Economy

Economy

Duke Energy Will Hold Community Workshop to Discuss Greensboro Projects

3:42pm February 06, 2013

Duke Energy plans to resume sending crews in Greensboro to trim trees away from power lines. The project has sparked anger and outrage from many residents. The company is planning a community workshop help ease their concerns.

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Duke Energy discusses vegetation management plans in Greensboro.

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Bonet and his sister, Didra, are shown here in Puerto Rico in this undated family photo.

Puerto Rico's Battered Economy: The Greece Of The Caribbean?

10:51am February 06, 2013

by David Greene

With the highest unemployment rate in the U.S. and a mountain of debt, the island is facing a declining population. But those who stay insist they're there for the long haul.

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An image depicts the SatoshiDice website, which exclusively uses Bitcoin, not dollars, for gambling.

Economy

Is Online Gambling Legal If Bitcoins, Not Dollars, Are At Stake?

10:51am February 06, 2013

by Cyrus Farivar

With no government ties, Bitcoin is used to buy everything from blogging services to Brooklyn-made cupcakes. Theoretically, millions of dollars are being kept in the digital currency. And it's increasingly being used by specialized websites to offer online gambling. But is Bitcoin gambling legal?

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Economy

Cities Must Strategize To Boost Service Workers' Pay

10:51am February 06, 2013

Urban scholar Richard Florida has found a problem with the way our cities are evolving. He talks to Steve Inskeep about who wins and who loses as the highly skilled, creative class clusters around certain metro areas. Florida is the author of The Rise of the Creative Class.

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The Xlerator hand dryer is made almost entirely of American components and assembled in Massachusetts. But the company's owner says it's simply not cost-effective to use an American-made motor.

Why Is It So Hard To Make A 100 Percent American Hand Dryer?

8:17pm February 05, 2013

by NPR Staff

The Xlerator high-speed hand dryer is made almost entirely of U.S.-made parts and manufactured by a small workforce in Massachusetts. But its motor, like almost all nonindustrial motors, is made in Asia — meaning it's very difficult for small manufactured goods to be entirely American made.

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Economy

S&P Lawsuit Puts Ratings Firms Back In The Spotlight

7:17pm February 05, 2013

by Jim Zarroli

The Justice Department says it could seek more than $5 billion in damages from the nation's biggest credit ratings company. Critics of the agencies say the firms have for decades built their business on revenue from the Wall Street firms they are rating, instead of being a resource for investors.

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Miguel Fontanez Sr., the owner and founder of Pioco's Chicken in Kissimmee, Fla., serves customers at his restaurant. He opened the restaurant 11 years ago, and it has become a hub for the area's large Puerto Rican community.

One-Way Tickets To Florida: Puerto Ricans Escape Island Woes

6:09pm February 05, 2013

by Greg Allen

Life in Puerto Rico is tougher than ever. The U.S. territory — popularly known as "the island of enchantment" — faces a decaying economy and escalating violent crime rate. Many residents are leaving the island in record numbers and embracing the mainland as home.

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Illegal logging is widespread in Cambodia, and efforts to prevent it have had only a limited impact. Much of the wood is destined for China.

As China Builds, Cambodia's Forests Fall

2:29pm February 04, 2013

by Michael Sullivan

Members of China's growing middle class are eager to spend their money on luxury goods, including hardwood furniture. The growing demand has led to massive illegal logging in Cambodia.

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A sign hangs outside a house in Miami in 2010. Currently, Florida's foreclosure legal process can take a couple of years, which critics say is hurting the housing market.

Foreclosure Process Hammers Florida's Housing Market

12:09pm February 04, 2013

by Robin Sussingham

As much of the country enjoys the start of a housing recovery, Florida is still being swamped by foreclosures. Experts blame the state's legal process, and they say it will be awhile before the housing market is fully rebuilt in the Sunshine State.

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The winding down of the war in Afghanistan and efforts to slice the budget deficit will likely mean more spending cuts for the Pentagon.

Pentagon Remains Big Target In Likely Budget Cuts

7:17pm February 01, 2013

by Tom Bowman

Although a fiscal cliff was narrowly prevented at the beginning at the year, there's another budget deadline approaching. If Congress doesn't act, billions in automatic budget cuts will slice military spending, possibly hurting contractors and some personnel.

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