Morning Cram

From NPR: Wal-Mart continues to try to better serve its customer, now with a same-day delivery for certain online items. The experiment is only being tried in a few markets. The same-day delivery is targeted toward densely populated urban areas where many customers may not have cars to make the short drive to the nearest superstore.  

From NPR: More than half of shoppers are using holiday sales to self-gift, waiting until the Christmas season to buy extravagant items at reasonable prices. The National Retail Federation has found that shoppers who self-gift spend an average of $140 on themselves while many people are out shopping solely for friends and family.

From NPR: Some employees spend their days walking at treadmill desks and playing games at work. The good news is they're being just as productive if not more so. And their waists are shrinking thanks to the less sedentary lifestyle.

From NPR: As members of the House and Senate head to Capitol Hill for the final weeks of this Congress, perhaps they will bring the "Spirit of 2010" with them. Despite partisan bickering, the lame-duck session two years ago got big things done. Then again, those lawmakers weren't being asked to avert a fiscal cliff.

From NPR: When President Obama sets off to Asia this weekend to highlight his so-called pivot to the region, he will make a bit of history: Obama will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit Myanmar. The country, also known as Burma, was a pariah state for decades, ruled by a ruthless military dictatorship. That is changing, and the Obama administration has encouraged a dramatic reform process in the country. But it may be too early for a victory lap.