Business

Cage-free chickens in a barn near Hershey, Pa., get to roam and perch on steel rods (but they don't go outside). In September, McDonald's said it would buy only cage-free eggs, inspiring several other food companies to follow suit.

Science

The Year In Eggs: Everyone's Going Cage-Free, Except Supermarkets

5:21pm December 30, 2015

by Eliza Barclay

Egg producers who for years said they couldn't give up cages for egg-laying hens made the switch to cage-free in 2015. Big egg buyers, including McDonald's, Nestle and Subway, made commitments, too.

Despite 'Star Wars' Success, Disney Stock Drops

4:43pm December 30, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Ben Fritz of the Wall Street Journal about Disney stock dropping, despite enormous Star Wars success.

National

Need To Break-Up With Someone? Call The Shop

4:30pm December 30, 2015

For a fee, you can hire someone to do anything, including end your relationship. NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Mackenzie Keast, co-founder of the Breakup Shop, about his business of breaking hearts.

People sample the Oculus-made Samsung Gear VR Virtually Reality headset Sept. 24 in Hollywood, Calif., at the Oculus Connect 2 event.

Economy

Is 2016 The Year Virtual Reality Finally Goes Mainstream?

1:42pm December 30, 2015

by Laura Sydell

Three different companies are bringing VR headsets to market in 2016, and some content companies have made major investments in the technology.

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Podcasts like those featured in the iTunes Store's top 200 are well-known, but the music featured in them tends to be obscure.

In The Podcast World, Some Music Students Seek A Career Gateway

12:45pm December 30, 2015

by Aaron Schachter

One of the nation's most prestigious music schools is filling classes with students whose work will likely never make them famous.

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2015 Was Another Rough And Tumble Year For Obamacare

7:33am December 30, 2015

by Scott Horsley

The Affordable Care Act survived another challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court this year. But the still-fragile marketplace is showing the strain of rising health care costs.

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Economy

Is 2016 The Year Virtual Reality Finally Goes Mainstream?

4:53am December 30, 2015

by Laura Sydell

Three different companies are bringing VR headsets to market in 2016, and some content companies have made major investments in the technology.

Wind turbines dot the landscape in Mojave, Calif. The recent extension of federal tax credits is expected to give the wind and solar energy industries a big boost.

Tax Breaks, Falling Costs Are Boosting Wind And Solar

8:10pm December 29, 2015

by Chris Arnold

Congress has extended tax credits for clean energy as part of a $1.8 trillion spending bill. Solar and wind power companies say it will catapult the industry at a time when costs are already falling.

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Music & Culture

Startup Aims To Give Classical Musicians An Online Bump

6:54pm December 29, 2015

by Emily Siner

For classical musicians, it's difficult to sell their work online because of how the music is tagged on apps like Spotify. A tech startup in Nashville is trying to change that.

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A CVS store on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan, N.Y.

Repeat Violators Of Health Privacy Laws Often Go Unpunished

3:35pm December 29, 2015

Regulators have logged dozens, even hundreds of complaints against some health providers for violating federal patient privacy law. Warnings are doled out privately, and sanctions are rarely imposed.

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