Across the country, car dealers are remodeling and updating their showrooms at the urging of manufacturers, who want all dealerships to look similar. The dealerships are spending hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars on these "voluntary" projects, but many say they'll never recoup all the investment. The manufacturers offer incentives to dealers who take the plunge.

With the Iowa caucuses coming up on Jan. 3, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has turned his attention to New Hampshire, which holds its primary on Jan. 10. Tuesday night, Romney began a four-day swing through the state, where he still holds a commanding lead in public opinion polls. Wednesday, he began a bus tour that lasts through Friday. It's a relatively extended bout of retail campaigning for Romney.

More than 40 percent of the long-term unemployed say they've received a lot of help from family and friends, while only 1 in 10 reports getting much help from churches or community groups, according to an NPR/Kaiser Family Foundation poll. But these groups say they're in high demand.

Many job seekers assume they won't make much progress in their search over the holidays. Not so, says Lauren Weber of The Wall Street Journal. Weber explains why job hunters may want to consider keeping their search alive through the holiday season.

House members on Tuesday rejected a Senate plan for extending the payroll tax cut. To attract House conservatives, the Senate had included a controversial provision forcing President Barack Obama to decide on the fate of a planned oil pipeline within 60 days.

The death of Florida A&M drum major Robert Champion, Jr. continues to reverberate at schools nationwide. His death exposed a hazing culture unfamiliar to many, but band directors and school administrators have been dealing with the problem for many years.

If you think all American food tastes alike, you may be on to something. A chemical analysis of flavors around the world found that Americans cook with flavors that are chemically similar, like eggs, milk, and vanilla, while East Asians go for chemical contrast. Think shrimp and lemon.

Melody Barnes is leaving her post as director of the administration's Domestic Policy Council. Barnes was influential in crafting some of the president's major initiatives including health care and economic legislation. Host Michel Martin speaks with Barnes about her achievements and the president's popularity.

Patients have the legal right to see their doctor's notes, but actually getting them can be slow and expensive. Two new surveys say patients overwhelmingly want to read the notes. But doctors are much more dubious about the benefits of giving patients a window into their thoughts.