Whether it's Air Jordan shoes or an Apple iPhone, kids and teens often covet brand name items, especially at this time of year. Is it okay for parents to give these trendy items to their kids, and how much? Host Michel Martin speaks with James Roberts, author of Shiny Objects, and three regular parenting contributors.

With the economy still in a slump, many people are resolving to start 2012 by getting their budgets in order. To break down the basics, host Michel Martin speaks with Natalie McNeal, author of The Frugalista Files. McNeal dug herself out of a $20 thousand debt in just two years.

The U.S. has gone through five years of foreclosed homes, vacant subdivisions and houses worth less than the owner's mortgage. Host Michel Martin and NPR Senior Business Editor Marilyn Geewax discuss whether predictions of a turnaround in the housing market are realistic or just new year optimism.

You might expect grandeur from a political campaign, but here's what they really look like.

Republican presidential hopefuls were bearing down and trying to sway voters hours ahead of the first major test of the primary season. But more than a third of those participating in the state's caucuses say they still haven't made up their minds.

College football bowl games began last month but the big games are being played in the new year. There were six games played Monday including the Rose Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl. Michigan and Virginia Tech meet Tuesday night in the Sugar Bowl.

An Iraq war veteran who is suspected of killing a park ranger has been found dead in a snowy stream at Washington's Mount Rainier National Park. The park had been closed since Sunday while authorities searched for Benjamin Barnes.

Charles Samuels is the first African American to run the U.S.l Bureau of Prisons that supervises more than 200,000 inmates nationwide. Samuels faces multiple challenges — from overcrowding in prisons to budget pressure in Congress.