ECONOMY

The road to Lee's Ferry, Ariz., is blocked by barricades and national park rangers. Lee's Ferry is the launching point for river trips down the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park.

National Parks Close As Other Public Lands Stay Open

12:53pm October 03, 2013

by Howard Berkes

From Acadia in Maine to Zion in Utah to the North Cascades in Washington, America's 401 national park areas have gates blocking entrance roads. National forest and Bureau of Land Management lands would nearly be impossible to close because there are so many access points.

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Day 2 Of Government Shutdown Affects Variety Of Workers

7:09am October 02, 2013

Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are off the job, while the government remains partially closed for a second day. Most government workers say they are frustrated by the closure as Congress remains in a standoff over the budget.

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McDonald's posted its slowest drive-through performance times in 15 years, according to a new industry study.

Arts
Economy

Study: Fast Food Has Gotten A Bit Slower

1:36pm October 01, 2013

by Wendy Kaufman

It may be fast food, but it's taking longer than ever in the drive-through lane. A study conducted by an industry trade magazine finds the major chains are offering more complicated menu items that take longer to assemble and are tougher to get right.

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Partial Government Shutdown Will Compromise Some Services

6:35am October 01, 2013

by Scott Horsley

Much of the federal government is in the process of shutting down. With Congress unable to agree on a stop-gap spending bill, money for continuing operations ran out at midnight. Hundreds of thousands of government employees have been told to stop working — although President Obama says some vital functions will continue.

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Clock Keeps Ticking Toward Government Shutdown

7:44am September 30, 2013

by Ailsa Chang

The government is expected to partially shutdown at midnight Monday night if Congress cannot agree on a spending plan. The Senate is expected to reject a House bill passed over the weekend. That bill funds the government, but delays the president's health care law by one year, and repeals a tax that helps pay for it.

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Is The Fed Chair Succession Too Politicized?

5:17pm September 27, 2013

by John Ydstie

Federal Reserve chairmen used to be named without much fanfare. Not this time. A very public competition between former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and the current vice chairman of the Fed Janet Yellen has made headlines and pitted the White House against liberal Democrats in Congress. It raises the question of whether the Fed succession has become too politicized — and whether it could ultimately hurt the economy.

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A former encampment. Fresno officials have dismantled three shantytowns.

Fresno Officials Dismantle Homeless Encampments

7:19pm September 26, 2013

by Kirk Siegler

City officials are planning to remove a large homeless encampment on the outskirts of downtown. The California city, where 1 in 4 people live below the poverty line, has taken down three other large encampments in recent weeks. The moves have been controversial and displaced hundreds of people.

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Not All Republicans Embrace Big Business All The Time

5:12am September 26, 2013

by Don Gonyea

The Republican Party in the past has had a close relationship with Wall Street and big business. But lately there's growing tension and disagreement as some Republicans in Congress consider a possible government shutdown. The Tea Party seems to have the strongest criticism of big business.

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House GOP Group Forces Boehner To Choose Sides

6:25am September 25, 2013

A GOP group in the House is behind an effort to defund the Affordable Care Act through the process of keeping the federal government funded. Speaker John Boehner may have to choose whether to stand by them and force a government shutdown, or makes a deal with Democrats to avert it. Steve Inskeep talks to former Ohio Republican Rep. Steve LaTourette for insight into Boehner's dilemma.

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Moroccan Women Have 'Greater Opportunities' In Business

6:25am September 25, 2013

Nezha Hayat is the first woman to serve on the board of directors of a bank in Morocco. She is involved in running the Casablanca Stock Exchange, and she's pushing for more women to play decision-making roles in the country's economy. David Greene talks to Hayat about her experience rising through the ranks of a field dominated by men.

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