HOW MILLENNIALS ARE SHAKING NORTH KOREA’S REGIME: North Korea’s younger generation, the equivalent age of American millennials, are helping to drive economic change in the country. Born after the 90s famine years and weaned on black markets that are now a permanent part of the economy, North Korean millennials -- or the market generation, as they are called -- know how to make money. And it’s this gradual, bottom-up marketization among ordinary citizens -- particularly millennials -- that could ultimately help solve a problem like North Korea. Read more
HEALTH COSTS EXCLUSIVE: Americans spend nearly $2.8 trillion a year on medical services, prescription drugs, long-term care and other health needs, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' 2012 National Health Expenditures report. But CNBC got an early look at a new Deloitte study that posits there's $672 billion in additional "hidden" costs—including unpaid care for a family member, vitamins and supplements, and complementary and alternative medicine—pushing the spending total to almost $3.5 trillion. Read more
DROUGHT CHANGING LAY OF LAND FOR LANDSCAPING: More and more residents are turning to drought resistant yards in California as the drought enters a fourth year. Landscapers are having to adjust to a new way of working or risk going out of business. The lack of water could mean Californians may have to give up their green lush lawns. Read more
STOCKS END LITTLE MOVED NEAR RECORDS; UTILITIES HIT: Read more