Facebook chart

The company has grown from an idea hatched in a Harvard dorm to a worldwide social media phenomenon worth billions.

Asia

Hollywood Dreams Led Chinese Firm To Buy Into U.S.()  

Moviegoers watch a 3-D IMAX movie at a Beijing theater run by the Chinese company Wanda, which recently announced it was buying AMC movie theaters for $2.6 billion. The move is seen as part of a larger effort by the Chinese conglomerate to move into the U.S. market.

May 25, 2012 When the Chinese firm Wanda announced the purchase of AMC cinemas, it may not have made a lot of business sense in the short term. But it could be part of a larger strategy that will bring the company into the U.S. in a major way.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

Your Money

In Tight Credit Market, A Tool For Small Businesses()  

Many small-business owners have had difficulty securing loans in recent years. One website grades the nation's banks by the ratio of small-business loans to deposits — and finds that community banks are often most friendly to small business.

May 25, 2012 Many small-business owners have had a tough time securing credit since the start of the economic downturn. "I couldn't understand why they wouldn't be willing to give us a loan," one owner says. A new website aims to help such owners, grading banks based on the percentage of deposits that are used for small-business loans.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

Africa

How Crumbling U.S. Dollars Bailed Out Zimbabwe ()  

Zimbabwe now uses the U.S. dollar as its main currency, though the bills are often extremely dirty and falling apart due to constant use. Here a cashier holds U.S. dollars in good condition at a supermarket in the capital Harare in 2009.

May 25, 2012 Back in 2008, Zimbabwe's inflation rate was estimated at 79 billion percent. To cure hyperinflation, Zimbabwe ditched its own currency in favor of U.S. dollars. There's only one problem: Those constantly circulating dollars are now filthy and falling apart.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

Europe

To Tap Arctic Oil, Russia Partners With Exxon Mobil()  

A Rosneft flag flies over the Russian oil giant's refinery near the city of Samara. Growth of Russia's oil and gas output has stalled, but Exxon Mobil and other foreign firms have signed deals to help exploit the Arctic.

May 25, 2012 Moscow's recent deals with foreign oil companies are designed to maintain Russia as the world's No. 1 oil producer. The biggest deal, with Exxon Mobil, would put billions of dollars toward exploiting vast oil and gas reserves in Russia's Arctic waters.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

The Two-Way

Former Massey Coal Mines Targeted In Massive Inspection Blitz()  

May 24, 2012 Dozens of federal mine safety inspectors descended into 43 coal mines in three Appalachian states Wednesday. The mines are now owned by Alpha Natural Resources, which absorbed Massey Energy after a 2010 mine disaster in West Virginia.

Summary

The Salt

A Meat Mea Culpa: What Went Wrong With 'Pink Slime'()  

May cover of Meatingplace, the meat processing industry trade magazine

May 24, 2012 Meat processors blame social media and their own lack of transparency for the "pink slime" storm. . But will consumers ever trust the industry when it comes to understanding how the food processing system works?

Summary

Planet Money

Preparing For A Greek Exit, In 3 Easy Steps()  

Exit

May 24, 2012 What if your job were to protect your country's financial system in case Greece quit the eurozone?

Summary

Game Changers

Keys To Success From BJ's CEO: Be Nice, Speak Up()  

Laura Sen is president and CEO of BJ's Wholesale Club.

May 24, 2012 Laura Sen brings an inclusive management style that has improved morale and the bottom line — all at a company that once fired her: BJ's Wholesale Club. Sen talks about her storied career, and how she was raised by a Chinese-American dad and Irish-American "tiger mom."

Transcript

On Tell Me MorePlaylist

The Two-Way

Radio Legend And Civil Rights Activist Hal Jackson Dies()  

Radio pioneer and civil rights activist, Hal Jackson, pictured in 1970.

May 24, 2012 The man who broke the color barrier in radio has died. Civil rights activist and radio legend Hal Jackson was 96.

Summary

Economy

Hiring Pickup Possible As Jobless Claims Level Off()  

People wait in line at an employment fair in New York City. Economists forecast employers have added 160,000 jobs this month.

May 24, 2012 The number of people seeking unemployment aid changed little last week, signaling modest job growth. Unemployment benefit applications dipped by 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 370,000. Applications have leveled off this month after spiking in April.

Summary

Kelley Hawkins and her grandmother AnnaBelle Bowers

Multigenerational households face difficult financial decisions surrounding elder care, paying for college and retirement.

more Business >

Podcast + RSS Feeds

Podcast RSS

  • News
     
  • Business
     
 
 

NPR thanks our sponsors

Become an NPR Sponsor

podcast

NPR Business Story of the Day Podcast

NPR Business Story of the Day Podcast

The top business story of the day from Morning Edition, All Things Considered and other award-winning NPR programs.

Subscribe

podcast

Planet Money Podcast

Planet Money Podcast

Meet high rollers, brainy economists and regular folks -- all trying to make sense of our rapidly changing global economy.

Subscribe