Better Business Bureau Seeks New Leader
The Better Business Bureau of Northwest North Carolina is looking for a new leader.
Economy
Tenn. Workers Vote To Reject Union At VW Plant
Workers at the VW plant in Chattanooga have dealt a blow to organized labor in the South. NPR's Scott Simon speaks to reporter Blake Farmer about the close vote.
Going To College May Cost You, But So Will Skipping It
The gap in earnings between young people who have a college degree and those who don't has continued to widen over the past several decades. And while total student loan debt in the U.S. continues to rise, millennials say a college degree is still worth it.
House Passes 'Clean' Debt Limit Bill
Republican House Speaker John Boehner has said for months that he would not let the United States default on its debt, and he made good on that promise: The House voted Tuesday evening for an increase of the debt limit with no strings attached, just as President Obama had wanted.
Does Congress Have Enough Political Will To Reduce The Debt?
When the bipartisan budget deal was announced in December, supporters heralded cuts that would balance spending increases — among them, a slight reduction to the pensions of working-age military retirees. But a bipartisan consensus emerged to undo it — calling into the question whether Congress has the political will necessary to make any cuts that reduce the long-term debt.
As Temps Drop, Gas Prices Rise, Along With Demand For Fuel
The country is producing more natural gas than it can burn, but frigid weather has made it harder for companies to deliver that gas to those who need it, especially in densely populated areas in the Northeast. As a result, prices have skyrocketed.
GOP Still Looking At Pieces Of Debt Limit 'Puzzle'
Friday is the statutory deadline for the Treasury's borrowing authority, but Congress has no agreement on how to raise the limit. House Republicans appear unwilling to force another showdown over the debt ceiling, but they have not yet found a way to save face, and there are few legislative days left before Treasury exhausts its means to pay the bills.
January Unemployment Numbers Expected To Rebound
The Labor Department releases the January jobs report Friday morning. December was a big disappointment. Analysts are puzzling over why an economy that's growing at a better than 3 percent clip can't produce more jobs.
Even As Dairy Industry Booms, There Are Fewer And Fewer Farms
In the past decade, half of the dairy farms in the U.S. have gone out of business, but thanks to technological advances and selective breeding, the dairy industry is more efficient than ever. It produces 20 percent more milk than it did ten years ago. Harvest Public Media's Abbie Fentress Swanson reports that economists are even predicting that U.S. farmers will export an unprecedented amount of dairy products this year. Still, this ramped-up production has made it difficult for smaller operations to compete.
Senate Steps Into The Data Breach Controversy
The Senate Judiciary Committee spent the day looking into recent data thefts at Target and Neiman Marcus. Lawmakers know there is a big problem, but they are struggling with what role the federal government should play is creating new standards to safeguard consumer data.