We typically think of Walmart as a retail giant, so I was surprised to learn in today’s WSJ that for the last several years more than 50% of Walmart sales have come from its grocery business.  The article “Wal-Mart Sets … read more >

Some commentary on postponing the Keystone XL pipeline decision until after the 2012 election: 1. “If Keystone XL dies, Americans will wake up the next morning and continue to import 10 million barrels of oil from repressive nations, without the … read more >

What is the medical device tax? The $20 billion tax was included in the Affordable Care Act that was signed into law in 2010. The amount is based on a 2.3% excise tax that will be levied on the total … read more >

On this segment of MSNBC’s “Your Business,” New York Times’ small business columnist and blogger Gene Marks recommends three must-read blogs for small business owners to get up-to-date economic information: 1) Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein’s Wonkblog, 2) Calculated Risk … read more >

Take a 30-question “IQ test” here and find out how you compare to others who have taken the test. You have about 8 seconds to answer each question.

Margaret Wente writing in Canada’s Globe and Mail: “It’s not the greedy Wall Street bankers who destroyed [the Occupiers'] hopes. It’s the virtueocracy itself. It’s the people who constructed a benefit-heavy entitlement system whose costs can no longer be sustained. … read more >

The map above (click to enlarge) shows the existing, extensive network of energy pipelines in the U.S. with the following code: green for oil, red for gas, and blue for products such as gasoline, propane and ethylene.    In a … read more >

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 10, 2011 – “The retail cost of menu items for a classic Thanksgiving dinner including turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and all the basic trimmings increased about 13 percent this year, according to the American Farm Bureau … read more >