Business Story of the Day

Michigan Bank Discovers The Need For Islamic Finance Products

7:36am May 12, 2016

by Sally Helm

Some interpretations of Islam outlaw charging interest. That makes most banking pretty hard, but there are ways to practice Islamic compliant finance. One bank in Michigan gave it a go.

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The head of the Panama Canal Authority, Jorge Quijano, center, opens the main valve to allow water into the flood chambers on the new set of locks on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal in June 2015. The expansion of the canal, making it wider and deepe

A Wider, Deeper Panama Canal Prepares To Open Its Locks

7:03am May 11, 2016

by Carrie Kahn

The expansion of the Panama Canal, a $5 billion project, opens next month and aims to triple the canal's capacity with bigger ships. A Chinese freighter will be the first one through the new locks.

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New Technology Could Revive Pacific Northwest's Ailing Timber Industry

5:13am May 10, 2016

by Rachael McDonald

The process uses regular wood to make a building material as strong as steel. It's been manufactured and used in buildings in Europe for years. A mill in Oregon is the first in the U.S. to produce it.

Economy

Are More U.S. Workers Beginning To Get Raises?

3:45pm May 09, 2016

As the U.S. job market continues to improve, there are hints that wages are finally picking up. Renee Montagne talks to David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center at the Brookings Institution.

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Marvie, the host of Sesame Studios, will sing and answer viewer questions.

Arts
Economy

Beyond 'Sesame Street': A New Sesame Studios Channel On YouTube

9:35am May 06, 2016

by David Folkenflik

Sesame Workshop, the company behind Sesame Street, unveils a new initiative to reach kids in a digital and mobile age. NPR gets a sneak peek.

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Economy

2016 Should Be A Good Year For New Graduates To Launch A Career

8:32am May 06, 2016

by Charles Lane

Job prospects for college and high school graduates are looking better this year than they have in a very long time. Except for the energy sector, many industries are searching for young talent now.

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Jennifer Kaiser, a 44-year-old legal assistant from Indianapolis, who said her yearly raises are eaten up by expenses.

Politics In Real Life: What Wage Stagnation Looks Like For Many Americans

6:33pm May 05, 2016

by Jim Zarroli

How the economy feels can be key in an election, and due to wage stagnation, the economic recovery doesn't feel real to many Americans, including Jennifer Kaiser of Indianapolis.

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A helicopter used in the shooting of Fast and Furious 8 flies along the waterfront in Havana last week. American filmmakers could not work in Cuba for more than a half century, but a improved relations have opened the doors recently.

Hollywood Rediscovers Cuba: Is It Too Soon To Call It Havanawood?

11:37am May 04, 2016

by Mandalit del Barco

Fast & Furious 8 is the second U.S. movie, and the first big-budget Hollywood film, to be shot in Cuba since the recent improvement of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

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Jesse Vega checks out a vehicle at an Uber "Work On Demand" recruitment event March 10 in South Los Angeles. The company is researching ways to get rid of its surge pricing, a feature that drivers like but that can make costs unpredictable for consumers.

Uber Plans To Kill Surge Pricing, Though Drivers Say It Makes Job Worth It

3:36pm May 03, 2016

by Aarti Shahani

Uber is using machine learning to predict high demand, which would allow the app to schedule extra drivers instead of hiking rates at busy times. But such a change would hurt driver pay.

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If There's A Surplus Of Cheap Crude, Why Do Oil Wells Keep Pumping?

5:02am May 02, 2016

by Wade Goodwyn

Months of low prices have failed to stop oil producers from slowing their pumps. New drilling has slowed but producers need to keep the oil flowing through existing wells, or risk running out of cash.