Business and Financial News Find the latest business news with reports on Wall Street, interest rates, banking, companies, and U.S. and world financial markets. Subscribe to the Business Story of the Day podcast.

Business

Cory Ryan/Getty Images

Myths And Realities Of America’s Rural Economy

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/980064728/980095160" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Texas Roadhouse founder and CEO Kent Taylor died by suicide last week after experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19, including severe tinnitus. The restaurant chain he launched in 1993 now has more than 600 locations across the United States. Ron Bath/Texas Roadhouse via AP hide caption

toggle caption
Ron Bath/Texas Roadhouse via AP

California reported a significant surge in unemployment claims this year for independent contractors, accounting for more than a quarter of all such claims nationally and raising concerns about widespread fraud. Above, a runner passes the office of California's Employment Development Department in Sacramento in December. Rich Pedroncelli/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Rich Pedroncelli/AP

Amin Nasser, president and chief executive officer of Saudi Aramco, speaks during the fourth edition of the Future Investment Initiative conference at the Ritz-Carlton hotel on Jan. 27, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Fayez Nureldine/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Fayez Nureldine/AFP via Getty Images

Paul DeLorenzo is general manager at Danversport, an event venue featuring a 10,000-square-foot ballroom with a 900-person capacity. He thought 2020 was going to be their best year ever until the pandemic forced him to close. DeLorenzo is hopeful capacity limits will increase soon. Craig LeMoult/WGBH hide caption

toggle caption
Craig LeMoult/WGBH

After A Year Of Mostly Cancellations, Bookings Are Back For Many Event Venues

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/979245440/979683519" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Chef Yia Vang's restaurant in Minneapolis is getting ready to open amid a fierce debate within the restaurant industry about the minimum wage. The restaurant will not have tipping. Lauren Cutshall hide caption

toggle caption
Lauren Cutshall

So How Should Your Favorite Restaurant Pay Its Servers? Well, It's Complicated

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/977958521/979371700" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Dan Pashman's cascatelli pasta Scott Gordon Bleicher/Sporkful hide caption

toggle caption
Scott Gordon Bleicher/Sporkful

The New Shape Of Pasta

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/979274990/979378190" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Indicators of the Week! Interest Rates and Global Poverty

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/979368495/979372257" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

President George W. Bush speaks about his administration's national strategy for pandemic preparedness and response at William Natcher Center of the National Institutes of Health November 1, 2005 in Bethesda, Maryland. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Tom Brady (12) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers plays during the Super Bowl LV game against the Kansas City Chiefs in February. Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

SkySilk CEO Kevin Matossian joined the tech company just before it decided to help revive the conservative social media site Parler. Tara Pixley for NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Tara Pixley for NPR

Why SkySilk Came Out of Nowhere To Save Parler After Capitol Riot

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/978210584/979683537" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Fitness classes are among the many elements of daily life that moved to Zoom during the pandemic. Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images

A Pandemic Winner: How Zoom Beat Tech Giants To Dominate Video Chat

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/978393310/979108640" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

(MARTIN BUREAU/AFP via Getty Images) MARTIN BUREAU/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
MARTIN BUREAU/AFP via Getty Images

The Giant Pool Of Unmatched Music Royalties

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/978924200/978974970" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Rutgers guard Geo Baker, seen here last month, is one of the college basketball players leading a protest against the NCAA's rules preventing players from profiting from their own name, image and likeness. Charlie Neibergall/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Charlie Neibergall/AP

A technician waits to collect vials containing vaccine after they pass through a machine that checks for bottling and vaccine substance deficiencies. Viraj Nayar for NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Viraj Nayar for NPR

The World's Largest Vaccine Maker Took A Multimillion Dollar Pandemic Gamble

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/978065736/978065737" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript