Wal-Mart is one of the nation's largest private energy consumers, having to power millions of square feet of store space. So when the Obama administration wanted to cut energy bills for the Air Force - which consumes more energy than any other U.S. agency - it turned to the person who had led similar efforts at Wal-Mart for six years.

It used to be that the only way to get to outer space was through the government.

The West Coast's abundant fisheries are at risk as the region's waters become more acidic, a group of scientists warn.

Federal regulators served notice last week: They're watching how businesses use - and possibly abuse - consumers' personal information. And that's great. It's about time more official attention was paid to ways that companies invade our privacy. But federal authorities can do more, much more, to level the playing field.