Business

For Right Price, You Could Own Buzz Aldrin's Toothbrush

7:00am April 04, 2013

Heritage Auctions is selling items that have gone to the moon. The bidding for Buzz Aldrin's light blue,Lactona toothbrush starts at $9,000. You can also bid on Apollo astronaut Richard Gordon's comb.

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The Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town apartment complex is seen from Waterside Plaza in 2006, the same year it was sold in a record-breaking real estate deal.

Books
Arts

The Botched NY Real Estate Deal That Lost 'Other People' Billions

8:50pm April 03, 2013

by NPR Staff

In 2006, two Manhattan housing projects were at the center of a real estate fiasco that would come to epitomize the housing crisis. Charles Bagli's Other People's Money explains how the government of Singapore was among those who paid for the mistakes of New York's real estate giants.

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Economy

H-1B Visa Applications As An Economic Indicator

8:19am April 03, 2013

by Zoe Chace

The demand from American companies for highly skilled immigrants seems to be up this year. And that could mean something is about to change for the overall economy.

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Dr. Madhumathi Gunasekaran examines John Pike at the Northgate II clinic in Camden, N.J.

In South Jersey, New Options For Primary Care Are Slow To Take Hold

8:19am April 03, 2013

by Taunya English

Residents of an apartment building in Camden, N.J., racked up more than $1 million a year in hospital admissions and trips to the ER over about a decade. In response, a community group opened a doctor's office on the ground floor. But at first, residents weren't as eager to go as doctors had hoped.

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Restaurants Take Risks For Big Rewards At Phoenix Airport

8:19am April 03, 2013

by Peter O'Dowd

One of the busiest airports in the country is in the midst of a major upgrade that will bring local restaurants into a space typically reserved for mega-corporate chains. Nearly two dozen Phoenix culinary landmarks have landed space at Sky Harbor. But there is a cost. Rent at the airport is 10 times more expensive in some cases, and some small businesses have gone into a lot of debt to get their foot in the door.

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White House Delays Part Of Health Care Law

8:19am April 03, 2013

by Julie Rovner

The Obama administration has decided to delay for a year a key piece of the health law that will let small businesses provide a choice of health plans to their workers. It is the first admission that the task of rolling out the law is too complicated to accomplish in the time allowed.

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Economy

Budget Cuts Silence Some Air Traffic Control Towers

5:31am April 02, 2013

David Greene talks to Yvette Aehle, director of the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport, about her plans to shut down the airport's air traffic control tower. Because of sequestration, the FAA will no longer pay for air traffic controllers at 144 smaller airports.

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How Samsung Became An Industry Giant

6:25pm March 30, 2013

South Korean company Samsung is the world leader in smartphone and cell phone sales. Bloomberg journalist Sam Grobart gained access to the company's headquarters, and wrote about his findings in Bloomberg Businessweek. Weekends on All Things Considered guest host Laura Sullivan talks to Growbart about some of the surprising things he found within the company, and how it became a global powerhouse.

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Home Depot is hiring 80,000 employees for its spring season. As the housing market picks up, other industry sectors — like gardening, construction and furniture — move upward, too.

Economy

As Housing Industry Builds Up, Other Sectors Follow

11:31pm March 29, 2013

by Yuki Noguchi

The housing recovery is well on its way, economists say, and Americans are becoming more comfortable spending on things like remodeling, moving, gardening and furniture. One economist expects increased housing wealth to boost consumer spending by $100 billion this year.

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Syrian refugees are pictured at Kilis refugee camp in Gaziantep, Turkey, on Nov. 1. An estimated 150,000 Syrians are reported to be living in the Turkish border town.

World News

Syrian Financial Capital's Loss Is Turkey's Gain

10:20pm March 29, 2013

by Deborah Amos

Aleppo was once the financial heart of Syria. But as the country's revolt grinds on, many of the city's most innovative businessmen have moved to the Turkish border town of Gaziantep. An estimated 150,000 Syrians are there — some of whom are putting down roots — raising questions about Aleppo's future.

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