Business

In a video posted to YouTube last year by the women's health company HelloFlo, a preteen girl fakes her period and faces unexpected, and embarrassing, repercussions from her mother.

Brands Target Tween Girls In Bid To Keep Them As Longtime Customers

9:06am April 10, 2015

by Ilya Marritz

Brands increasingly see tweens as a distinct consumer group. From menstruation products to underwear, advertisers are targeting young girls in an informal tone to gain loyal customers earlier on.

Queue Listen Now

Airbnb Finds Interest In Cuba But Hurdles Must Be Overcome First

7:56am April 10, 2015

by Yuki Noguchi

Airbnb's entry into the Cuban market last week opened many American's eyes to what real estate on the island looks like. Interest in travel and buying homes is up, but there are plenty of challenges.

Queue Listen Now

Patient Gary Wilhelm looks at his medical data on a smartphone that is synchronized to a new Fitbit Surge on his wrist.

Health & Safety

Weighing Privacy Vs. Rewards Of Letting Insurers Track Your Fitness

7:11pm April 09, 2015

by Christina Farr

A major life insurer is offering lower premiums in exchange for policyholders' sharing activity data. But privacy advocates worry such programs eventually will be used to deny coverage.

Night in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Analysts warn a sudden energy shortage in the Caribbean could create security problems not far from U.S. shores and even trigger mass migration. But thanks to its domestic energy boom, the U.S. has a rare opportunity to get

Obama To Address Caribbean's 'Economic Achilles' Heel' — Energy

5:16pm April 09, 2015

by Scott Horsley

The president meets with Caribbean leaders in Jamaica Thursday — and a looming energy crunch in the region is high on the list.

Queue Listen Now

Monique Yusizanna Ouz, 66, is going to have electricity for the first time in her life.

She's 66 And Finally Getting Electricity. Bring On The Ice Cream!

4:56pm April 09, 2015

by Carrie Kahn

Haiti has long relied on NGOs for aid. But the village of Tuffet is now on the grid — and paying for its power. "It's better when you pay for something," a resident says. "It doesn't go away then."

Queue Listen Now

An auto-rickshaw in New Delhi. You can use an Uber app in the Indian capital to hail the three-wheeled vehicles.

World News

Uber Launches Cash-Only Rickshaw Service In Indian Capital

4:19pm April 09, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

Passengers can hail the popular three-wheeled vehicles using an Uber app. Fares are set by the state.

United States Coast Guard ships break up ice in eastern Lake Superior on Tuesday.

National

Icy Traffic Jam On Lake Superior Has 18 Ships Stuck

4:08pm April 09, 2015

by Sam Sanders

Pickup truck-size ice chunks have left the freight ships stuck in Lake Superior. The U.S. and Canadian coast guards have sent in icebreakers to help the ships get through.

Queue Listen Now

Ramalinga Raju, founder and former chairman of fraud-hit Satyam Computer Services, is escorted from a court in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad in April 2009. Raju and nine other defendants have been convicted of fraud and conspiracy.

World News

Founder Of Indian IT Giant Satyam Gets 7 Years For Fraud

12:33pm April 09, 2015

by Scott Neuman

B. Ramalinga Raju, the founder of the computer services company that collapsed in 2009, and two of his brothers were among those convicted of defrauding shareholders.

Economy

CEO Describes What It's Like When Investors Bet Against You

12:29pm April 09, 2015

by David Kestenbaum

The online furniture company Wayfair is now one of the most shorted stocks. Our Planet Money team talks to its CEO about what it's like to be running a company when investors are betting on your fall.

Queue Listen Now

Money is pouring into the stock market, but most new investors only have a middle-school education, says Texas A&M University economist Gan Li.

Sidewalk Touts Trade Tips On Shanghai's Booming Bull Market

9:50am April 09, 2015

by Frank Langfitt

The Shanghai exchange is on a tear, but there could be trouble ahead for ill-informed investors. Analysts say the current upswing is driven by perceptions rather than fundamentals.

Queue Listen Now