Stacey Vanek Smith

Oil prices were at an all-time intra-day high of almost $80 a barrel today -- shooting up from just six weeks ago, when prices were in the mid-60s. Stacey Vanek-Smith looks into why.

The FTC today kicks off a two-day hearing on whether Whole Foods' pending buyout of rival organic retailer Wild Oats constitutes a monopoly. And industry watchers are divided on this one, Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.

Microsoft announced it's expanding operations in Vancouver, Canada. The company said the move is meant to attract talent and avoid U.S. immigration rules. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.

California Gov. Schwarzenegger has let charities pay for some of his pricey overseas trips that feature private jets and four-star hotels. The nonprofits get tax write-offs for the trips — and access, of course. Stacey Vanek-Smith explains.

India's tech and services sectors are growing by leaps and bounds. This year, revenues in the tech sector alone are expected to reach $50 billion. And a lot of that dough is coming from American companies, Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.

A recent study found that nearly half of American workers don't take all of their vacation days. What is wrong with us? Do we love our jobs that much?Uh, not quite. Stacey Vanek Smith takes a look.

Companies that make, um, intimacy products are getting creative about how they market them to women, whose attitudes about sex are more open than ever. And courting the ladies is really paying off, Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.

LA's iconic palm-lined avenues may be fading into the sunset. As palms die of old age and a fatal fungus, the city plans to replace the pricey trees with oaks and sycamores. But that could be a big mistake, reports Stacey Vanek-Smith.

As pressure mounts for World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz to resign, a growing chorus of nations is beginning to ask whether the U.S. should always get to choose who heads the international organization.

A few years back, many state coffers were bare. When budgets had to be slashed, arts funding was one of the biggest casualties. Now that money is coming back — and it has everything to do with local economics.