This Sunday's Super Bowl is a contest between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. So Maryland's Flying Dog Brewery made a bet with Anchor Brewing of San Francisco. The loser must pour the winner's beer in its taproom for a week.

Most states require car owners to have liability insurance to cover damages their vehicles cause to others; some economists think we should require the same of gun owners.

Boeing is scrambling to figure out why two batteries malfunctioned on its 787, causing officials to ground the airplane this month. And at a time when Boeing most needs its skilled engineers, they're weighing a possible strike. Union leaders are considering the company's final contract offer Thursday.

Facebook says its mobile advertising business nearly doubled from the third to fourth quarter of 2012. As a whole, the company's ad business grew at its fastest rate since it went public last May. Some analysts felt the social network had initially been too slow to get into the mobile market.

More than 200 people crowded into a Senate building on Wednesday for the first hearing on gun violence since the tragic shootings at a Connecticut elementary school. Lawmakers have proposed any number of new regulations — from banning assault rifles to closing loopholes in the background check system.

Israel's air force bombed a military facility in western Syria, according to Syrian media. It's a development that could further complicate the already volatile conditions in the region.

The economy shrank a bit in the fourth quarter and analysts are trying to figure out why. It's clear that declines in business inventories and government spending played a role, but was the real problem the narrowly averted fiscal cliff?

Former Salafi, turned rapper, Omar Kamal left the Salafi fold during Egypt's revolution. He says that when Salafis came out of the dark they showed their hypocrisy. To the rhythm of beat boxing, he uses his lyrics to chronicle his own identity crisis — a crisis that reflects Egypt's struggle to find itself.

As 30 Rock airs its series finale Thursday night, critics are praising creator and star Tina Fey for her groundbreaking work. It's one of the best-regarded shows many TV fans have never watched. TV critic Eric Deggans has more on high-quality, low-viewer comedies.

Hadiya Pendleton was a sophomore at King College Prep High School in Chicago. The 15-year-old traveled to Washington, D.C. last week to perform with the school's marching band at inaugural events. This week, she was shot to death by a man who inexplicably fired at her and a group of friends.

BlackBerry has unveiled a new smarthphone that it hopes will woo back the many customers it lost in the past few years. Among its strategies, the company appointed singer Alicia Keys as its global creative director. But in the last few days Keys was found to be tweeting from an iPhone, one of BlackBerry's big rivals.

Sheriff David Clarke tells residents that, with officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer their best option. Many law enforcement officials are outraged, saying this call to arms will make the Milwaukee area more dangerous.

Chinese computer hackers have been infiltrating the computer systems of The New York Times for the last four months, according to the paper. Renee Montagne talks to Nicole Perlroth, a Times reporter who covers cyber security.

The first phase of the French-led military intervention in the West African nation of Mali — to drive out Islamist fighters — appears to be over. Experts warn that most of the African force is not combat-ready for the desert, and is nowhere near prepared to take over from the French.

The government is set to make additional cuts to spending, including defense, this spring, unless lawmakers agree on an alternative plan to address the deficit. So far, there's little agreement in Washington about the optimum size or shape of government spending.

Chinese computer company Lenovo has become the world's biggest seller of personal computers. Steve Inskeep talks to Vijay Vaitheeswaran, a correspondent for The Economist, about his recent article in the magazine on the rise of Lenovo.

The White House has emphasized that incoming Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel — both Vietnam veterans — understand the full cost of war. President Obama says that makes them the right choice for their jobs, as the U.S. moves away from big wars to a targeted approach.

The quarterback is a gifted athlete who can run and pocket pass, skills that helped him lead the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl. But what will it take for the Baltimore Ravens to stop — or at least slow down — Kaepernick on Sunday?

The multifaceted singer-songwriter and the harmonica legend team up on a new album of original blues songs.

Andrews was the youngest of the boogie-woogie sibling act, which played more USO tours during World War II than anyone besides Bob Hope. She was also known as the most charismatic of the trio.