While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday. Pull out all the stops – May 23 is National Taffy Day ! One of America’s oldest candies has a mildly misleading name – there’s actually no salt water in taffy. Rumor has it, this common misconception started after a candy company on Atlantic City’s boardwalk flooded with sea water. All the candy maker had left to sell was, quite literally, salt-water soaked taffy. The name stuck, much like the candy sticks to your teeth. It’s not certain who started making this chewy treat, but most credit New Jersey native Joseph Fralinger with popularizing it. Humble beginnings of molasses and vanilla flavors have exploded into almost every flavor imaginable. The candy is made my melting sugar, water, butter and some stabilizers (like cornstarch) and then pulling the final product into long strands. Pulling the taffy aerates it which gives the sticky treat its chewiness and a lustrous shine.

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National taffy day

President Obama warned congressional leaders on Wednesday that he would not tolerate a replay of the bitter debt ceiling fight of last summer that nearly put the United States in default and led to the nation’s first ever credit-rating downgrade. Read full article > >

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Obama warns Republicans over debt ceiling fight

The leader of a left-wing party that favors rejecting Greece’s loan agreement with foreign creditors on Sunday again refused to join a unity coalition, making new elections almost a given.

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Talks on Greek Coalition Collapse, Threatening Deal

If you’re as busy as I am, asking you to weigh in on yet another request for comment from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is likely to be greeted with a well-understood “humph.” Since the bureau’s inception, it’s been asking consumers for feedback on issues such as student loans, credit cards and how you’re affected by mandatory arbitration clauses. Read full article > >

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Speak up on mortgage points and fees

This week’s best travel bargains around the globe ● Take a last-minute trip to Santa Fe, N.M., and get 65 percent savings at the Bishop’s Lodge Ranch Resort & Spa. For May, a two-bedroom villa is $339 (plus $67 taxes and resort fee); usual rate is $969. The promo also includes a $100 daily resort credit and a bottle of wine and chocolate-covered strawberries at check-in. Info: 800-732-2240, www.bishopslodge.com . Read full article > >

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What’s the Deal? This week’s best travel bargains around the globe.

On May 1, 2011, President Obama addressed the nation from the East Room of the White House to announce that the United States had killed Osama bin Laden. Now, one year later, with the presidential campaigns in full swing, the Navy SEAL operation that killed the al-Qaeda leader has found its way to the center of a quickly intensifying political battle between Obama and the GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney (R). Read full article > >

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On bin Laden anniversary, Obama, Romney campaigns come out swinging

Standard & Poor’s has cut its credit rating on Finnish cellphone maker Nokia to junk on expectations of lower sales, following a similar move by Fitch Ratings earlier this week.

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S.&P. Cuts Nokia Rating to Junk

Feeling flush this Tax Day and looking to blow your whole refund on a single meal? You're in luck, because Triomphe restaurant in New York City is hosting a 12-course “Great Write-off” dinner at a mere $1040 a head. While you're busy gobbling down caramelized foie gras and toast with ramp jam and Ossetra caviar with traditional accompaniments, the rest of us will be frantically clicking “like” on Facebook, shaking printer cartridges and rifling for couch change to take advantage of these national Tax Day food deals. – Facebook Arby's Get a free value-sized order of curly fries today only by liking Arby's on Facebook and printing a coupon. The roast beef chain has also started an #arbystaxrelief hashtag on Twitter to promote their $5000 sweepstakes. Bruegger’s Bagels A coupon for a $10.40 Big Bagel Bundle (that's a baker's dozen of bagels and two tubs of cream cheese) is yours for liking the bakery chain on Facebook . The offer is valid through today. Panda Express Today only, like Panda Express on Facebook and download a coupon good for a single serving of the chain’s new Shanghai Angus Steak. White Castle Like White Castle on Facebook and receive a “Prep For Tax Day” discount of 15 percent good through midnight tonight. Non-Facebook fans can go to the White Castle website to download the coupon. – Online coupons and ordering Boston Market Print a coupon from BostonMarket.com and bring it into a participating location to receive a free individual meal with the purchase of an individual meal and a fountain drink, valid today only. Chili's Print an online coupon to receive a free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of an adult entree at participating Chili's restaurants through April 18. P.F. Chang's Place an online order today only and receive 15 percent off. The offer is also available for dine-in and does not include happy hour items or P.F. Chang's for Two. Souplantation Pop over to the chain's Fresh Ideas Blog for a printable coupon for a buy one, get one for $1 lunch or dinner, valid today only. No printer access? No problem. Just show the website on your phone. – In store Chevy's Stop by participating locations today to enjoy two premium Herradura margaritas for $10.40 and have Chevy's pick up the tax on your meal. Cinnabon Visit a participating Cinnabon location today (sorry – no airports or travel plazas) from 6 to 8 p.m. to receive two free mini Cinnabon bites. Hooters All day today, Hooters offers a Tax Day special of 20 boneless wings for $9.99. As the site notes, there is an additional charge for dressing. Marble Slab Creamery and Maggie Moo's Ice Cream and Treatery The frozen treat chains are offering a “Yobate” today only. Visit a participating location of either Marble Slab or sister store Maggie Moo's between 4 and 7 p.m. and receive a free scoop of their new yogurt. The offer is in partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and customers can offer a donation throughout the month of April. McCormick & Schmick’s Locations across the country are offering an extended happy hour from 3:30 to 11 p.m., with a menu including $2.95 to $5.95 “bar bites” and special Tax Day drinks like “The Clear Conscience” and “The Bloody Mary Tax Code.” Seattle’s Best Coffee Visit a participating location today only for a free small brewed coffee on the house or like Seattle’s Best Coffee on Facebook during the “Great American Coffee Refund” to get a free sample of Level System coffee to brew at home. Sonic The drive-in chain is offering an all-day happy hour today with a “Tax Cut” – half price drinks and slushes at participating locations. Know of a Tax Day deal we missed? Earn some serious culinary karma and share it in the comments below. We'll add it to the list and give you credit for the tip. Previously – Tax Day wines that won't break the bank

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Tax Day restaurant deals, freebies and specials

Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s reaffirms its AAA credit rating for the UK, saying it believes the economy is “wealthy, open and diversified”.

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S&P reaffirms UK top-notch rating

The agency set up to protect consumers appears to be allowing high upfront fees for credit card issuers.

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Consumer Agency Seems to Soften Limit on Credit Cards Fees

With the financial industry recovering and fee income reduced by new regulations, lenders are seeking to woo back less creditworthy borrowers.

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Lenders Returning to the Lucrative Subprime Market

The UK government says its independence referendum consultation shows “overwhelming” support for a single question, but the first minister says it has been “discredited”.

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‘Most back single Scots question’

Visa and MasterCard on Friday were trying to determine the extent of a possible security breach at a third-party vendor that experts say could compromise the credit-card and debit-card information of millions of Americans. Read full article > >

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Security breach may have compromised millions of debit and credit cards

HMRC letters sent to 1.3m homes advising on changes to the child tax credit system are ‘misleading’ says a tax reform charity.

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HMRC ‘misleading’ on tax credits

In February 2008, as the mortgage meltdown was creating a crisis at Thornburg Mortgage, the chief executive of the big lender wrote an e-mail explaining how he hoped to keep the trouble under wraps, the Securities and Exchange Commission said. Read full article > >

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SEC charges 3 former Thornburg executives with fraud