Business

World News

Low Oil Prices Accelerate Trouble For Venezuela

6:28pm December 01, 2014

The drop in the price of oil might be having a positive effect on the disposable income of Americans, but for people who live in countries whose economies are dependent on the high price of oil it's a different story. Audie Cornish talks to Daniel Yergin, author of The Quest: Energy, Security and the Remaking of the Modern World

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David Lowery, of Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven, says he's wary of the way Pandora pays for music.

Music & Culture

Pandora's New Deal: Different Pay, Different Play

2:12pm December 01, 2014

by Laura Sydell

The Internet radio service offers greater exposure to artists in exchange for a lower royalty rate.

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National

Girl Scout Cookies Will Soon Be Just A Click Away

1:56pm December 01, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

The organization has announced a program called Digital Cookies that allows Girl Scouts to sell Thin Mints, Do-si-dos, Samoas and other cookies through personalized websites or a mobile app.

The Moto G became a success for Motorola and challenged what low-cost Android phones could be.

The Market For Low-End Smartphones Is Looking Up

12:51pm December 01, 2014

by Charles Pulliam-Moore

Smartphones that don't scrimp on performance but sell for less than $200 off contract are gaining traction. And the low end is quickly becoming one of the most innovative spaces in mobile tech.

The lowest gas prices in years are seen Wednesday on a fuel sign in Lawrence, Kan. A day later, OPEC decided to maintain current production levels, virtually ensuring continued low prices at the pump.

Oil Prices Tumble After OPEC Holds Firm On Output

11:53am December 01, 2014

by Scott Neuman

Ministers of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries meeting in Austria could not agree to cut production in an effort to stabilize global crude prices.

The $1 billion Brickell City Centre, currently under construction, will house condos, a hotel and a retail and entertainment complex. Condo projects are booming in Miami, financed mostly by foreign buyers.

Foreign Dollars Fuel A New Condo Boom In Miami

11:34am December 01, 2014

by Greg Allen

After the bust of the Great Recession, construction cranes once again tower over Miami. The transformation masks a difficult reality: This flashy city also remains one of the nation's poorest.

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World News

In Dubai, Shoppers Hit The Malls For 'White Friday'

6:01pm November 30, 2014

Many in the international city of Dubai celebrated Thanksgiving and then went shopping. NPR's Rachel Martin speaks to correspondent Deborah Amos about the new tradition in the city of shopping malls.

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Noelle Johnson has a lengthy commute via bus and train to her job near Washington, D.C. She's been working toward her B.A. for nine years, and when she finally finishes, she says, she'll be able to afford to live closer to work.

For Millions Of Millennials: Some College, No Degree, Lots Of Debt

5:38pm November 30, 2014

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Noelle Johnson has about $20,000 in student loans and is still working on her degree. Without the higher earnings a B.A. can bring, even a modest student debt load can pose a big challenge.

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This Chinese teenager weighs 353 pounds. At a "slimming center" in China's central Hubei province, he's exercising and undergoing acupuncture to lose weight.

The Whole World Is Fat! And That Ends Up Costing $2 Trillion A Year

5:37pm November 30, 2014

by Jason Beaubien

Nearly a third of us are overweight, and some of the worst rates of obesity are in the developing world. All this corpulence takes a huge economic toll.

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Shoppers Manuel Orellano, middle, with his daughter Marcela, left, and her son Manuel, 6, shop for children's clothing at JCPenney at Glendale Galleria shopping mall in Glendale, Calif, on Friday.

Black Friday Sales Down At Stores, Surge Online

2:33pm November 30, 2014

by Scott Neuman

More shopping on Thanksgiving Day diluted the Black Friday numbers somewhat, according to a ShopperTrak survey. A separate survey by IBM showed a nearly 10 percent increase in online sales.