Why is the Twitterverse cackling with delight over Mila Kunis' statement to CNBC that she has "started investing in stocks?"

It seems as though many financial commentators are surprised that anyone who has graced the pages of "Maxim" magazine knows what a stock is, let alone how to buy one. Apparently, the star of "That '70s Show" and "Family Guy" previously had preferred conservative investments, telling the business news channel, "I'm an advocate of like put things in the bank, put it in a CD (a certificate of deposit), be safe."

West Wing Report, among others, questioned whether Kunis' change of heart was a sign of a "market top." That seems a bit ridiculous. Others were critical of CNBC over what they considered to be a ratings stunt by the Comcast-owned (CMCSA) cable channel. 

Step outside your house or apartment and look around. Do you see more people moving out than unpacking or more folks being buried than born? If so, you're living in one of America's many counties that are dying off.

New estimates from the 2012 census released Thursday and reported by The Associated Press found the American population is shifting as local economies weaken and their populations age. The numbers show show that 1,135 of the nation's 3,143 counties are going through "natural decrease," where deaths exceed births. That's up from roughly 880 U.S. counties, or 1 in 4, in 2009. 

So, how can you tell if you're in one of these dying counties? Well, if your home is in a far-flung suburb 45 minutes to an hour from a major city, there's a strong chance your town has watched a 2.1% boom in 2006 turn into a 0.35% decline last year.

 

Sometimes it seems like the competition between the major tech companies is a war of attrition, unfolding along many fronts. But as they battle over current market share, are they paying enough attention to the next generation of consumers?

Take the growing e-reader/tablet market. Amazon.com (AMZN) recently announced it's dropping the price of its Kindle Fire HD tablets by up to 20%. A company spokeswoman told The Wall Street Journal that lower production costs, especially because of the device's availability in Europe and Japan, allows Amazon to pass those savings on to its customers.

As altruistic as that sounds, Amazon's price cut also targets Apple's (AAPL) iPad. And both Apple and Amazon are losing ground to other competitors like Samsung Electronics (SSNLF), which last night unveiled its Galaxy S 4 -- aimed directly at Apple's iPhone.

 

Quick question, readers: Where does Poland Spring bottled water originate? If you're answer is "Poland Spring," a troubling report in Mother Jones will show that you aren't even half right.

According to the muckraking publication, only about one-third of the water sold under the Poland Spring brand actually comes from the location bearing that name. Here's where its gets a little tricky. A 2002 lawsuit accused the company of false advertising because the original Poland Spring dried up in 1967. Nestlé (NSRGY), the corporate parent of Poland Spring, settled the case without admitting wrongdoing and offered $10 million in discounts for consumers and donations to charity.

Mother Jones quotes Nestlé spokeswoman Jane Lazgin saying the majority of Poland Spring comes from other springs in Maine. 

Detroit has had a tough decade. Former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted Monday on corruption charges, and now the city is trying to avoid becoming the largest U.S. municipal bankruptcy. 

But Wall Street isn't shedding any tears, as it has found a way to profit from Motown's deep troubles. With the city seeking loans to cover pension shortfalls, debt payments and deficits since 2005, Wall Street companies have profited to the tune of $474 million in fees, according to Bloomberg.

That's nearly the city's entire 2012-13 budget for fire and police protection.

"We have no lights, no buses, poor streets, and now we're paying millions of dollars a year on our debt," David Sole, a retired municipal worker and part of an advocacy group that fights foreclosures and evictions, told the publication. "The banks said they need to be paid first. But there is no money."

 

For once, Exxon Mobil (XOM) and its green counterparts appear to be on the same page. Both envision a U.S. that uses less energy in the future, although Exxon's estimates may be a bit more conservative and oily than advocates would hope.

The company is now predicting a 5% drop in U.S. energy usage by 2040 and says increased vehicle fuel efficiency should drive the decline. At the same time, Exxon posits that rising reliance on natural gas and renewable energy resources like wind will reduce carbon emissions 25% during that span. By 2040, emissions should be at their lowest level since the 1970s.

However, the energy giant also assumes that North American oil and natural gas production will rise 45% over the same span and turn North America into a net energy exporter by 2025.

 

A controversy over a plant in Indonesia and its workers has prompted Penn State to temporarily suspend its licensing contract with German sports apparel giant Adidas (ADDYY).

In a letter to the company issued on Wednesday, the university said its decision came following the closure of the Indonesian factory -- and the subsequent failure of an Adidas subcontractor to pay severance to laid-off workers as required by local law.

"It is obvious to us that there are profound limits to our University's influence over the substantial and complex issues created by the current supply chain model for the global manufacture of apparel," Penn State President Rodney Erickson wrote in his letter to Adidas.

 

The average consumer looks at the Egg McMuffin and sees an eggy substance, occasionally joined by a meat of choice, mashed between two puck-sized bits of bread. McDonald's (MCD) looks at its marquee breakfast sandwich and sees the perfect weapon for smiting its enemies.

When faced with health-conscious U.S. eaters concerned about the Egg McMuffin's 300 calories, the Golden Arches parried with a new "Egg White Delight" version that tones down the yolk and swaps in a whole wheat muffin. When Ronald worried that an influential Chinese news show that outed its food safety shortcomings in 2012 will target him again this year, Reuters says, he unleashed a deluge of 1 million free McMuffins on Chinese consumers in a pre-emptive strike.