Business

Education Department Wants To Protect Student Loan Debt Collectors

6:48pm February 27, 2018

The Trump administration is considering a policy change to prevent states from making tough demands of companies that collect student loan debt, according to an internal document obtained by NPR.

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Cars drive along Mittlerer Ring in Munich. Germany's highest court has ruled that cities may impose bans or partial bans on diesel cars in order to bring down emissions levels.

German Court Will Let Cities Ban Some Diesel Cars To Decrease Pollution

6:20pm February 27, 2018

by Emily Sullivan

A German court has ruled that cities may bans diesel cars in order to bring down emissions levels.

Positive pregnancy tests can also be a positive indicator for the future of the economy, according to new research published by The National Bureau of Economic Research.

Pregnancy Rate Might Predict Future Recessions, Researchers Suggest

6:05pm February 27, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

Conventional wisdom holds that fertility rates go down in response to an economic downturn. But a new study found that conception rates begin to drop before a recession actually begins.

National

Is It Real Diversity If Brands Don't Want The Opinions That Come With New Faces?

5:38pm February 27, 2018

by Leila Fadel

Beauty brands are being criticized for promoting one brand ambassador while shunning another. In Revlon's case the Israeli actress Gal Godot, a vocal supporter of the Israeli Defense Forces. In L'Oreal's the model Amena Khan, who was praised as the first hair-care ambassador in hijab, only to resign under fire for pro-Palestinian tweets.

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In the 1910s and '20s, actress Mary Pickford was known as "Blondielocks" for her golden, sausage-like curls.

Arts

How Movie Darling Mary Pickford Became The Most Powerful Woman In Hollywood

5:30pm February 27, 2018

by Susan Stamberg

The producer, studio head and Oscar-winning actress would have been the envy of today's industry women. How did she get all that power a century ago? It started with her popularity as a star.

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Comcast Makes $31 Billion Bid For European Broadcaster Sky

5:00pm February 27, 2018

by David Folkenflik

In a bid that appears designed to scuttle a deal planned by rivals, Comcast has offered $31 billion for Sky, Europe's largest broadcaster. If the Comcast bid is successful it will destroy Rupert Murdoch's plan to turn many of his assets over to Disney at a premium price.

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National

Why Diesel-Powered Cars Are Bigger In Europe Than In The U.S.

5:00pm February 27, 2018

Diesel-powered cars are bigger in Europe and the rest of the world than in the United States, but why? A big part of it is the failure of U.S. carmakers to make a reliable diesel car in the 1970s, while another part of it is that diesel engines are nosier and pollute more.

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Boats sail on the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt, last October. Tensions between Egypt and upstream Nile basin countries, Sudan and Ethiopia, have flared up again over the construction and effects of a massive dam being built by Ethiopia on the Nile River.

In Africa, War Over Water Looms As Ethiopia Nears Completion Of Nile River Dam

4:09pm February 27, 2018

by Samantha Raphelson

Ethiopia hopes the electricity generated by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will boost economic development, while Egypt is concerned its neighbor will gain control over the flow of water.

Economy

The Case For Overshooting

4:02pm February 27, 2018

We have a new Federal Reserve Chair. His name is Jay Powell. Here's what we can expect.

For Rogers, farming is a calling and a way of life. He says continuing financial pressure is threatening the survival of dairy farmers and the landscape of New England.

As Milk Prices Decline, Worries About Dairy Farmer Suicides Rise

3:52pm February 27, 2018

by Tovia Smith

The nation's dairy farmers are facing their fourth year of depressed milk prices. The outlook is so bleak, it's increased worries about farmer suicides. One recent outreach effort drew criticism.