ECONOMY

A sign hangs outside a house in Miami in 2010. Currently, Florida's foreclosure legal process can take a couple of years, which critics say is hurting the housing market.

Foreclosure Process Hammers Florida's Housing Market

12:09pm February 04, 2013

by Robin Sussingham

As much of the country enjoys the start of a housing recovery, Florida is still being swamped by foreclosures. Experts blame the state's legal process, and they say it will be awhile before the housing market is fully rebuilt in the Sunshine State.

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The winding down of the war in Afghanistan and efforts to slice the budget deficit will likely mean more spending cuts for the Pentagon.

Pentagon Remains Big Target In Likely Budget Cuts

7:17pm February 01, 2013

by Tom Bowman

Although a fiscal cliff was narrowly prevented at the beginning at the year, there's another budget deadline approaching. If Congress doesn't act, billions in automatic budget cuts will slice military spending, possibly hurting contractors and some personnel.

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Armando Tenorio at his home in Mexico last December. Tenorio spends most of the year working on a blueberry farm in Canada, on a temporary work permit, to support his family in Mexico.

The Mexico-Canada Guest-Worker Program: A Model For The U.S.?

1:29pm February 01, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

Mexico has sent guest workers to Canada for nearly four decades, filling agriculture jobs that Canadians don't want, with Mexicans who do. Some say the U.S. should consider this model as it looks at overhauling the immigration system.

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The Barclays Center in New York, the new home of the Brooklyn Nets, was built partially with investment from overseas donors seeking U.S. citizenship. A little-known immigration program allows wealthy investors to get a green card in exchange for funding

Investing In Citizenship: For The Rich, A Road To The U.S.

2:17pm January 31, 2013

by NPR Staff

The road can be long and difficult for some wanting to immigrate to the U.S. For those with money to spend, though, there's a different path. The EB-5 visa program offers green cards in exchange for investment in U.S. businesses. Rich immigrants can live the American dream, but what does the U.S. get in return?

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Nearly 44 percent of Americans don't have enough savings or other liquid assets to stay out of poverty for more than three months if they lose their income, according to the Corporation for Enterprise Development.

Study: Nearly Half In U.S. Lack Financial Safety Net

11:03am January 30, 2013

by Pam Fessler

In his inaugural address, President Obama envisioned a nation where even "the poorest child knows she has the same chance to succeed as anyone else." But a new report finds that 44 percent of Americans do not have the savings to cover basic expenses for three months if they lose their income.

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Economy

In 4th Quarter, Economy Shrank For First Time Since '09

10:44am January 30, 2013

New figures out Wednesday morning show the U.S. economy unexpectedly contracted during the last quarter of 2012.

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Economy

Paul Krugman's Unconventional Outlook On The Economy

6:24pm January 29, 2013

Throughout the debate over the debt and deficit, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman has argued that the deficit isn't so bad in the short run. Krugman, who received the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2008, explains why he believes fiscal austerity is not the solution to debt problems.

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According to the American Staffing Association, the U.S. temp industry has added more jobs than any other over the past three years.

A 'Permatemp' Economy: The Idea Of The Expendable Employee

2:00pm January 29, 2013

by NPR Staff

Nearly 13 million people head to work as temporary and contract employees each year, according to the American Staffing Association. In an opinion piece for The New York Times, sociologist Erin Hatton argues that it's time to get rid of the "anti-worker ideology that has come to accompany it."

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Rising Postal Rates Squeeze Small Record Labels

10:51am January 29, 2013

by Sami Yenigun

When postal rates went up this week, labels who ship CDs and LPs saw rates jump. They say the costs will make their way to music fans.

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The Cathedral of Alcala de Henares is one of many buildings owned by the Catholic Church in Alcala de Henares, Spain. The town, which is outside Madrid, is broke and is pursuing a plan to have the church pay additional taxes.

Spain's Strapped Towns Look To Churches For Cash

5:12pm January 25, 2013

by Lauren Frayer

Alcalá de Henares is re-evaluating the status of hundreds of church holdings that have been exempt from paying property tax for hundreds of years.

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