The recent closing of Domino magazine shows that even Condé Nast’s legendary patience to turn a profit is now meeting the pull of economic gravity.

When Even Condé Nast Is in Retreat

Few of the commercials during Super Bowl XLIII offered anything special.

Ads That Pushed Our Usual (Well-Worn) Buttons

Michael S. Dell got rich building computers, but the tech mogul has interests in many surprisingly low-tech sectors, including the landscaping business.

A Tech Mogul’s Green Thumb

The tension between Apple and the music industry stems from Apple’s power over the industry, but it also echoes the traditional divide between suppliers and distributors.

Despite iTunes Accord, Music Labels Still Fret

As investors tallied their losses at the end of 2008, they comforted themselves with the thought that at least things could not get much worse. But yes, they can.

February Blues After the Worst of Januarys

Hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars are at stake as the Obama administration prepares its strategy to rescue the nation’s banks.

Big Risks for U.S. in Trying to Value Bad Bank Assets

Despite enforcement on both sides of the Southwest border, the Mexican marijuana trade is more robust than ever, law enforcement officials say.

Tougher Border Can’t Stop Mexican Marijuana Cartels

Despite soaring unemployment, the number of people receiving cash assistance remained at or near the lowest in more than 40 years.

Welfare Aid Isn’t Growing as Economy Drops Off

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and receiver Santonio Holmes moved the Steelers 78 yards and connected for a 6-yard touchdown for the game-winner.

Last-Minute Drive Pushes Steelers to Sixth Title

No matter the stimulus package’s final form, experts say that California will most likely be a reliable indicator of the plan’s success or failure.

A State With a Wish List for Stimulus Spending

The disclosures about Tom Daschle show how he was able to live lavishly by dint of his name and connections.

In Daschle’s Tax Woes, a Peek Into Washington

Bolivia will not easily surrender its massive reserve of lithium, the mineral needed to power electric vehicles.

In Bolivia, Untapped Bounty Meets Nationalism

The department store chain said the job cuts, which amount to about 4 percent of its work force, and other actions are aimed at lowering annual expenses by about $400 million.

Macy’s Cuts Dividend and 7,000 Jobs

George Balanchine’s “Jewels” is something still being investigated, not just by spectators but by several of the companies staging it, including Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Mining the Hidden Gems of a Balanchine Classic

“The Third Story” is an often entertaining and just as often overwhelming new play by Charles Busch.

For Some Mothers, Letting Go Is So Hard to Do

Experts are divided on whether new tests will reduce mortality from oral cancer or simply lead to a wave of expensive and unnecessary biopsies.

New Oral Cancer Tests: Crucial or Wasteful?

In Baghdad their practice space was bombed. Now an Iraqi heavy metal band has found refuge in America.

One Band Moves Its Metal Out of Iraq

“The Spy Factory,” a “Nova” documentary about the National Security Agency to be shown on Tuesday on PBS, buries insights in a hackneyed documentary format.

How Smart Is the U.S. Intelligence, Anyway?

As investment bankers adjust to a new role as targets of scorn, they aren’t expecting pity, or a sympathetic ear.

Wall St., a Financial Epithet, Stirs Outrage

Nicola Vassell, a director at Deitch Projects, is trying to build a career in a suddenly contracting industry.

A Shaper of Talent for a Changing Art World

How can a bad bank be good? That’s the question the governments of the United States, Germany and Britain are wrestling with as they move to clean up the balance sheets of their financial institutions.

Making the Best of Bad Banks

Television executives are hoping that consumers will want digital memories of Inauguration Day.

To Relive the Inauguration, a Wave of Network DVDs

Why do lobsters turn from black to red when cooked? Does the effect have practical applications in business or medicine?

The Red and the Black

A new mathematical model predicts that limited profiling would be a more efficient way to conduct airport screening for terrorists.

Math Backs Limited Profiling in Airport Screening

The annual luncheon for Oscar nominees took place Monday in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton hotel.

February 2, 2009

Headlines from February 2, 2009

When Even Condé Nast Is in Retreat

Ads That Pushed Our Usual (Well-Worn) Buttons

A Tech Mogul’s Green Thumb

Despite iTunes Accord, Music Labels Still Fret

February Blues After the Worst of Januarys

Billboard 200

Fearless

I Am...Sasha Fierce

Dark Horse

Notorious

808s & Heartbreak

Historical Context for February 2, 2009