Business

Obama Apologizes, Offers Fix To Insurance Cancellations

10:49am November 15, 2013

by Scott Horsley

President Obama has acknowledged the fumbled rollout of his signature health care law has hurt his credibility and that of fellow Democrats. He offered a minor change to the law in hopes of calming Democratic nerves, and beating back bigger changes proposed by House Republicans.

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A Lyft driver in San Francisco drops off a passenger as a taxi passes by. The smartphone app lets city dwellers hitch rides from strangers.

For Ridesharing Apps Like Lyft, Commerce Is A Community

7:34pm November 14, 2013

by Sonari Glinton

Services where regular people use their cars to take passengers to their destinations have found a foothold in the smartphone age. And for many participating in this sharing economy, the appeal is in more than just the cost savings or convenience.

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A prototype of a flexible battery from Imprint Energy, one of 40 companies working on battery technology in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Electric Cars Drive Demand For Cheaper, More Powerful Batteries

7:29pm November 14, 2013

by Lauren Sommer

Unlike the technologies in laptops, smartphones and electric cars, the batteries inside them have been slow to evolve. In Silicon Valley, more than 40 companies are working on finding a battery breakthrough. And they're facing international competition.

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What's The Most Important Thing Food Labels Should Tell Us?

7:29pm November 14, 2013

by Dan Charles

Food labels have become battlegrounds. Government regulators, companies and food movement activists have been fighting over what belongs on the label. (GMOs? Trans fats? Claims that bran prevents heart disease?) We asked four big thinkers for their dream food label.

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Health & Safety

Health Care Registration Numbers Are Revealed

6:53am November 14, 2013

by Julie Rovner

The Obama administration says just about 100,000 people managed to choose health plans through the federal and state health exchanges during their first month of the program. Critics say that shows the law is failing. But most analysts say the first month's numbers wouldn't have meant very much, even if the federal website had been working properly.

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Senate Panel To Hear From Fed Chief Nominee Janet Yellen

6:53am November 14, 2013

by John Ydstie

The first woman to be nominated to head the Federal Reserve takes the witness chair on Capitol Hill Thursday morning for her confirmation hearing. Janet Yellen's challenge will be to reassure her Democratic supporters that she's focused on job creation, while convincing at least a few Republicans that she'll keep inflation in check.

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Rep. Waxman Weighs In On Affordable Care Act Problems

6:53am November 14, 2013

Steve Inskeep talks to Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman of California about the lower-than-expected number of Americans who successfully signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. A growing group of Democrats are backing a Republican plan to delay the penalties or allow Americans to keep their current plans.

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For nearly a century, foreigners have been prohibited from owning Mexican land within 31 miles of the coastline or 62 miles of an international border.

World News

Americans Might Soon Get To Buy Mexican Beachfront, Border Land

8:01pm November 13, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

Mexico is considering relaxing its law prohibiting foreigners from owning land within 30 miles of the coast or about 60 miles from an international border. Real estate developers say the change would lead to a boom along Mexico's coasts. But opponents fear it could launch a modern-day foreign land grab.

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Todd Park, the U.S. chief technology officer, testifies before the House oversight committee about problems implementing the health care program.

National

The Tech Stats We Now Know About HealthCare.gov

8:01pm November 13, 2013

by Elise Hu

Government's top tech officials — including U.S. Chief Technology Officer Todd Park — showed up on Capitol Hill to give a status report of the troubled HealthCare.gov system. As the administration unveils enrollment numbers, the tech officials outlined technology metrics of progress.

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Adam Minter has also written for The Atlantic, Foreign Policy and The Wall Street Journal. Junkyard Planet is his first book.

Christmas Lights Make Slippers In Global 'Junkyard' Economy

7:01pm November 13, 2013

The Chinese town of Shijiao is known for recycling discarded Christmas tree lights for their copper and wire insulation, which are then used to support growing economies and make slipper soles, respectively. In Junkyard Planet, Adam Minter explores the business of recycling what developed nations throw away.

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