Topic: Austin

Best US cities for college graduates

This annual ranking of the best cities for college graduates includes Fayettville, N.C. (No. 1), Omaha, Neb. (No. 2), and Oklahoma City (No. 3). Is your city on the Daily Beast list of 25 places for those seeking low rents, cheap eats, good job prospects, and decent pay?

Top Picks: a musical tribute to Bob Dylan, 'Too Big To Fail,' Azam Ali's latest album, and more

Recordings of famous musicians performing Bob Dylan classics, an HBO movie about the 2008 economic crisis, a collection of lullabies sung by music superstar Azam Ali, and more recommendations.

Social Security fraud: Grandmother claimed fake son

Social Security recipient paid someone to pose as her son for 20 years so she could get $120,000 in Social Security disability.

Casey Abrams sets the bar for American Idol Hollywood Week solos (video)

The two secret weapons of Season 10 on American Idol are not Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, but Casey Abrams and Lauren Alaina.

Pentagon fears Iraq is becoming 'forgotten war'

Despite progress in Iraq, the Pentagon cautions that security in the country remains fragile. Military and civilian officials hint that the US could stay past 2011.

Income tax quandary: I make $320,000. Can I cut my taxes?

Income tax weighs on the mind of this high-earner. For a solution to a high income tax, see question No. 3 in the reader mailbag.

Chicken magnate and Clarion, Iowa: uneasy pairing even before egg recall

The man behind Wright County Egg, the firm involved in last month's egg recall, may not be reviled in Iowa, but he's not admired either. How his egg business has changed Clarion, Iowa.

TaskRabbit: new part-time work for people without jobs

TaskRabbit, a new online service, connects people who need errands done with those willing to do them. Some 70 percent of TaskRabbit runners are unemployed or underemployed.

Will new charging stations spark electric car sales?

New York City opened its first public electric-vehicle charging station Wednesday as part of a nationwide push to add infrastructure for plug-in cars.

Haitian orphans: Americans fight red tape to hasten adoptions

The US government has expedited orphan transfers after the earthquake in Haiti. But aid groups worry about trafficking children whose parents or other relatives still may be alive.

Supreme Court: Campaign-finance limits violate free speech

The Supreme Court campaign finance ruling on Thursday means corporations can spend freely on political ads leading up to elections. The Thursday decision invalidates a part of 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign-finance reform law that sought to limit corporate influence.

What is known about Nidal Malik Hasan and Fort Hood shooting

A fuller picture is beginning to emerge about what happened at Fort Hood Thursday and who Nidal Malik Hasan is. But at this early stage, answers are still elusive.

Kids on the fast track

US embassy, offices in South Africa remain closed after terror threat

All US government offices in the country were ordered closed on Tuesday after authorities received 'credible,' undisclosed information about a terrorist threat.

Recession pummels South’s ‘miracle' economy

With seven states now seeing double-digit unemployment rates, the region is feeling some of the costs of a low-wage economy.

Classic book review: A Summer of Hummingbirds

At the close of the Civil War, a unique moment in US culture.

Columbine

A decade after the Columbine school shootings, a journalist shines a light into the dark corners of the case.

US general: American forces may not leave key Iraqi cities

The top commander of ground forces in Iraq says that US troops may stay longer than the June deadline in Baquba and Mosul.

Will cheaper gas nix energy reforms?

If prices keep dropping, the next president may find it harder to ease the US off foreign oil.

Signs that, amid tough times, Americans will keep giving

Most donors plan to give to charity in coming months, an online survey finds. History bears that out.

Petition: Add 'Bike There' to Google Maps

A bike activist has collected more than 35,000 signatures on an online petition asking Google to add a 'Bike There' feature to its popular online maps application.

Etc.

At the close of the Civil War, a unique moment in US culture

The hummingbird became the symbol of an era for 19th-century America.