Business

Twitter CEO Hopes To Attract Users By Clearing The Clutter

2:48pm May 02, 2014

by NPR Staff

Dick Costolo calls the @ sign "scaffolding" that gets in the way of clear communication. And he says Twitter has to bridge the gap between the brand's global awareness and user engagement.

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Kansas Town Destroyed By Tornado Spreads Blame For Lack Of Growth

2:25pm April 30, 2014

by Frank Morris

After seven years, Greensburg is stuck at half its pre-tornado population, and has few prospects for growth. Some blame trends decimating many farm towns — others point to the new green initiative.

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A typical UPS truck is tracked by hundreds of sensors.

Economy

To Increase Productivity, UPS Monitors Drivers' Every Move

1:11pm April 30, 2014

by Jacob Goldstein

A typical UPS truck now has hundreds of sensors on it. That's changing the way UPS drivers work — and it foreshadows changes coming for workers throughout the economy.

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Mike Smith, of Long Beach, Calif., now pays $200 for his family's health insurance policy, compared with the $3,000 a month he would have had to pay on the individual market last year.

Obamacare Enrollees Emboldened To Leave Jobs, Start Businesses

12:10pm April 30, 2014

by Stephanie O'Neill

Some people who felt stuck in certain jobs, just because they needed the employment-based health insurance, say they are finding the Affordable Care Act liberating.

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From Waltz To '90s Icon: The Unforgettable Life Of The Nokia Ringtone

12:06pm April 30, 2014

by Robert Siegel

With the announcement that Nokia will move away from the smartphone market, it's worth taking a moment to remember a sound once ubiquitous, which we might never hear again: the Nokia ringtone.

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National

Supreme Court Considers Limits On Warrantless Cellphone Searches

10:37am April 30, 2014

by Nina Totenberg

In a case that reaches into almost every American's pocket or purse, justices struggled over whether police can search cellphones without obtaining a warrant at the time of an arrest.

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White House Warns Highway Trust Fund Is Low On Funds

8:22am April 30, 2014

by Brian Naylor

The Obama administration has sent to Congress a four-year $302 billion infrastructure bill. It proposes closing corporate loopholes to make up for lost revenues from the gas tax.

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If We'd Only Known About The Impending Spam

2:10pm April 29, 2014

by NPR Staff

Twenty years ago, NPR alerted staff members that they would soon have access to a new form of communication: "A collection of computer networks that is connected around the world."

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Ian Burrell, a rum ambassador from the U.K., samples the liquor at the Miami Rum Festival.

Rum Renaissance Revives The Spirit's Rough Reputation

11:31am April 29, 2014

by Tim Padgett

The official cheap liquor of spring breakers is becoming something much more sophisticated. And South Florida has become ground zero for the rum revolution.

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Stronger Patent Protections Sought In Pacific Rim Trade Pact

12:29pm April 28, 2014

by NPR Staff

Diverse industries, from pharmaceuticals to film, are lobbying for strict patent protections in the Trans-Pacific trade deal.

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