ECONOMY

Commodities Trader 'Somewhat Confident' We've Seen The Worst Of Market Fall

6:37pm August 24, 2015

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Chicago-based commodities trader Jack Scoville about this wild day for the markets. He says he hasn't seen anything quite like it in the near 30 years he's been trading.

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Response To Volatile Wall Street Muted In Lower Manhattan

6:37pm August 24, 2015

by Joel Rose

It was an erratic day on Wall Street Monday. But outside the New York Stock Exchange in Lower Manhattan, traders and tourists alike were taking the ups and downs in stride.

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Elderly residents gather in a dying village in the Sierra Francia region, northwest of Madrid.

In Spain, Entire Villages Are Up For Sale — And They're Going Cheap

1:29pm August 24, 2015

by Lauren Frayer

As Spaniards migrate from villages to cities for work, education and access to health care, rural hamlets are ending up on the auction block. Foreigners are in the market for these properties.

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Economy

Stocks Fall; Dow Down 10 Percent Since May

10:46am August 22, 2015

by Chris Arnold

Stock markets around the world plunged this week as investors absorbed more evidence that China's economy is slowing. In the US, the Dow suffered its worst week since 2011.

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Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 531 points, or more than 3 percent.

A Brutal Week For Investors; Will There Be More Zigs Than Zags?

6:21pm August 21, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

Stock investors have to decide if the August downturn is just part of a normal zigzag pattern in any bull market, or the start of a bear market that could last for years.

Greek Prime Minister Resigns To Pave Way For New Elections

3:39pm August 21, 2015

by Joanna Kakissis

After less than seven months in office, the Greek prime minister announced Thursday he will resign to pave the way for early elections on September 20.

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John Markoff is a science and technology reporter for The New York Times.

How Close Are We Really To A Robot-Run Society?

11:25am August 21, 2015

From self-driving cars to automated warehouses, humans are being pushed out of the equation. Soon, robots will "do a million other things we can't even conceive of," author John Markoff says.

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Preventing Armageddon: The Economic Hurdles Of Asteroid Defense

6:40pm August 20, 2015

Some scientists say we should be doing more to protect the Earth from asteroids. The technical issues are relatively easy, but the economics of asteroid defense are much harder.

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In That TV Ad, What Exactly Are Those Parents Worried About?

6:37pm August 20, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

The TV ads say rules involving retirement advice must be "fixed," but they may leave you scratching your head. Brokers and insurance agents are behind the ads, which aim to block tougher new rules.

'8 CDs For A Penny' Company Files For Bankruptcy

6:13pm August 20, 2015

by Laura Wagner

The parent company of Columbia House, the music-subscription king of the '80s and '90s, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Two NPR music editors remember the good and the bad.