Your Money

Some people using brokers to buy insurance through healthcare.gov will no longer have to go through a multi-step process to enroll.

New Rules May Make Online Health Insurance Sales Simpler

5:00am May 31, 2017

by Michelle Andrews

A rules change lets insurers and brokers sell health coverage on the federal exchange directly. That should be easier, but also raises questions about whether customers get unbiased information.

Proposals Aim To Combat Discrimination Based On Salary History

5:33pm May 30, 2017

by Yuki Noguchi

Several states and cities are considering measures that would bar employers from asking job candidates about their prior salary. The bills are seen helping narrow the pay gap for women and minorities.

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The Call-In: Answering Your Questions About Owning A Home

8:09am May 28, 2017

Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with Svenja Gudell, chief economist for Zillow, and Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary, about what to do and what not to do when buying a home.

Peter Singer speaks at TED2013 - The Young, The Wise, The Undiscovered, Session 12 - A Ripple Effect, February 25 - March 1, 2013, Long Beach, California, Photo: James Duncan Davidson/TED

Arts
Economy

Peter Singer: How Can We Be More Effective Altruists?

9:11am May 26, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Philosopher Peter Singer's work focuses on "effective altruism" — how to do the most good to make the world a better place. He argues effective giving involves balancing empathy with reason.

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Speaker of the House Paul Ryan holds up a copy of the American Health Care Act during a March 7 news conference with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. (left), and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., outside Ryan'

GOP Health Plan Would Leave 23 Million More Uninsured, Budget Office Says

8:27pm May 24, 2017

by Danielle Kurtzleben

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Republicans' Obamacare repeal-and-replace bill would also reduce the deficit and leave some sick Americans unable to buy coverage.

President Trump celebrated House passage of legislation to roll back the Affordable Care Act in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 4.

Trump Refusal to 'Bail Out' Insurers Might End Up Making Policies Cheaper

11:58am May 16, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

It's a weird twist: If the government refuses to reimburse insurance companies for cost-sharing subsidies, it could make health insurance a lot cheaper for people buying on the exchanges in 2018.

Graduate cap weight pulls a student down a mountain.

Can't Pay Your Student Loans? The Government May Come After Your House

3:44am May 14, 2017

by Bobby Allyn

A new federal program in 19 cities around the country allows the government to sue for unpaid student loan debt.

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Developer Terri Anderson says she ran into problems when trying to build an apartment complex with units set aside for Section 8 voucher holders on the line between Frisco and McKinney.

Section 8 Vouchers Help The Poor — But Only If Housing Is Available

8:57pm May 10, 2017

In Dallas and other tight rental markets, Section 8 voucher holders can't find the homes they need, while developers face resistance from wealthier neighborhoods when trying to build new housing.

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Creators of Magic: The Gathering say 20 million people worldwide play the card-trading game.

Why Do Children Love Those Fad Toys So?

4:58pm May 10, 2017

by Emily Sohn

Today it's fidget spinners, but soon it will be another little gizmo that children dearly, desperately want. The complicated social dynamics of childhood are one big reason.

The $25 million Labre Place in Miami was built using the low-income housing tax credit program. It's named for the patron saint for the homeless and is now home to 90 low-income residents, about half of whom were once homeless.

Affordable Housing Program Costs More, Shelters Fewer

11:15pm May 09, 2017

The low-income housing tax credit program gave way to a booming $8 billion private industry, but as tax credits for companies increased, the number of housing units being built for the poor fell.

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