protest

"No work. No shopping. Occupy everywhere." That's the call from Occupy Wall Street on May Day -- International Workers Day. But what does the movement aim to accomplish with its general strike?

Strawberry Frappuccinos are a summertime favorite at Starbucks. Too bad word's out that the lovely strawberry color is actually derived from "cochineal extract" -- dried, crushed bug carcasses. Talk about a buzzkill.

The Occupy Wall Street protesters might not believe they've got too many "suits" on their side, but retailer Men's Wearhouse took a stand for them last week. On Wednesday, Occupy Oakland planned a citywide strike to protest income disparity in America, and the local Men's Wearhouse closed its doors in support.

On Saturday, tens of thousands will march, protest and move their money out of big banks. But plenty of Americans haven't waited for Bank Transfer Day. For Frank Sheldon of Seattle, his journey to a credit union started in 2008 when his old bank was absorbed by J.P. Morgan Chase.

Ben & Jerry's, the progressive ice cream brand with the hippie ethos, has announced its support for Occupy Wall Street. But the free ice cream it donated Tuesday was cold comfort to some protesters, who wondered how a brand owned by a mammoth multinational conglomerate can genuinely support their anti-corporate message.

Described as a "fear tactic" by critics, the White House warned Tuesday that if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling soon, come August, millions of Social Security recipients may find themselves without a check. The comments were met with a firestorm of criticism by seniors and their advocates.

Days after Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami, some investing experts pronounced the country's woes a buying opportunity. A cash stampede into U.S.-based Japan exchange-traded funds followed. But these investments carry greater risks than the average Joe probably realizes.

It's absolutely worth protesting that New York University graduates leave the school with an average of $33,487 in student loan debt. But T-shirts and moments of silence aren't going to change anything. If they were smart and savvy, those undergrads would vote with their feet.

Political upsets in Peruvian regional elections could indicate a national shift to the left -- and some business leaders worry that could discourage foreign investment in the country, which has rich natural resources such as oil, gas and gold.

The BP disaster unleashed a gusher of a different sort – complaints from donors to The Nature Conservancy who are upset that one of the world's largest environmental organizations accepts big money from BP. But it's far from the only green cause to get cash from the oil giant. Small protests...