Business and Financial News : NPR

Airline Executives' Rich Bonuses Rile Pilots Union

January 31, 2008 • American Airlines is in the middle of difficult contract negotiations with its pilots union. Four years ago, the airline's unions took large salary cuts to keep it from going bankrupt. Now executives are receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses, and that has infuriated the company's rank-and-file employees.

Airline Executives' Rich Bonuses Rile Pilots Union

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Economy

'Marketplace' Report: No More Hot Sandwiches

January 31, 2008 • You will no longer be able to eat a hot breakfast sandwich with your Venti Starbucks mocha. We examine the role of the slowing economy and the smell of sandwiches in this corporate decision.

'Marketplace' Report: No More Hot Sandwiches

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Economy

A Chicago Foreclosure Tale

January 31, 2008 • Retirees Warren and Mildred Johnson's dream of owning a home came true in 2005. Developers came to their neighborhood advertising cheap property. Then their mortgage rate skyrocketed and they lost their South Chicago home.

A Chicago Foreclosure Tale

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The Great 'Locksmith' Swindle

January 31, 2008 • Every day, about a quarter of a million people in this country call a locksmith — or at least they think they're calling a locksmith. In fact, a growing number may actually be reaching a con man who's better at picking pockets than he is at picking locks.

The Great 'Locksmith' Swindle

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Your Money

Rate Cuts May Set Table for Refinancing

January 31, 2008 • What does the latest Federal Reserve interest rate cut mean for consumers? It may be a good time to refinance a home mortgage or negotiate for a lower interest rate on credit cards.

Rate Cuts May Set Table for Refinancing

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Isuzu to Abandon SUV Market in U.S.

January 31, 2008 • Isuzu Motors says it will stop selling sport-utility vehicles and light passenger trucks in the United States, though it will continue producing commercial trucks. Isuzu helped popularize SUVs in the 1980s, with models like the Trooper and the Rodeo.

Isuzu to Abandon SUV Market in U.S.

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Economy

Fed Cuts Interest Rates by a Half-Point

January 30, 2008 • With economic growth grinding to a halt, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates again Wednesday, this time by half a percentage point. Just before it did, the Commerce Department reported some dismal growth figures for the end of last year. The Fed hopes its aggressive moves will help avoid a full blown recession.

NPR's Chris Arnold reports on All Things Considered

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Your Money

What the Fed Rate Cut Means for Consumers

January 30, 2008 • The Federal Reserve's decision on Tuesday to cut a key interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point comes as fears of a recession grow. Here's a look at what the move means for consumers — and what else to look out for amid the economic turmoil.

Economy

Fed Makes Second Deep Cut to Interest Rates

January 30, 2008 • The Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate another half-percentage point to 3 percent on Wednesday, barely a week after the previous cut, signaling the central bank's desire to stabilize the faltering economy. The economy's weaker-than-expected performance in the fourth quarter likely played a role in the Fed's decision.

Economy

'Marketplace' Report: Another Rate Cut

January 30, 2008 • A Commerce Department report shows the U.S. economy grew less than 1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007 — even worse than expected. The Federal Reserve has responded with yet another rate cut, but will that stimulate the slumping economy?

'Marketplace' Report: Another Rate Cut

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Economy

Michigan Confronts High Foreclosure Rate

January 30, 2008 • Michigan has the third highest foreclosure rate in the country. The Detroit Free Press ad section has grown so full of foreclosures, it looks like a separate publication.

Michigan Confronts High Foreclosure Rate

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Economy

Unabating Foreclosures Ravage Southern California

January 30, 2008 • The booming city of Fontana, Calif., is a sprawl of closely packed subdivisions east of Los Angeles. As housing values tumbled — and subprime mortgages ballooned — Fontana became one of the many epicenters of foreclosures in Southern California.

Unabating Foreclosures Ravage Southern California

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Economy

Consumers Seek Answers as Economy Falters

January 30, 2008 • The Federal Reserve has reduced a key interest rate for the second time in just over a week, cutting its federal funds rate by a half point to 3 percent. What does this mean for the consumer? Callers share their questions about the country's precarious economic situation.

Listen to this 'Talk of the Nation' topic

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Economy

Economic Growth Slows Sharply for Quarter

January 30, 2008 • The Commerce Department says the U.S. gross domestic product grew at just 0.6 percent in the final quarter of 2007. That is the weakest growth rate in five years for the GDP.

Economic Growth Slows Sharply for Quarter

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Giants Upset Patriots' Quest for Perfection

The Logistics of the Super Bowl

January 30, 2008 • The Super Bowl doesn't just mean tickets, although it does mean that. It also means flights, hotel rooms, rental cars, and more. In short, it's a lot of planning in very little time, says Robert Tuchman, president of TSE Sports and Entertainment.

The Logistics of the Super Bowl

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