Economy

Brookfield, Vt., residents fear that Postal Service changes will eventually lead to the closing of their small town post office. About 1,300 people live in Brookfield, according to 2010 U.S. Census figures.

For Rural Towns, Postal Service Cuts Could Mean A Loss Of Identity

12:11pm February 09, 2013

by Steve Zind

The U.S. Postal Service's decision to end Saturday delivery comes on the heels of a plan to reduce hours at many rural post offices. In Vermont, residents of small towns are worried the change is another step toward the eventual demise of their local post offices.

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Economy

Effects Of Postal Service Cuts Could Ripple Through Middle Class

12:11pm February 09, 2013

Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks with Philip Rubio, assistant professor of history at North Carolina A&T State University, about how the series of cuts in Saturday delivery, office closures and other budget-saving measures will affect groups that have historically relied on jobs with the Postal Service. Rubio is the author of There's Always Work at the Post Office. Before he became a history professor, Rubio carried mail for the Postal Service for 20 years.

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Economy

Healthcare Reform Again Debated in Raleigh

1:24pm February 08, 2013

The Affordable Health Care Act is sparking some heated debate between state legislators in Raleigh.

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The Garment District's factories and wholesale and retail shops, including Spandex World on West 38th Street, employ about 7,100 people.

New York's Grimy Garment District Hatches Designers' Dreams

8:07pm February 07, 2013

by Padmananda Rama

As Fashion Week opens in New York on Thursday, all eyes will be on the Lincoln Center catwalk. But the real business of fashion will be happening a short distance away in the city's Garment District, the resource-rich laboratory that has launched the careers of countless designers.

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Employees of Hellenic Postbank protest during a strike against the bank's privatization in Athens, in December.

Privatization Of Greek Assets Runs Behind Schedule

3:07pm February 07, 2013

by Sylvia Poggioli

The sweeping fire sale is a requirement for multibillion-euro bailouts. And the Chinese, Russian and Arab companies lining up to take advantage of the steep discounts are making Greeks and other Europeans nervous.

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Economy

Duke Energy Will Hold Community Workshop to Discuss Greensboro Projects

3:42pm February 06, 2013

by Keri Brown

Duke Energy plans to resume sending crews in Greensboro to trim trees away from power lines. The project has sparked anger and outrage from many residents. The company is planning a community workshop help ease their concerns.

Audio File

Duke Energy discusses vegetation management plans in Greensboro.

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Bonet and his sister, Didra, are shown here in Puerto Rico in this undated family photo.

Puerto Rico's Battered Economy: The Greece Of The Caribbean?

10:51am February 06, 2013

by David Greene

With the highest unemployment rate in the U.S. and a mountain of debt, the island is facing a declining population. But those who stay insist they're there for the long haul.

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An image depicts the SatoshiDice website, which exclusively uses Bitcoin, not dollars, for gambling.

Economy

Is Online Gambling Legal If Bitcoins, Not Dollars, Are At Stake?

10:51am February 06, 2013

by Cyrus Farivar

With no government ties, Bitcoin is used to buy everything from blogging services to Brooklyn-made cupcakes. Theoretically, millions of dollars are being kept in the digital currency. And it's increasingly being used by specialized websites to offer online gambling. But is Bitcoin gambling legal?

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Economy

Cities Must Strategize To Boost Service Workers' Pay

10:51am February 06, 2013

Urban scholar Richard Florida has found a problem with the way our cities are evolving. He talks to Steve Inskeep about who wins and who loses as the highly skilled, creative class clusters around certain metro areas. Florida is the author of The Rise of the Creative Class.

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The Xlerator hand dryer is made almost entirely of American components and assembled in Massachusetts. But the company's owner says it's simply not cost-effective to use an American-made motor.

Why Is It So Hard To Make A 100 Percent American Hand Dryer?

8:17pm February 05, 2013

by NPR Staff

The Xlerator high-speed hand dryer is made almost entirely of U.S.-made parts and manufactured by a small workforce in Massachusetts. But its motor, like almost all nonindustrial motors, is made in Asia — meaning it's very difficult for small manufactured goods to be entirely American made.

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