Fewer Americans are having trouble paying their mortgages now compared to a year ago, according to a new survey. The bad news? Fewer Americans have mortgages. Some of those who were struggling last year have since sold or foreclosed.

According to a new poll, almost three-quarters of Americans favor legalizing marijuana within their respective states for medical use, while just 18% oppose such a measure. A majority also believe legalizing pot could help boost tax revenues in their state.

Recorded music sales in America plunged another 7% last year as the sharp 16% drop in CD revenue more than offset gains in digital-media sales, according to new report. Overall sales fell despite the fact that illegal downloads of music have declined markedly since LimeWire was shut down.

Subway tops a Harris Poll of fast-food brand recognition but sandwiches still trail burgers among Americans favorite meals.

In a one-on-one interview with DailyFinance, Paul Mitchell CEO John Paul DeJoria discusses the hair-care industry, his philanthropy efforts and why the company won't go public. "If Paul Mitchell went open market, I'd double my business overnight. But I always said that if we were lucky enough to make it, we'll be the only ones that never sold you out."

As the economy picks back up, more and more people are working from home. The number of home-based U.S. businesses will grow by more than 10% over the next four years, and the number of telecommuters will rise by 12%. But that's not all based on the recovery: Many are victims of the recession.

Spurred largely by a 1999 report that cited gender discrimination among reasons why women accounted for less than 10% of MIT's science and engineering faculty, the school made a concerted effort to address the stereotypes and misconceptions that limited women's advancement through MIT's academia. The effort appears to have paid off.

Expect to pay more this year for many consumer goods -- from diapers to toothpaste to Big Macs. Just as the typical American family will finally have a few more dollars to spend, inflation will take a chunk of that extra cash.

Escalating violence related to the cross-border drug trade has caused Texas authorities to advise spring break revelers to avoid Mexico. The Mexico Tourism Board countered that traveling south of the border remains safe. At stake is a big chunk of the $12 billion that tourists spend in Mexico each year.

Men, who have endured slightly higher unemployment rates than women, have been taking on more of the household shopping, according to a recent report. The trend hasn't boded well for stores: On average, men spend less than women on each trip.