Business

Actors Jermaine Crawford, Maestro Harrell, Tristan Wilds and Julito McCullum portray Baltimore students in the show's fourth season.

Rewatching 'The Wire': Classic Crime Drama Seems Written For Today

3:36pm January 06, 2015

by Eric Deggans

As HBO releases the high-definition version of The Wire, NPR's Eric Deggans says that binge-watching the show feels more like reading today's headlines — especially on issues of race and class.

How A Too-Strong Dollar Might Lead To A Too-Weak World

1:53pm January 06, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

There are upsides to having global investors stash their savings in the United States. But their embrace of the dollar can start to feel like a death grip if it goes too far and chokes off exports.

Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs stands in front of a projection of iTunes at a presentation in 2004.

Music & Culture

With Downloads In Decline, Can iTunes Adapt?

12:44pm January 06, 2015

by Laura Sydell

Digital downloads of iTunes fell sharply in 2014, as consumers abandoned Apple's music store in favor of cheap, easy-to-use subscription services.

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Euro's Drop Raises Questions About Its Long-Term Prospects

10:34am January 06, 2015

The Euro fell to a nine-year low against the dollar on Monday as investors worried about Europe's economic doldrums. Linda Wertheimer talks to Callum Williams of The Economist.

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The massive first stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is designed to return to earth.

Science

SpaceX Plans A Perfect Landing

8:09am January 06, 2015

by Geoff Brumfiel

The space firm will send a supply capsule into orbit, and then try a new way to recover the part of the rocket that carried it. If it works, the cost of going to space could be reduced dramatically.

National

Low Gas Prices Give SUV Sales A Boost, But Automakers Take Long View

8:07am January 06, 2015

by Sonari Glinton

U.S. auto manufacturers have learned from the last crash and have become more nimble, an industry expert says — so when oil prices rise again, they quickly will return to building more hybrids.

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La Roca restaurant in Nogales, Mexico, draws a mix of American tourists and locals. It used to have an American bank account and credit card until the bank closed the account.

National

Border Businesses Lose Bank Accounts Amid Money-Laundering Fears

6:53pm January 05, 2015

by Jude Joffe-Block

Some U.S. banks are closing the accounts of certain businesses along the Mexican side of the border. It's part of an effort to stay in line with anti-money-laundering regulations.

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Young Cubans prepare their sticks to charge the latest internet "package" with films, television series, software and other similar stuff from foreign origin downloaded from the web.

World News

Lacking Internet, Cubans Rely On 'The Package' For Entertainment

5:06pm January 05, 2015

by Carrie Kahn

The so-called weekly "package" allows Cubans to watch every current TV show and series available to the world at a fraction of the cost and without government censors.

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Palliative medicine physician Michael Fratkin gets off a plane after visiting a patient on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. He's recently launched a startup to support this kind of work.

Rural Doctor Launches Startup To Ease Pain Of Dying Patients

4:16pm January 05, 2015

by April Dembosky

Getting basic health care to rural areas has always been difficult, and delivering specialized care even harder. One doctor is raising money to bring palliative care to patients in rural California.

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Sports

Report: St. Louis Rams Owner Plans New Stadium In LA

3:10pm January 05, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

The Los Angeles Times reports Stan Kroenke and the Stockbridge Capital Group plan to build an 80,000-seat NFL stadium — which could see the team return to the city where it spent almost five decades.