The recent tax cut bill preserves a pretty sweet deal for corn ethanol. It extends a tax subsidy, along with an import tariff supporting a fuel that already enjoys a guaranteed market. But what do taxpayers get for all the help?

In the first of our three-part series on ethanol, Frank Morris of Harvest Public Media reports that the heated debate over ethanol tramples some basic realities.

Think that designer blouse you're giving away to Goodwill will wind up in a thrift store? Think again. These days, Goodwill Industries, like many nonprofits that are searching for better ways to raise money and broaden their appeal, isn't going the traditional route with some of its designer donations.

Like trunk shows. Goodwill of Greater Washington recently pulled together a selection of its higher-end donations for a one-night sale at a retail store in Washington, D.C.

One afternoon this fall, Bobby McKinney hunched over a coffee table with a clear glass surface. A lamp with a bare light bulb illuminated it from below. Pencil in hand, the former Marine traced the pattern for a tattoo across delicate paper, a swirling, intricate design reminiscent of a Celtic cross.

When you were trying to figure out what to buy for the environmentalist on your holiday list, fur probably didn't cross your mind. But some ecologists and fashion enthusiasts are trying to rekindle a market for fur made from nutria -- rodents that are destroying Louisiana's wetlands.

Unusual fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn have showcased nutria fur made into everything from g-strings to full-length coats. Even the cello player at a recent show in Brooklyn, who accompanies the models as they strut down the runway, wears a nutria bikini.

As President Obama prepares to sign into law a repeal of the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, soldiers at military bases around the country are expressing both nonchalance and worry that serving with openly gay troops will be a distraction.

The Senate approved a measure to end the 17-year-old ban on gays in the military on Saturday, and Obama could sign it into law as early as Wednesday. The repeal won't take effect immediately, but the policy could be over in a matter of weeks.