Economy

Economy

TV Networks Count On Reborn Old Shows To Bring In Ad Dollars

10:13pm May 14, 2015

Network officials are gathered in New York this week to present their new fall lineups to advertisers. Renee Montagne talks to Kim Masters, of The Hollywood Reporter and host of KCRW's The Business.

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Fast-Track Trade Measure Clears Key Senate Hurdle

3:32pm May 14, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

The 65-33 vote comes two days after senators rejected a measure to take up the bill giving President Obama fast-track trade authority.

Here's A Radical Approach To Big Hospital Bills: Set Your Own Price

3:26pm May 14, 2015

by Jay Hancock

Some companies are refusing to pay employee hospital bills that they think are out of line. Instead, they pay what they think is reasonable. So far the gambit appears to be working.

President Obama remarks on his proposal to tighten consumer protections for people saving for retirement as Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Labor Secretary Tom Perez listen, at AARP on Monday.

White House Move To Protect Nest Eggs Sparks Hopes And Fears

12:58pm May 14, 2015

by Chris Arnold

The Labor Department will draft new rules requiring retirement advisers to put consumers' best interests first. The industry warns that low-income people might lose out on financial planning advice.

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Elena Biamon holds coffee berries grown on her farm near Jayuya, a town in Puerto Rico's mountainous interior.

Arts
Economy

Puerto Rico Wants To Grow Your Next Cup Of Specialty Coffee

5:48pm May 13, 2015

by Greg Allen

More than a century ago, Puerto Rico used to produce world-class coffee. Now farmers there are trying to rebuild the industry by focusing on growing higher-quality beans, which command higher prices.

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"Starving rail of funding will not enable safer train travel," Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., told the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, admonished Democrats: "Don't use this tragedy in that way," he said. "It was beneath you

The Morning After: Lawmakers Vote To Reduce Amtrak Funding

5:24pm May 13, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

In Philadelphia, an Amtrak train derailed on Tuesday. But in Washington on Wednesday, transportation supporters still could not get the House on track for providing more funding.

Senate Reaches Deal To Vote Thursday On 'Fast-Track' Trade Bill

5:19pm May 13, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The deal calls for separate votes on bills that Democrats had wanted to move as a single package, with a vote on a customs bill that includes safeguards championed by Sen. Charles Schumer.

With 118,328 votes, Harriet Tubman edged Eleanor Roosevelt in a campaign to put a female face on the $20 bill.

Harriet Tubman Wins Unofficial Contest To Be On $20 Bill

1:22pm May 13, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The Women on 20s campaign is petitioning President Obama to put the face of Harriet Tubman, the escaped slave who led others to freedom, on the $20 bill. She edged Eleanor Roosevelt in a close vote.

At Slush Asia, a new tech festival held in Tokyo in late April, the scene and the energy resembled a small-scale South by Southwest Interactive.

A Startup Scene That's Not So Hot: Japan's Entrepreneur Shortage

9:07am May 13, 2015

by Elise Hu

A risk-averse culture is making it a tough road for fresh ideas and fledgling Japanese startups. But venture backers are starting to see some signs of hope that new tech firms will take off.

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Fast-Track Trade Measure Fails Key Test Vote In Senate

4:38pm May 12, 2015

by Brian Naylor

The White House calls the vote merely a "procedural snafu" and expects to eventually prevail.