Business

A woman pushes a cart at a Costco store in Hackensack, N.J., in 2013. Big-box stores are effective delivery devices for fattening foods, economists argue in a new study.

Have Big-Box Superstores Helped To Make Us Fat?

2:21pm February 23, 2015

by Alan Greenblatt

A study argues that the density of restaurants and large-scale food retailers in parts of the U.S. has been a major factor in the rise of obesity. But some see it as a "chicken and egg" problem.

Freight Farms are shipping containers modified to grow stacks of hydroponic plants and vegetables — anywhere, 365 days a year.

Freight Farms: How Boston Gets Local Greens, Even When Buried In Snow

1:48pm February 23, 2015

by Here & Now Staff

Big metal shipping containers are often used to import food from around the globe. Now, two Boston entrepreneurs are modifying those containers to grow local produce hydroponically, 365 days a year.

Fleetmon.com video of global shipping traffic.

WATCH: Shipping Around The World In 1:40

1:27pm February 23, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The video presents a fascinating visual representation of the extent of international shipping.

National

Pot Policy Splits Native Americans Over Whether Business Is Worth It

12:23pm February 23, 2015

by Laurel Morales

Some tribes are trying to set up growing operations after the Justice Department announced it would back off enforcement. Others worry about the potential for substance abuse.

Queue Listen Now

50 Years Of Shrinking Union Membership, In One Map

11:53am February 23, 2015

by Quoctrung Bui

Union membership has been on a steady decline nationally since the middle of the last century. Watch as membership declines in states across the country.

After 'Fifty Shades,' Could This Be The Next Big Online Hit?

11:49am February 23, 2015

by Petra Mayer

After is an epic, erotic fan fiction loosely based on the British boy band One Direction. It's being republished by Simon & Schuster, which is hoping the story's online fans will buy it in book form.

Queue Listen Now

Economy

Honda's President Resigns, After A Troubled Year For Carmaker

11:32am February 23, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Takanobu Ito, who has led Honda since 2009, will leave his post in June, giving way to Takahiro Hachigo, an executive who began his career as an engineer.

New Hospital Buildings Define Future Of Health Care

11:25am February 23, 2015

by Lauren Silverman

Across the country, the health care industry is pouring billions of dollars into new hospitals and medical centers. And the new hospitals of today are very different than the ones they're replacing.

Queue Listen Now

Some employers said that leaving out hospital coverage helped protect low-wage workers from big deductibles.

Employers Can't Skip Insurance Coverage For Hospitalization

11:02am February 23, 2015

by Jay Hancock

Many companies planned to offer health insurance without hospital coverage because it met requirements of a "minimum value" formula. But the Treasury Department says those plans aren't legal.

Is health insurance that doesn't cover hospital care worth having?

Health & Safety

Administration Bars Health Plans That Won't Cover Hospital Care

11:01am February 23, 2015

by Jay Hancock

Companies mainly in lower-wage industries that hadn't previously offered health coverage had been flocking to the stripped-down plans for 2015.