Business Story of the Day

A sculpture of oil workers in Caracas, Venezuela. The country is heavily dependent on oil exports, and falling oil prices have had a ripple effect on the country's already troubled economy.

For World's Oil Exporters, Falling Prices Have A Domino Effect

1:07pm December 05, 2014

by Jackie Northam

Falling oil prices have been good news for the U.S. But they're causing multiple problems for some exporters. Government budgets are strained. Economies are struggling. Currencies are crashing.

Queue Listen Now

Gary Klein is one of the lead attorneys representing homeowners in the case against Ocwen Financial.

Firm Accused Of Illegal Practices That Push Families Into Foreclosure

8:13pm December 02, 2014

by Chris Arnold

A class action lawsuit alleges Ocwen Financial, one of the nation's largest mortgage servicers, charges marked-up and illegal fees. The firm says it will vigorously defend itself against the claims.

Queue Listen Now

Don Benfield is trying to get health care coverage for his family. The options at work are too expensive, but his employer's option disqualifies him from Affordable Care Act subsidies.

Obamacare 'Glitch' Puts Subsidies Out Of Reach For Many Families

9:58am December 02, 2014

by John Ydstie

The health care law gives subsidies to those whose employers' insurance isn't affordable, but that's based on the cost of worker-only coverage. Adding family to a plan can send prices out of reach.

Queue Listen Now

Arts
Economy

Mega-Rich Invest In Works By Living Artists

7:16am November 28, 2014

Renee Montagne talks to art sociologist and writer Sarah Thornton about how the habits of the 1 percent reverberate across the art world. She is the author of 33 Artists in 3 Acts.

Queue Listen Now

Beacon Power President and CEO Barry Brits, at the company's plant in Hazle Township, Pa. He says a loan from the Department of Energy made it possible for his company to develop its flywheel energy storage technology.

After Solyndra Loss, U.S. Energy Loan Program Turning A Profit

11:53pm November 20, 2014

by Jeff Brady

The federal government lost hundreds of millions of dollars when solar panel maker Solyndra and car company Fisker went bankrupt. Now the loan program has made up for early losses and is in the black.

Queue Listen Now

Olmo Maldonado (center) returned to his hometown of McAllen, Texas, despite the low employment rate for millennials.

Despite Low Employment, Millennials Hold Key To Reviving South Texas

12:02pm November 20, 2014

by Hansi Lo Wang

The McAllen metro area in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas has one of the country's lowest employment rates for millennials. Economists say they will be critical to bringing the area out of poverty.

Queue Listen Now

Black Angus cattle in pens outside the sale barn at 44 Farms, a 3,000-acre ranch in Cameron, Texas. The cattle were on display for bidders ahead of 44 Farms' fall auction in October.

No 'Misteak': High Beef Prices A Boon For Drought-Weary Ranchers

11:18am November 19, 2014

by Andrew Schneider

If you've shopped for meat recently, you no doubt have noticed that beef prices are up. That may be hard on consumers, but the prices are helping ranchers purchase expensive feed and rebuild herds.

Queue Listen Now

The amount of money spent on Capitol Hill is way more than small change — but the impact of that money is a little murky. Here, the U.S. Capitol is reflected in a fountain full of coins on Election Day this year.

Top Spenders On Capitol Hill Pay Billions, Receive Trillions

3:24pm November 17, 2014

by Peter Overby

A new analysis by the Sunlight Foundation examines corporations that expend the most money in Washington on campaign contributions and lobbying. Defense contractors and finance giants lead the pack.

Queue Listen Now

Andy Warhol's Triple Elvis [Ferus Type] is set to be auctioned at Christie's, and expectations are high — but Warhol's estate won't see any of the money.

Arts
Economy

Famous Paintings Sell For Millions At Auction, But The Artist Gets Zero

2:02pm November 12, 2014

by Eric Molinsky

Unlike novelists and musicians, visual artists don't get royalties for their work. New legislation aims to fix this by taxing public sales, but auction houses Christie's and Sotheby's oppose the idea.

Queue Listen Now

Jean Jennings (left) and Frances Bilas set up the ENIAC in 1946. Bilas is arranging the program settings on the Master Programmer.

The Forgotten Female Programmers Who Created Modern Tech

12:35pm November 12, 2014

by Laura Sydell

The Innovators, Walter Isaacson's new book, tells the stories of the people who created modern computers. Women, who are now a minority in computer science, played an outsize role in that history.

Queue Listen Now