Business

Economy

Regulators Warn Banks On Direct-Deposit Loans

8:16pm April 25, 2013

by John Ydstie

Regulators are warning some of the nation's largest banks to stop offering loans that are hard to distinguish from those given out by storefront payday lenders. The banks have been offering high-interest-rate, short-term loans to customers with direct deposit as an advance on their paychecks.

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Economy

Signing Up For Food Stamps: The Choice And The Stigma

2:25pm April 25, 2013

Forty-seven million Americans now rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. For many people, the decision to sign up is fraught with conflicting feelings about taking government assistance.

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National

AP Twitter Account Hacked, Tweet About Obama Shakes Market

9:56am April 24, 2013

by Mark Memmott

It quickly became clear that the "news" was not true. There had been no explosions at the White House and President Obama was fine. But a message on the wire service's Twitter account rattled investors.

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Missouri farmer Gary Riedel says wet weather will put him about a month behind last year's planting.

For Corn, Fickle Weather Makes For Uncertain Yields

9:06am April 24, 2013

by Abbie Fentress Swanson

Corn production was down last year thanks to drought. This year, conditions are too cold and wet for farmers to plant the crop. Without a break in the clouds pretty soon, there may be another shortage of the crop at harvest time.

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Apple Moves To Win Back Investor Confidence

7:20am April 24, 2013

Apple says it will pay out $100 billion to its shareholders in stock buy backs and increased dividends by the end of 2015. On Tuesday, the company announced its first profit decline in a decade. Slowing sales of the Apple iPhone are blamed for the disappointing profit results.

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National

Boston Business Owners Allowed To Return To Bombing Site

7:19am April 24, 2013

by Tovia Smith

In Boston on Tuesday, residents and business owners on Boylston Street were allowed to return for the first time since last week's bombings. They returned to stores with windows blown out, restaurants with the remains of uneaten meals still sitting on tables and barricades to keep the public away from the scene.

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Online Retailers Take Opposite Sides On Sales Tax Bill

8:04pm April 23, 2013

by Scott Horsley

A bill making its way through the Senate would make more online retailers collect sales taxes. The battle over the bill pits online retailers against brick-and-mortar stores — and, in some cases, against other online sellers. Amazon has endorsed the bill, while eBay is the loudest voice against it.

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Amelia Schabel, 23, works with art director Andrew LaBounty at the nonPareil Institute in Plano, Texas.

Health & Safety

Young Adults With Autism Can Thrive In High-Tech Jobs

3:07pm April 23, 2013

by Lauren Silverman

Finding a job is hard enough for recent graduates, but for those on the autism spectrum the search can be even harder. One training program in Texas is helping these young people prepare for jobs in the tech industry.

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Newsreader in front of television camera.

Books
Arts

For TV Networks, Stiff Competition To Be 'Top Of The Morning'

3:05pm April 23, 2013

by NPR Staff

Shows like Good Morning America and the Today show can have a big impact on a broadcast network's image and bottom line. NPR's David Greene speaks with media reporter Brian Stelter about Top of the Morning, his new book about the high-stakes world of morning TV.

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Mississippi River Communities Brace For Flooding

3:05pm April 23, 2013

by Maria Altman

In just a few months, Missouri has gone from a record drought that reduced farmers' crop yields to flooding that has hurt in other ways. Earlier this year, the worst drought conditions seen in the Midwest in decades threatened to close the Mississippi River to barge traffic.

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