Business

James Patterson writes suspense and thriller novels as well as children's books. He runs the children's literacy campaign ReadKiddoRead.

Books
Arts

Author James Patterson To Give $1 Million To Bookstores

12:43pm February 20, 2014

by NPR Staff

On Thursday, he announced the names of more than 55 booksellers who are getting some of that money — up to $15,000 each. He tells Renee Montagne about why he's driven to help independent bookstores.

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Trade Issues Expected To Dominate Obama's Trip To Mexico

7:37am February 19, 2014

by Carrie Kahn

President Obama travels to Mexico on Wednesday to meet with his Mexican and Canadian counterparts. The three presidents are talking about the increased trade among their countries, 20 years since the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

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Economy

Better Business Bureau Seeks New Leader

5:57pm February 18, 2014

The Better Business Bureau of Northwest North Carolina is looking for a new leader.

Candy Crush Saga's Developer Plans To Go Public

12:09pm February 18, 2014

King Digital Entertainment filed for an initial public offering aimed at bringing in a half-billion dollars. The company revealed it has 128 million active daily users, with 93 million playing Candy Crush Saga, the Apple App Store's No. 2 highest-grossing game. King also makes Pet Rescue Saga and Farm Heroes Saga.

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Tenn. Workers Vote To Reject Union At VW Plant

1:13pm February 15, 2014

Workers at the VW plant in Chattanooga have dealt a blow to organized labor in the South. NPR's Scott Simon speaks to reporter Blake Farmer about the close vote.

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Jos. A. Bank To Buy Eddie Bauer

11:10am February 14, 2014

Clothing chain Jos. A. Bank announced Friday it has agreed to buy casual sportswear maker Eddie Bauer for $825 million in a cash and stock deal. This acquisition comes in the midst of ongoing, hostile efforts by Jos. A. Bank and its main competitor Men's Wearhouse to buy each other.

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The majority of patrons at Shanghai's Fortune Cookie restaurant are foreigners, particularly Americans who crave the American-Chinese food they grew up with but can't find in China.

World News

Shanghai Warms Up To A New Cuisine: Chinese Food, American-Style

11:25am February 12, 2014

by Frank Langfitt

Chinese immigrants adapted their cuisine over time to appeal to American palates. So Americans looking for familiar dishes in China won't find many. But a new restaurant in Shanghai hopes to change that — offering expats a taste of home and introducing locals to foreign treats like fortune cookies.

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Tennessee Volkswagen Workers Vote On UAW Membership

7:57am February 12, 2014

by Blake Farmer

In Chattanooga on Wednesday, workers at Volkswagen's auto plant will vote on whether to unionize. This is billed as the most closely watched unionization vote in the South in decades.

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Education

Mass. Suit Aims To Clarify Religious Groups' Latitude In Hiring

7:57am February 12, 2014

by Tovia Smith

When it comes to hiring pastors and teachers, religious organizations like churches or schools are exempt from most employment discrimination laws. But a lawsuit in Massachusetts wants to clarify how much leeway they have. For example, can they discriminate against people in same-sex marriages for non-religious jobs like gym teacher or cafeteria worker?

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A new study shows that the income gap between young adults who go to college and those who don't only continues to grow.

Going To College May Cost You, But So Will Skipping It

8:00pm February 11, 2014

by Jennifer Ludden

The gap in earnings between young people who have a college degree and those who don't has continued to widen over the past several decades. And while total student loan debt in the U.S. continues to rise, millennials say a college degree is still worth it.

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