Economy

March Madness: Good For Fans, Bad For Business

6:34pm March 23, 2013

by NPR Staff

No matter what team wins, employers are losing out. A recent study estimated the NCAA Division I men's college basketball tournament has already cost American companies at least $134 million in the first two days alone.

Queue Listen Now

Economy

Big Changes Ahead for NC Commerce Dept.

7:02pm March 21, 2013

Big changes are in the works for North Carolina's Commerce Department.

Queue Listen Now

Florida Pitches New Facilities To Clinch Spring Training

6:00pm March 21, 2013

by Greg Allen

Over the next four years, five major league teams will be renegotiating their spring training leases in Florida. With millions in economic benefits at stake, local communities and the Sunshine State are looking to upgraded facilities in hopes of keeping teams from moving to other locations in Florida and Arizona.

Queue Listen Now

House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., holds a copy of his budget plan during a news conference last week. On Thursday, the Republican-controlled House narrowly passed the measure. The Senate is not expected to follow suit.

On Message: Budget Votes May Matter ... In 2014

1:36pm March 21, 2013

by Tamara Keith

Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan's House GOP budget balances in a decade and re-shapes Medicare. That is, it would if the measure passed by the House on Thursday ever became law — which it won't. All congressional budgets are at their core vision documents. They also make nice political weapons.

Queue Listen Now

Economy

Downtown Greensboro Finally Has a Grocery Store

4:39pm March 20, 2013

by Keri Brown

Downtown Greensboro finally has a grocery store.

Is your family budget really like the federal budget?

How The Federal Budget Is Just Like Your Family Budget (Or Not)

7:51pm March 19, 2013

by Tamara Keith

Amid the budget debate, there's one comparison you hear a lot. As House Speaker John Boehner has put it: "Every family in America has to balance their budget. Washington should, too." But just how accurate is that analogy?

Queue Listen Now

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., questions Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke during a Senate hearing last month. Senators from both ends of the political spectrum argue that financial reforms are insufficient to protect taxpayers from potential r

Odd Political Bedfellows Agree: Banks Still Too Big To Fail

7:51pm March 19, 2013

by John Ydstie

On the political far left and right, some believe that large banks still pose a threat to taxpayers. These banks are so big, they argue, that the government will step in with support if needed. Still, the more mainstream view in Washington is that the Dodd-Frank reforms are sufficient to handle the problem.

Queue Listen Now

The Ripple Effects Of Cyprus' Financial Crisis

2:42pm March 19, 2013

Cyprus lawmakers rejected a $13 billion bailout package that included controversial taxes on bank deposits. The proposed tax would have helped to pay for the bailout of crumbling banks. NPR's Marilyn Geewax explains how the events in Cyprus could affect the global economy and what may happen next.

Queue Listen Now

Economy

After 50 Years, A State Of Crisis For The Right To Counsel

2:19pm March 19, 2013

On Mar. 18, 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that state courts are required to provide counsel in criminal cases to those unable to afford it. Just before the 50th anniversary of the decision, Attorney General Eric Holder said that the nation's public defense systems "exist in a state of crisis."

Queue Listen Now

EU Bailout Tax Sparks Bank Run In Cyprus

10:08am March 19, 2013

Citizens of Cyprus did not react well to the news that their government wants to allow the European Union to take nearly 10 percent of their savings deposits in exchange for a $13 billion bailout. Banks are closed through Tuesday after worries over bank runs. Depositors stood in long lines to withdraw money over the weekend.

Queue Listen Now