As War Drags On, Syrian Refugees In Lebanon Sink Into Debt Trap
Barred from legal work in Lebanon, Syrian refugees are accumulating huge debts as they struggle to pay for rent and other necessities.
Economy
When ISIS Comes To Town, Everything Changes
Our Planet Money team examines the financial life within ISIS territory. When members of the Islamic State take control of a town, they also take control of its businesses and its economy.
Honda Aircraft Gets FAA Green Light For HondaJet Delivery
Greensboro-based Honda Aircraft is about to start delivering its first aircraft to customers: a HondaJet.
Yahoo Takes Reverse Spin To Boost Investment Image
It sounds like a dance move — the reverse spin. But it's actually a financial engineering maneuver Yahoo is using to make the company more attractive to investors.
Lobbyists Eye Spending Bill As A Way To Thwart Retirement Regs, Advocates Warn
As lawmakers work to negotiate a government spending bill, the financial industry is lobbying against a rule being crafted by the Labor Department aimed at protecting workers with retirement accounts.
Iowa Chemist Turns Inedible Hedge Balls Into Valuable Cash Crop
Osage oranges, also known as hedge balls or monkey brains, fall from hedge shrubs that line many Iowa farms. They've been a problem because cattle can easily choke on them. But they've become valuable since Todd Johnson, a southern Iowa chemist, started paying $180 per ton — more than what many farmers are getting for their corn this fall. He promises it's not a prank.
The Tipping Point: Most Americans No Longer Are Middle Class
In the post-World War II economy, most Americans lived in middle-income homes. But that has been shifting for decades. Today, middle-income families make up less than 50 percent of all households.
Senate Questions 'Egregious' Price Hikes For Specialty Medicines
Some companies have bought the patents for old drugs, then abruptly upped the prices — from $13 per pill to $750 in one case. Irate senators call it price gouging.
Where In The World Is Satoshi Nakamoto? The Latest In The Bitcoin Saga
Reports in Wired and Gizmodo pull on various threads to say they may have finally unearthed the identity of the secretive bitcoin creator. The man has drawn attention from Australian tax authorities.
Senate Hearings Investigate Rising Price Of Medications
Drug prices are a hot topic in politics. One company raised the price of a $1.50 drug to $750. Drugs to cure hepatitis C routinely cost more than $10,000 — and more for a full course of treatment.