The Economy: U.S and World Economic News : NPR

Corporations Increasingly Turn To Veterans

May 31, 2010 • Fortune 500 companies are looking for the next generation of leaders -- and increasingly they are turning to junior military officers. Companies from Amazon to Wal-Mart aren't just hiring them because they've flown helicopters or tracked down insurgents. Rather, the companies see young men and women who are savvy and mature, and understand responsibility and leadership.

Corporations Increasingly Turn To Veterans

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Gulf Oil Spill: Containment And Clean Up

Florida Fishing Town On Edge Over Gulf Oil Spill

May 31, 2010 • No oil has yet been found on any Florida beaches. But the huge spill in the Gulf of Mexico is taking a toll on tourism and the seafood business. Concerns are rising in Apalachicola, a fishing town on Florida's Panhandle, just as the summer vacation season begins.

Florida Fishing Town On Edge Over Gulf Oil Spill

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Setting Out: New Grads' Quest For Work

Accounting Grad Didn't Figure On Job Rejections

WYSO

May 31, 2010 • Melanie Singer has long been preparing for a career as an accountant. Despite intensive networking, meetings with a career counselor and three internships, she is discovering there is no formula that results in a job.

Accounting Grad Didn't Figure On Job Rejections

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Blondes Have More Economic Success?

May 31, 2010 • Latvia has the highest unemployment in Europe, and its economy shrank last year by double digits. But a parade of blondes hoped their golden hair would chase the blues away. The parade was part of the second annual Go Blonde festival in the capital Riga. There was also a Marilyn Monroe lookalike contest.

Blondes Have More Economic Success?

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China's Struggling Graduates Bunk In 'Ant Colonies'

May 31, 2010 • In China, more than 6 million graduates hit the job market this year. College enrollment has surged, and the labor market can't keep up. After leaving campus, many grads are forced to bunk together, sometimes six to a room, in crowded apartment buildings in areas known as "ant colonies." Two young men living in one composed an ode to their plight, called "Song of the Ants"

China's Struggling Graduates Bunk In 'Ant Colonies'

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Northwest News Network

May 31, 2010 • Candy is candy, right? Not if you're trying to tax it. That's when the definition gets a bit sticky. Suddenly a Snickers bar is candy but a Twix isn't. This is an issue as states like Colorado and Washington move to tax sweets to help balance their budgets.

A Not-So-Sweet Tax On Candy

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An Art Factory Goes Out Of Business

May 30, 2010 • Up until a few weeks ago, the factory floor of Carlson and Company was the most famous art fabrication plant in America — if not the world. After nearly four decades, the maker of Jeff Koons' Balloon Dogs is closing its doors forever.

An Art Factory Goes Out Of Business

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How Cleveland Could Rise Again

May 29, 2010 • In 1950, the population of Cleveland, Ohio, was almost a million people. Sixty years later, it's a third of that, due in part to the declining manufacturing base many formerly great cities have experienced. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is touting a novel idea for rebuilding his city and tells host Scott Simon about lessons learned and visions for a more sustainable Cleveland.

How Cleveland Could Rise Again

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The Week's Best Stories From NPR Books

Geoengineering: 'A Bad Idea Whose Time Has Come'

May 29, 2010 • Driving a Prius and putting up solar panels aren't the only options for cooling the earth's climate. More radical ideas include brightening clouds, creating giant algae blooms in the ocean and launching spacecraft to deploy giant sunshades. It might sound a bit far-fetched, but scientists are considering ideas like these — known as geoengineering — to alter the climate.

Geoengineering: 'A Bad Idea Whose Time Has Come'

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Louisiana Eateries Fear Oil Will Scare Seafood Lovers

Kenneth Williams shucked oysters at Felix's Restaurant & Oyster Bar in New Orleans at the end of April. Restaurateurs say their seafood is safe and they won't put food on the table that isn't. But that hasn't stopped rumors from spreading. Bill Haber/AP hide caption

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Bill Haber/AP

Gulf Oil Spill: Containment And Clean Up

Louisiana Eateries Fear Oil Will Scare Seafood Lovers

May 28, 2010 • Many Louisiana restaurants are worried that oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico will drive customers away -- even though the seafood is safe. Restaurant owners have sued oil giant BP, and they're spreading the word that they won't put unsafe food on their tables. Ewell Smith of the Louisiana seafood board says they're facing a "perception challenge."

Louisiana Eateries Fear Oil Will Scare Seafood Lovers

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National

Flock To N.D. Oil Town Leads To Housing Crisis

May 28, 2010 • Remote Williston, N.D., is the scene of a modern-day gold rush -- black gold in the form of oil deposits. Workers are flocking to the area for high-paying oil field jobs. The hours are long, the work is hard, stress is high and housing is nearly impossible to come by. The city hasn't invested in infrastructure for new housing since losing a $20 million investment after the last boom went bust.

Flock To N.D. Oil Town Leads To Housing Crisis

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Planet Money

Payday Lending Draws Interest From Lawmakers

May 28, 2010 • Making short-term loans to low-income people is big business. Critics say payday lenders take advantage of desperate people with extremely high rates. But operators say the stores help people get through short-term financial emergencies.

Payday Lending Draws Interest From Lawmakers

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Better Economy Gets Travelers On The Road Again

May 28, 2010 • Millions of travelers are hitting the roads for Memorial Day weekend vacations. AAA expects 32 million people to travel this holiday which is a 5 percent increase from last year. Much like the broader economy, the tourism industry is showing signs of gradual improvement.

Better Economy Gets Travelers On The Road Again

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Education

Study: College Grads Unprepared For Workplace

May 28, 2010 • Human resources managers reported to researchers at York College in Pennsylvania that recent college graduates are woefully unprepared for the demands of a job in the real world. So the college is giving students some lessons in professionalism.

Study: College Grads Unprepared For Workplace

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Gulf Oil Spill: Containment And Clean Up

Many Factors Cloud Cost Of Oil-Drilling Moratorium

May 28, 2010 • President Obama's six-month extension of a ban is likely to cause deep economic pain along the Gulf of Mexico, and could lead oil companies to seek work in other countries. But short-term imports of oil won't necessarily cause the price of oil to spike.