Topic: Charlotte (North Carolina)

The Count of Monte Cristo

A swashbuckling new edition of a story that never grows old.

Summer school got cut? Kids can still learn.

Online courses, new day camps, and tapping stimulus funds are ways to minimize 'learning loss.'

Housing market inches toward stability

But unsold homes remain a big challenge for the US economy.

A shift in home economics

Family finances get healthier as people save more and spend less. But will that help the recovery?

US home prices down 19.1 percent

Minneapolis posts record 6.1 percent monthly decline, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller index.

Road Dogs

Once again Elmore Leonard revs the plot, dials up the banter, and produces a novel you’ve got to stay up all night to finish.

Silver lining of shrinking economy: consumer spending up

Economic activity in the US plunged 6.1 percent in the first quarter of this year, but free-fall in consumer spending stopped.

Bank of America makes money and the stock market ... dives?

Concern about its loan losses – and those of other banks – helped to push the Dow down 3.56 percent on Monday.

Troubled economy? Tax credits to the rescue.

As Americans file their taxes Wednesday, many are getting a financial boost from recent tax changes that give consumers money to pay debts and buy cars.

Retail sales flag, as rising job losses make consumers wary

Spending in March slowed 1.1 percent, dashing hopes that a more confident US public would loosen household purse strings.

Job hunting? This week's unusual openings.

The Yankee Years

An insider's look at Torre's years with the N.Y. Yankees.

Classic book review – The Looming Tower

It is hard to imagine a better portrait of 9/11 and its causes.

Just how vulnerable are US banks?

A 'stress test' aims to assess which banks would need help if the economy worsened.

Where oh where is that peach pie recipe?

When the pile of recipes is out of control, it's time to organize it. Here's how.

A. Lincoln

Biographer Ronald C. White traces the spiritual and intellectual evolution of Abraham Lincoln.

Less stuff = more freedom

In this economic downturn, many people are simplifying their lives by getting rid of excess stuff.

Economic stimulus plans now global phenomenon

At least 34 countries have plans, worth a total of $2.25 trillion.

More garden 'siteseeing' among the best

Best garden blogs

Home price plunge spreads to stable cities

New refinance boomlet may lift economy, a bit

Low mortgage rates act as a gentle spur, but they're not enough to revive the housing market.

A pizza pie interpretation

In the South in the 1950s, we hadn't heard of pizza and decided to create our own.

Classic book review: At Canaan's Edge

Martin Luther King Jr. was no saint, but this nuanced biography confirms his many virtues.

A crime paper flourishes by printing mug shots

Isaac Cornetti, aka ‘Dash Dangerfield,’ finds an audience for ‘The Slammer’ in North Carolina – a publication that some think provides a public service but others call an unethical crime rag.

Job skill for the times: coping with a layoff

Keys for pink-slip recipients include directness, dignity, and forward motion.