Business Story of the Day

Tuthilltown Spirits in New York makes a clear corn whiskey, and the first legal aged whiskey in the state since Prohibition, among other products.

New York Toasts Long-Awaited Revival Of Its Distilleries

11:30am July 23, 2013

by Joel Rose

In the unregulated heyday before Prohibition, distilleries in New York produced whiskey, gin, rum and other spirits. Then the industry was all but wiped out for the next 80 years. But state laws regulating distilling have been loosened and now dozens of new distilleries have sprung up.

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A Harrisburg Wild West artifact sits inside of a warehouse building owned by the city, seen here in 2011.

Pa. City Tries Wild West Auction To Rope In Cash

6:43am July 19, 2013

by Craig Layne

Harrisburg is auctioning off thousands of items that were supposed to be included in a failed museum — including artifacts said to have ties to Wyatt Earp, Jesse James and Buffalo Bill. City leaders hope the auction will put a dent in Harrisburg's $370 million in debt.

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More than 50 people have reported being victims to the "blessing scams" in San Francisco over the last year. Their losses topped $1.5 million.

Economy

Chinatown 'Blessing Scams' Target Elderly Women

4:52pm July 18, 2013

The scam plays off cultural superstitions among older Chinese residents. In San Francisco alone, more than 50 victims have come forward since 2012, with losses that total more than $1.5 million.

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Congress Takes Renewed Aim At Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac

7:45am July 18, 2013

by Chris Arnold

Risky bets by the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac helped to trigger the financial crisis. After being bailed out by taxpayers and put under government conservatorship, there's new momentum in Washington to dismantle the mortgage giants.

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Economy

Rising Interest Rates Worry Banking Industry

5:08am July 17, 2013

by Jim Zarroli

Five years after the start of the financial crisis, the U.S. banking industry continues to earn strong profits. On Tuesday, Goldman Sachs became the latest big bank to report better than expected earnings. But rising interest rates mean a riskier environment for banks.

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Use The Books, Fans: 'Star Wars' Franchise Thrives In Print

10:56am July 16, 2013

by NPR Staff

More than 200 novels, the Star Wars' book series spans 25,000 years, from the beginning of the Jedi Order to 40 years beyond where the original trilogy left off. According to The Wall Street Journal's Alexandra Alter, the books help keep fans interested between movies.

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It's easier — and cheaper — than you'd expect to hack a cellphone, say a team of white hat hackers.

How Hackers Tapped Into My Cellphone For Less Than $300

8:57am July 15, 2013

by Laura Sydell

A group of good guy hackers showed us how they can listen in on phone conversations and read text messages of Verizon customers simply by using inexpensive store bought technology.

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Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke during a news conference in June. Financial markets reacted to comments he made then by selling off bonds and stocks.

Investors Brace For News Out Of Fed Minutes

9:13am July 10, 2013

by Doreen McCallister

The minutes of the Federal Reserve's June meeting will be released a 2 p.m. That's the meeting chairman Bernanke said the Fed could begin to think about reducing the amount of money it pumps into the economy.

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New employees train for call center work at Teleperformance Portugal, an outsourcing company in Lisbon. The outsourcing industry is adding thousands of jobs while other Portuguese industries shed them.

Call Centers Call On Multilingual Portuguese

1:04pm July 08, 2013

by Lauren Frayer

Thanks to a long history of migration, many Portuguese speak many different languages, and that's a big draw for European call centers. It's one of the few bright spots in Portugal's bleak economy.

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Skyscrapers in the City of London, the heart of the financial district, are reshaping the skyline.

Are Things Too Cozy In London's 'City' Within A City?

2:33pm July 05, 2013

by Dan Bobkoff

If you think that government and the financial industry are a bit too friendly in the U.S., try England. London's version of Wall Street is called the City. And in the City, the line between government and corporate interests gets even blurrier. Critics say it's time for change.

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