Business

Five privately funded groups won't be able to claim the Google Lunar X Prize, organizers say. Here, the site of NASA's Apollo 17 landing on the moon is seen in a 2011 image.

Google's Space Race To The Moon Ends, And Nobody Wins Lunar X Prize

9:12am January 24, 2018

by Bill Chappell

When it was announced in 2007, the prize's organizers said they expected it to be claimed before the original deadline of Dec. 31, 2014. One team raised more than $90 million.

Jerome Powell, President Trump's pick for chairman of the Federal Reserve, testifying before a Senate committee in November 2017. He was confirmed by the full Senate on Tuesday.

Senate Confirms Jerome Powell As New Federal Reserve Chair

9:36pm January 23, 2018

by Richard Gonzales

Powell, an uncontroversial pick of President Trump, is widely expected to follow the gradual interest rate increase policy of outgoing chief Janet Yellen.

Alex Belfiori, 28, is a contract worker at Dick's Sporting Goods near Pittsburgh. An NPR/Marist poll shows 65 percent of contract workers are men and 62 percent of such workers are under 45.

The Mystery Of Contract Work: Why So Many Guys?

5:25pm January 23, 2018

by Uri Berliner

An NPR/Marist poll shows 65 percent of contract workers are men and 62 percent are under 45. Contract workers gain flexibility, but when business goes down, they're often the first to be fired.

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Do you have experience in the gig economy? NPR wants to hear from you.

Economy

Do You Work A Side Gig On Top Of Your Full-Time Job?

4:53pm January 23, 2018

NPR is interested in hearing from people who work side jobs on top of their full-time positions.

British Regulators Reject Murdoch's Bid For Sky

4:19pm January 23, 2018

by David Folkenflik

In a setback for Rupert Murdoch family, British regulators said the planned $15 billion takeover of Sky was not in the public interest and would be blocked unless there is a way to prevent the tycoon from influencing the network's news output.

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Economy

Google Selfies

4:00pm January 23, 2018

Today's Indicator: Your face. It's worth money. It's the next big thing. And, if you're like most of us, you're giving it away.

Kimberly-Clark, maker of Huggies and other well-known brands, plans to cut more than 12 percent of its workforce in 2018.

Kimberly-Clark Announces Layoffs, Along With $3.3 Billion In Operating Profit

3:37pm January 23, 2018

by Bill Chappell

Kimberly-Clark plans to cut up to 5,500 jobs — about 13 percent of its workforce — and get rid of 10 manufacturing plants, as its CEO cites "a challenging environment."

Coca-Cola introduced a slimmer 12-ounce Diet Coke can and four new flavors, including mango and ginger lime. The company said Diet Coke's new look and flavors were aimed to appeal to millennials.

Facing Slumping Sales, Coke Hopes To Catch A Wave Of Fans With New Flavors

2:56pm January 23, 2018

by Samantha Raphelson

The beverage company hopes to entice young people and former soda drinkers with four new fruity versions of Diet Coke. The decline in sales reflects a shift toward bottled water and flavored seltzer.

"Being a freelancer, you really have to be on top of your emotional and mental health," says Carolina Salas, a New York City freelance marketing expert.

Will Work For No Benefits: The Challenges Of Being In The New Contract Workforce

1:45pm January 23, 2018

by Yuki Noguchi

A new NPR/Marist poll shows that more than half of contract workers don't get employee benefits. "We really don't have much of a social safety net, and that's terrifying," freelancer Matt Nelson says.

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Thailand's fishing industry remains the home of widespread labor and rights abuses, Human Rights Watch says. In this photo from 2016, a fisherman is seen in the freezer hold of a boat unloading fish after arriving at a Thai port.

World News

Rights Abuses Still 'Widespread' In Thailand's Fishing Industry, Report Says

12:06pm January 23, 2018

by Bill Chappell

Migrant workers from Myanmar and Cambodia are often paid below the minimum wage, are not paid on time, and are held in debt, says a new Human Rights Watch report.