Julie Rose

Barely 40 years ago, more than half of U.S. states had eugenics laws that made it legal for states to sterilize people against their will. North Carolina is now considering compensating those victims. On Wednesday, a state panel heard from some who were mostly poor, uneducated — and often just girls when it happened.

When the Democratic National Convention arrives in Charlotte in 2012, one company will be front and center. Duke Energy has secured an unusually prominent role in the city's hosting effort — even offering its assets as a backstop for the potential cash shortfalls.

Hundreds of veterans are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with disabilities that make it hard or impossible to get a job. Many are eligible for disability benefits — but with a wait time of months or years, the veterans risk serious financial trouble.

Lazy Cakes' "The Original Relaxation Brownie" is one of a few new products being stirred up to cool off the energy-boosting products craze. The brownies are selling like hot cakes in convenience stores and gas stations in several states. Still, laziness seekers are cautioned not to gorge on them.

It's the holiday season, so it's no surprise that employees at Lickety Split Chocolate are hard at work. But this is no ordinary candy company. The CEO is 15 years old, and the other employees are even younger. But like any good entrepreneurs, these kids -- all from the Navajo tribe -- know a good business idea when they see it.