ECONOMY

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks to reporters in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday after the Fed announced it would increase interest rates by a quarter-point.

Fed Raises Key Interest Rate For 4th Time Since 2015

3:55pm June 14, 2017

by Avie Schneider

The quarter-point increase in the Federal Reserve's benchmark rate was widely expected. Rates are still near historic lows, but the increase will mean higher borrowing costs for consumers.

A Pesticide, A Pigweed And A Farmer's Murder

3:10pm June 14, 2017

by Marianne McCune

One farmer's improper use of an herbicide damaged another's field and led to a shooting. The dispute reveals divisions among neighbors and economic tradeoffs over the right way to farm.

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Uber says it's making changes to address a culture that was blamed for tolerating sexual harassment and other misconduct.

Uber's Travis Kalanick Announces Leave Of Absence; Company Adopts Harassment Policies

9:50pm June 13, 2017

by Bill Chappell

Co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick says, "If we are going to work on Uber 2.0, I also need to work on Travis 2.0," as he takes time to grieve his mother's death.

Despite Falling Unemployment, U.S. Wages Stay Stagnant

4:32pm June 13, 2017

NPR's Audie Cornish talks to Peter Coy, economics editor for Bloomberg, about why pay isn't rising in the U.S., despite a falling unemployment rate.

PUERTORICO-VOTE-REFERENDUM-POLITICS-US-ECONOMY

The 51st State?

2:08pm June 13, 2017

Puerto Ricans are American citizens, without all the benefits of folks from the mainland. Should the U.S. treat Puerto Rico like a state, or a colony?

Coal Towns Face An Uncertain Future. What Is The Country Obliged To Do?

8:37am June 13, 2017

by Nathan Rott

As utilities transition away from coal power, what, if anything, do they owe the places that were built around supplying that coal? A Montana lawmaker is among those trying to make that case.

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Siemens Trainees Begin Vocational Training

How To Earn Six Figures Without A Four-Year Degree

4:13pm June 12, 2017

An age-old practice with origins in medieval times, is now gaining traction again in the United States.

Loss Of Steel Jobs Lingers In Fairfield

8:14am June 10, 2017

Two years ago the last big steel blast furnace closed down in Fairfield, Ala. Since then, laid off workers have been trying to find new careers.

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The Colstrip Generating Station near Colstrip, Mont., is the second-largest coal-fired power plant in the West. Two of its four units are scheduled to close by 2022, if not sooner.

Town That Helped Power Northwest Feels Left Behind In Shift Away From Coal

8:01am June 10, 2017

by Nathan Rott

Colstrip, Mont., is home to the second-largest coal power plant in the West. The plant's customers in other states are turning away from coal, so locals are looking for support in making a transition.

One Uber driver is available in Muncie, Ind., at 7 p.m. on a recent weeknight. Through dozens of interviews and an informal survey, NPR found that hundreds of Uber drivers feel the company is not living up to its "Be Your Own Boss" promise.

The Faceless Boss: A Look Into The Uber Driver Workplace

7:46pm June 09, 2017

by Aarti Shahani

To recruit drivers, company leaders are fond of saying that at Uber, you can "Be Your Own Boss." But NPR found that many Uber drivers feel controlled by a boss that is both always there, yet faceless.

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