Rising gold prices mean Elko, Nev., is doing great. But people there know the good times won't last forever.

Even as Congress' deficit-reduction supercommittee ran into a dead end this week, the resulting mandatory spending cuts were immediately targeted by interest groups and sympathetic lawmakers. No interest group stands to lose more than the defense industry.

Anthony Hardwick, a Target employee from Nebraska, made headlines for his petition drive against the company's plan to open stores at midnight after Thanksgiving. Is it wrong to make employees work right after they finish Thanksgiving dinner? Or is Target simply giving customers what they want?

The Missouri river town spent $300 million on a glass-encased sports arena that no big-league pro sports team calls home. Four years later, Sprint Center ranks as America's fifth-busiest arena, with visitors ranging from Lady Gaga to Elmo, from college hoops to Cirque du Soleil.

Technology exists for gas cars to get 55 miles per gallon — the fuel economy goal set by the Obama administration for the year 2025. But all the extra comforts consumers are used to — including automatic transmissions and power windows — can drive fuel economy down by half.