The changing business of influence

(Linda Davidson / The Washington Post)

Inspired by tech start-ups, Steve McBee is blurring the lines when it comes to a lobbying firm’s services.

Warren Brown

Warren Brown

If Hanna-Barbera made a car

Although redesigned, the front-wheel-drive 2014 Kia Soul wagon retains the body and spirit of a cartoon character.

Barry Ritholtz

Barry Ritholtz

Barry Ritholtz: What kind of investor are you?

Wall Street sells the outcome-oriented approach. But over time, the process-oriented investor wins.

Nuts & Bolts: 2014 Kia Soul

The 2014 Kia Soul is one of the best-priced, best-equipped small wagons available in the U.S. auto market.

Michelle Singletary

Michelle Singletary

When paying off debt, gain strength by starting small

Getting rid of your smallest balances first can give you momentum.

Latest Business News

Transcripts show uncertainty at Fed as 2008 crisis grew

Transcripts show uncertainty at Fed as 2008 crisis grew

Documents released Friday indicate that Bernanke’s grasp of the situation seemed to come in fits and starts.

Fannie Mae payments to U.S. to exceed bailout

Fannie Mae payments to U.S. to exceed bailout

Fannie reported that it will pay the government $7.2 billion in March, for a total of $121 billion in dividends.

Narrow unlocking bill gets yawn from reform groups

Narrow unlocking bill gets yawn from reform groups

Narrow bill fails to address broader problems with the controversial DMCA.

Conservative backlash kills FCC plan to survey America’s newsrooms

Conservative backlash kills FCC plan to survey America’s newsrooms

The FCC will no longer ask broadcast journalists about their “news philosophy.“

Have we been through an age of austerity?

Have we been through an age of austerity?

Many conservative commentators don’t believe we’ve been through an age of austerity, but there’s a good argument that we have.

U.S. home sales plunged 5.1 percent in January

U.S. home sales plunged 5.1 percent in January

Sales of existing U.S. homes plummeted in January to the worst pace in 18 months. Cold weather, limited supplies of homes on the market and higher buying costs held back purchases.

How rich is too rich? It depends on where you live

How rich is too rich? It depends on where you live

A Brookings Institution study find that income inequality, like politics, is local.

Walmart has lobbied on the minimum wage

Walmart has lobbied on the minimum wage

It just joins the rest of the retail and restaurant industry in putting a thumb on the scale -- though it’s unclear in which direction.

Detroit files plan to fix debt, leave bankruptcy

Detroit files plan to fix debt, leave bankruptcy

Detroit’s plan to restructure the city’s $18 billion debt would cut public-employee pensions.

120,000 players. One epic game of Pokemon.

120,000 players. One epic game of Pokemon.

Somehow a group the size of the population of Santa Clara, Calif., has made it a little over halfway through the first-generation Pokemon game

Here’s how to reform civil service in America

Here’s how to reform civil service in America

“Federal managers don’t know how to deal with poor performers.“

Loehmann’s closing its last Washington-area store

Loehmann’s closing its last Washington-area store

The retailer will close its last Washington-area store Sunday, following tough competition.

Why is the Obama administration using taxpayer money to back a nuclear plant that’s already being built?

Why is the Obama administration using taxpayer money to back a nuclear plant that’s already being built?

The Obama administration just gave a nuclear plant a loan guarantee 30 times larger than Solyndra’s. Will it have a happier ending?

Post Office working on a Steve Jobs stamp

Post Office working on a Steve Jobs stamp

The Apple co-founder and Silicon Valley visionary will be commemorated in 2015.

Liberals didn’t kill Obama’s Social Security cuts. Republicans did.

Liberals didn’t kill Obama’s Social Security cuts. Republicans did.

Liberals think they killed Obama’s proposal to trim Social Security benefits in the future. Actually, Republicans did.

TechBit: Swerve and Destroy lets you fire away at boredom

TechBit: Swerve and Destroy lets you fire away at boredom

Quick and simple, this Android game tests users’ reflexes as they evade and annihilate the enemy.

For a glimpse at emerging market problems, follow the gold...

For a glimpse at emerging market problems, follow the gold...

India has lost such faith in local conditions that people have turned to the shiny commodity to offset inflation and fading growth.

Column

Barry Ritholtz: What kind of investor are you?

Barry Ritholtz: What kind of investor are you?

Wall Street sells the outcome-oriented approach. But over time, the process-oriented investor wins.

Column

Nuts & Bolts: 2014 Kia Soul

Nuts & Bolts: 2014 Kia Soul

The 2014 Kia Soul is one of the best-priced, best-equipped small wagons available in the U.S. auto market.

President Obama has jettisoned deficits as an issue. The American people agree.

President Obama has jettisoned deficits as an issue. The American people agree.

A Pew poll shows the deficit is not among the top five policy concerns for the first time in Obama’s tenure.

Challenging times at South Korea’s CJ Group

Challenging times at South Korea’s CJ Group

Miky Lee talks about leading shaken Samsung offshoot after the arrest of the chairman, her younger brother.

The changing business of influence

The changing business of influence

Inspired by tech start-ups, Steve McBee is blurring the lines when it comes to a lobbying firm’s services.

Warby Parker and the hands-on of retail

Warby Parker and the hands-on of retail

The lens changed on the optical industry when the online retailer launched in 2010.

Column

When paying off debt, gain strength by starting small

When paying off debt, gain strength by starting small

Getting rid of your smallest balances first can give you momentum.

Don’t panic, but there’s a global coffee shortage

Don’t panic, but there’s a global coffee shortage

Last month, the worst drought in decades hit Brazil’s coffee belt region, destroying crop yields and causing the price of coffee to shoot up by more than 50 percent so far this year.

Market News

Early gain fades for stocks; S&P 500 declines

Early gain fades for stocks; S&P 500 declines

Stocks slipped on Friday, pushing the market to a weekly loss, as investors assessed the latest round of company earnings.