Business

Environment

Calif. Law To Require Ships To Cut Pollution

5:28am May 20, 2013

by Kirk Siegler

California is about to become the first state to require shore power at its ports. A new law mandates at least half of a shipping line's fleet to shut down their diesel engines and plug into shore-side electric power when they unload their cargo. It's part of a larger effort to cut pollution at the state's busiest ports, but costs have been a sticking point.

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Yahoo To Buy Tumblr In An Attempt To Revitalize Itself

5:06am May 20, 2013

by Kirk Siegler

Yahoo is expected to announce Monday that it's acquiring the social media site Tumblr, in a deal The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets are reporting to be worth about $1.1 billion. Some analysts are calling the acquisition an effort by Yahoo to be "cool and relevant" again.

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Economy

Internships: Low-Paid, Unpaid Or Just Plain Illegal?

7:47pm May 18, 2013

by NPR Staff

Fed up with working for free, some interns are suing their employers. Last week, a judge ruled that interns could not sue the Hearst Corp. as a class action, which could be a legal setback for young workers tired of exploitative unpaid internships.

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"We're going to keep prices as fair as we possibly can," says Bob Viden of Bob's Little Sport Shop in southern New Jersey.

Demand For Ammunition Is Up. Why Aren't Prices?

10:04pm May 17, 2013

by Marianne McCune

Demand increased recently, leading to widespread shortages. An economics textbook would say ammo sellers should have raised prices rather than have empty shelves. But that hasn't happened.

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For decades, Hill County Farms, also known as Henry's Turkey Service, housed a group of mentally disabled men in squalor in this former schoolhouse in Atalissa, Iowa. The EEOC won a judgment against the company for exploiting the men.

A 'Wake-Up Call' To Protect Vulnerable Workers From Abuse

1:35pm May 17, 2013

by Yuki Noguchi

For decades, a turkey-processing company housed intellectually disabled men in squalid conditions, subjecting them to physical and emotional abuse while paying them $2 per day. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently won a huge judgment against the company.

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Politics & Government

Obama Names OMB Controller As Acting IRS Commissioner

5:25am May 17, 2013

by John Ydstie

On Thursday, President Obama named Daniel Werfel, 42, acting IRS commissioner. The announcement comes a day after the resignation of Steven Miller, who got caught up in the controversy over the IRS targeting Tea Party groups.

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Budget Woes Mean Big Delays For Small Claims Courts

5:14am May 17, 2013

by Emily Green

With budgets tight, the court in San Joaquin County, Calif., stopped hearing all small claims cases in September. More than 800 people have since filed claims with no hearing dates in sight. Many other counties nationwide are experiencing similar delays for civil cases as they grapple with spending cuts.

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Jonathan Heisey-Grove kisses his 4-month-old son, Zane, in their home in Alexandria, Va. Jonathan is part of a growing number of fathers who stay at home full time while their wives financially support the family.

Stay-At-Home Dads, Breadwinner Moms And Making It All Work

9:21pm May 16, 2013

by Jennifer Ludden

For decades, the role of breadwinner was reserved for men, but today, more than a quarter of American working women earn more than their spouses. That means more fathers are opting to stay home with the kids.

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Economy

Will Strong Summer Travel Be A Turning Point For Airlines?

4:56pm May 16, 2013

As the summer travel season approaches, air travel provides a barometer for the health of the U.S. economy — and airlines report they're having a good year. After years of financial troubles, industry representatives hope U.S. travelers are more willing to fly. NPR senior business editor Marilyn Geewax explains what summer travel tells us about the health of the economy.

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The Tricky Business Of Retirement: Hidden 401(K) Fees

2:04pm May 16, 2013

You could end up with a lot less savings at 65 than you ever anticipated because of fees charged by the financial institutions managing your retirement accounts. Robert Hiltonsmith, who researches retirement security, says those fees were disclosed to 401(k) plan participants until only recently.

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