Economy

U.S.-Cuba Air Travel Deal Will Help Caribbean Service, JetBlue Says

2:18pm February 17, 2016

Commercial flights between the U.S. and Cuba are set to resume for the first time in more than 50 years. David Greene talks to Scott Laurence, senior vice president for JetBlue.

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Tax time comes with a new health wrinkle.

Taxpayers Confused By Late Health Law Forms

1:20pm February 17, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Employers, insurers, Medicare and Medicaid are required to send taxpayers a form showing whether they had health care coverage, but the government has pushed back the deadline for the forms.

Bankia's new repayment plan is geared toward thousands of small investors who were persuaded to convert their savings accounts into bank shares.

Bailed Out In 2012, Spanish Bank Says It Will Repay Investors, With Interest

12:28pm February 17, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Bankia says small investors "will quickly and easily recoup 100 percent of their investments plus compensatory interest" — hopefully within 15 days.

Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar and Venezuela have agreed to freeze oil production at January 2016 levels if other producers do the same.The move reflects growing concern among major oil producers about the economic effects of a prolonged slump in crude price

OPEC Tries To Freeze Oil Output, But Most Say Effort Will Melt Away

7:00pm February 16, 2016

by Marilyn Geewax

Drivers may start to see an uptick in gas prices, but the cause won't be OPEC, analysts say. Prices will drift up with a switch to pricier summer blends, not because OPEC gets its act together.

"I've had more than 50 years [of] fantastic life," says Saeed Laylaz. "One year in prison is nothing against it."

After Prison, A Tough-Minded Optimist Looks To Iran's Future

8:11am February 16, 2016

by Steve Inskeep

Saeed Laylaz, a former journalist and economist, has been a vocal advocate of reform in Iran. He was jailed in a 2009 post-election crackdown, but now runs an auto business. "I am alive yet," he says.

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Popular Heartburn Pills Can Be Hard To Stop, And May Be Risky

1:08pm February 15, 2016

by Rob Stein

Millions of people take proton pump inhibitors. But the drugs can increase the risk of infections, bone fractures and kidney problems. And trying to stop the drugs can make symptoms much worse.

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Don't Mind The Markets, Experts Say — Economy Not Entering Recession

7:51am February 13, 2016

by John Ydstie

Stock markets rallied on Friday, but it was not enough to erase the losses from earlier in the week. Investors are fretting that the recent market turmoil could mean another recession.

How Bernie Sanders' Wall Street Tax Would Work

6:17pm February 12, 2016

by Jim Zarroli

His proposed "speculation tax" — a small levy on every stock, bond or derivative sold in the U.S. — would fund higher education. Estimates of how much revenue it might raise vary greatly.

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Economy

Why The Contradiction? Stocks Fall While Unemployment Claims Are Down

3:35pm February 12, 2016

David Greene talks to economist Mohamed El-Erian, chairman of President Obama's Global Development Council, about recent turmoil in the stock market despite good employment numbers.

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Arts
Economy

Money May Not Buy You Love, But It Sure Helps

1:19pm February 12, 2016

by Zhai Yun Tan

Someone has to pay for the cocktails on the first date, dinners in that classy restaurant, the wedding by the beach — and that messy divorce. Here are some fun facts on the economics of romance.