Friday: Is Target 'destroying' Thanksgiving?

November 15, 2011, at 2:42 PM

The big-box retailer outrages its employees by telling them to show up on Thanksgiving night so stores can open the second Black Friday begins

26 Comments

As Chelsea Clinton joins Jenna Bush and Meghan McCain as an NBC news correspondent, journalists bemoan the fact that Clinton's chief qualification is apparently her last name.

NBC News hires Chelsea Clinton: A 'nepotistic no-brainer'?

November 14, 2011, at 2:41 PM

Like Jenna Bush before her, another former First Daughter adds "NBC News correspondent" to her resume, and journalists nationwide sigh sadly

24 Comments

Starbucks has purchased juice maker Evolution Fresh Inc. for $30 million: The coffee king will sell fruit drinks in its coffee shops, supermarkets, and a new string of Starbucks health and wellness stores.

Will Starbucks' $30 million bet on juice pay off?

November 14, 2011, at 10:44 AM

The coffee giant snatches up a major juice maker, and plans to hawk healthy fruit drinks alongside its creamy peppermint mochas

7 Comments

President Obama delayed a decision on the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline until after the 2012 election, which may please environmentalists, but anger labor unions.

Obama's 'stunning' Keystone XL oil pipeline delay: 4 takeaways

November 11, 2011, at 11:16 AM

The plan to pump tar-sands crude from Canada to the U.S. was considered a done deal — then Obama punted until after the 2012 election

25 Comments

It takes the sun only 14.5 seconds to provide as much energy to Earth as all of human civilization uses in a day.

The shrinking cost of solar energy: By the numbers

November 10, 2011, at 11:44 AM

As harnessing the sun's energy becomes cheaper and more efficient, some analysts believe solar will overtake fossil fuels in a matter of decades

8 Comments

Protesters form a 12,000-person human chain around the White House on Sunday, and call for President Obama to say no to the proposed 1,700-mile Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast.

Should Obama approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline?

November 9, 2011, at 12:57 PM

The massive infrastructure project would create thousands of jobs — but potentially ravage the environment, too

10 Comments

Prominent Goldline pitchman Glenn Beck may get an earful from gold skeptics now that Goldline's top executives face criminal fraud charges.

Goldline International's fraud bust: Winners and losers

November 4, 2011, at 2:09 PM

Glenn Beck's "favorite gold executives" face 19 criminal charges for allegedly baiting customers with gold bullion — then selling those customers overpriced coins

29 Comments