When it comes to globally known super-brands, Americans could be forgiven for thinking the U.S. of A. has a lock on all the most valuable names. But some of the world's most valuable brands are not only owned by foreign companies, they are names many of us have probably never even heard of.
As pundits and politicians rush to sew the year up into a neat little bundle, we decided to look at 2012 from a slightly different angle. Here is our list of the year's worst bets -- six developments that seemed like sure things in January, but were bust by December.
Since a ban on assault weapons won't be under the tree this Christmas, a few companies -- notably Utah-based Amendment II -- are betting that parents will take their children's safety into their own hands.
The family of Noah Pozner was mourning the 6-year-old, killed in the Newtown school massacre, when outrage compounded their sorrow. Someone they didn't know was soliciting donations in Noah's memory, claiming that they'd send any cards, packages and money collected to his parents and siblings.
There's no lack of numbers to bring to bear in a discussion about guns in America, but here's the big one: 281,757 people in this country died of gunshot wounds from 2001 and 2011. DailyFinance's Bruce Watson digs into the unadorned data on the results of this country's obsession with guns.
The second winner of the $587.5 million Powerball jackpot is a 37-year-old electronics industry professional who grew up in a modest home in Pennsylvania and moved to an affluent Phoenix suburb last year before striking it rich in the lotto.
The holder of a winning lottery ticket bought in Arizona has come forward to claim half of the record $587.5 million Powerball lottery jackpot, the Arizona lottery said on Friday. The unidentified ticket holder shares the huge prize in the November 29 draw with a Missouri couple who claimed their prize a week ago.
A 52-year-old Missouri mechanic and his wife claimed their share Friday of the record $588 million Powerball jackpot. Mike and Cindy Hill are taking the lump sum option, which means that after taxes, they will receive about $136.5 million.
Lottery officials in Missouri verified its state's winning Powerball ticket after it was presented to them late Thursday. The Arizona winner had yet to come forward, but has 180 days to do so.
The search is on for the country's newest multimillionaires, the holders of two tickets that matched all six numbers to claim a record $588 million Powerball jackpot. The winning tickets were sold at a convenience store in suburban Phoenix and a gas station just off Interstate 29 in a small northwestern Missouri town.
Two lucky tickets -- one sold in Arizona and another in Missouri -- will split the largest Powerball jackpot ever. The numbers drawn Wednesday night for the $587.5 million prize were 5, 16, 22, 23, 29. The Powerball was 6. Winners have not yet come forward with either ticket.
While the main event on Tuesday night was the presidential election, many voters also had the opportunity to amend their local or state laws -- and some of those propositions were more than a bit off-the-wall. Curious about the bold and bizarre ideas that made the ballot? Take our quiz.
When Sandy struck New York City and other major East Coast population centers, it immediately vaulted onto the list of the most expensive storms in U.S. history. Repairing the damage will ultimately cost tens of billions of dollars. Here's how Sandy stacks up to other devastating Atlantic storms.
There's a new study shows a surprising way parents can encourage their kids' success: Buy a house. The results suggest teenage children of homeowners are 2.6% less likely to drop out of school than teens whose parents rent their home, and are 5% less likely to get pregnant.
Opponents of the Endangered Species Act don't argue against it because they have something against gorillas -- it's because, they say, the cost in lost jobs and higher taxes seems too high. But a study recently published in the journal Science suggests it's much lower than you'd guess.