Princes of Denmark

In Europe's biggest leveraged buyout, a group of private equity firms will pay $12 billion for Danish telecom company TDC. So what's so hot about a Scandinavian phone company? Alisa Roth has more from New York.

The year without a Santa Claus?

The economy posted its best quarterly showing in over a year. Consumers and businesses are still spending despite hurricanes and high energy prices. But as Hillary Wicai reports, not everyone is doing the happy numbers dance.

Hey, big spenders

Consumer confidence has bounced back from hurricanes and high gas prices, but is still below pre-Katrina levels, and the holiday season looks dubious. What's the prognosis? Commentator Robert Reich puts it all in perspective.

Withdrawal pains

In today's Iraq speech, the president rejected a timetable for troop withdrawal. Yet the Pentagon plans to shrink the force size after Iraq's December elections. We asked former Pentagon official and military analyst Dan Goure about the economic aftereffects of a troop drawdown.

Bad press

The Los Angeles Times reports that the US military has been writing articles supportive of the war effort and submitting them, without attribution, to Iraqi media. We spoke with the Times' Borzou Daragahi from Baghdad.

Fly me to the moon

Last fall, we reported on the opulent trips some legislators enjoyed on the tab of private interest groups. They're not the only ones; a new study shows that the executive branch is sharing in the perks. John Dimsdale reports.

Ridin' on that New Delhi gravy train

In India, corruption is embedded into every aspect of daily life, especially for the poor. Studies show India's poor shell out illegal payments literally from birth to death. Miranda Kennedy tells us about one family's experience.