ECONOMY

What Can Government Do To Protect The Shrinking Middle Class?

7:19pm December 11, 2015

by Scott Horsley

Politicians love to present themselves as champions of the middle class. But according to a new study from the Pew Research Center, less than half the American population now falls in that category. NPR explores what the government might do to shore up the shrinking middle class.

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Los Angeles Struggles To Contain Chronic Homelessness

4:35pm December 11, 2015

by Kirk Siegler

Los Angeles has the largest population of chronically homeless people in the country. The city is wrestling with how to deal with a growing homeless population that is spreading far beyond Skid Row.

U.S. Cities Face Challenges In Reducing Homeless Population

4:35pm December 11, 2015

by Pam Fessler

NPR provides an update on the picture of homelessness in the U.S. While there have been many successful efforts championed to get people housed, some cities continue to criminalize homelessness.

Dave Gilboa is co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, the primarily online eyewear store. Warby Parker experimented with a variety of pop-up locations before settling into a longer-term lease.

Economy

With Mobile Clicks And Seasonal Shopping, Pop-Up Stores Are Booming

1:52pm December 11, 2015

by Elise Hu

Online shopping has changed how we approach the buying experience. And stores have adapted with the temporary, pop-up model — a seasonal offer for some, a long-term approach for others.

Specialist Thomas McArdle (left) works with traders at the post that handles Dow Chemical on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. If a proposed merger goes through, Dow's and DuPont's respective shareholders would own about half of the new entity.

DuPont And Dow Agree On Terms For Huge Merger

9:07am December 11, 2015

by Bill Chappell

After the merger, the resulting behemoth would be split into what Dow's chairman and CEO, Andrew Liveris, calls "three powerful new companies." That is, if regulators sign off on the deal.

Leaked Budget Document Provides Glimpse Into How ISIS Makes Money

4:31pm December 10, 2015

by Stacey Vanek Smith

NPR explores how ISIS gets its money and why that makes it so hard to turn off the money spigot. We examine how ISIS makes up its budget and manages it through its tax system, fees and the antiquities smuggling strategies.

Pew Research Report Finds Most Americans Are No Longer Middle Class

4:31pm December 10, 2015

According to a Pew Research Center report released Wednesday, the middle class is losing ground. The report finds the middle class has shifted into lower and upper-income households. NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Rakesh Kochhar, the lead author of the report and associate director of research at the Pew Research Center, about what it now means to be part of the middle class. Then, Audie Cornish turns to NPR's Mara Liasson about what a shrinking middle class means for the presidential race.

The parent company of Chrysler acknowledges that it failed to turn over safety data as required. Above, a 2014 photo of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Economy

Fiat Chrysler Fined $70 Million For Failing To Report Safety Data

4:19pm December 10, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

Automakers are required by law to turn over data about accidents, warranties and safety issues.

Radwan Mahmoud, a Syrian refugee, works as a laborer on a construction site in Lebanon. He's supporting 12 family members and earning about $16 a day. With a population of just over 4 million, Lebanon is host to more than 1 million Syrian refugees.

As War Drags On, Syrian Refugees In Lebanon Sink Into Debt Trap

3:27pm December 10, 2015

by Alice Fordham

Barred from legal work in Lebanon, Syrian refugees are accumulating huge debts as they struggle to pay for rent and other necessities.

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When ISIS Comes To Town, Everything Changes

9:06am December 10, 2015

by Stacey Vanek Smith

Our Planet Money team examines the financial life within ISIS territory. When members of the Islamic State take control of a town, they also take control of its businesses and its economy.

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