Business

Is Seattle's Minimum Wage Hike Doing More Harm Than Good?

7:52am July 01, 2017

A study suggests the most recent minimum wage hike in Seattle may be doing harm. NPR's Scott Simon talks with Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., about the impact of Seattle's push for $15/hour.

We answer your questions about the proposed GOP health plan.

Will My High Premiums Go Down? More Q&A About The GOP Health Plan

10:37pm June 30, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

We're answering more questions about the Republican plan to overhaul the Affordable Care Act, including what the proposed changes would mean for healthy young people and for taxes.

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A June ad for campsites in the small town of Madras, Ore., anticipates the influx of tourists expected in the prime viewing location for the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse.

A Total Eclipse Will Sweep The U.S. In August, And People Are Going Nuts For It

7:05pm June 30, 2017

by Laurel Wamsley

NASA says a partial eclipse will be visible throughout the country. But within a "path of totality" from Oregon to South Carolina, an eclipse industry is booming.

Low Gas Prices Lead Millions Of People To Plan Summer Travel

6:17pm June 30, 2017

by David Schaper

Gas prices are the lowest for summer in more than decade, and that's leading millions of people to plan to load up the kids in the minivan or SUV and hit the road this summer.

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Politics & Government

Friday News Roundup - International

3:26pm June 30, 2017

A curious warning from the White House to Syria about further use of chemical weapons was just one of the big global news stories this week.

Many upper caste Hindus consider the cow holy and have long rallied to ban beef eating. Critics of the government see the new animal cruelty rules as an effort to cater to these demands.

New Rules Against Animal Cruelty Raise The Stake For India's Beef Wars

3:21pm June 30, 2017

by Sandip Roy

The rules ban cattle sale for slaughter at livestock markets and come at a time of escalating tensions between Hindu extremists and beef-eating minorities. They could also hurt India's beef exports.

Chris Patten, Hong Kong's last British governor, listens to questions during a dialogue session with students at Hong Kong University in November.

Hong Kong's Last British Governor Criticizes Beijing 20 Years After Handover

11:50am June 30, 2017

by Scott Neuman

On the anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, Chris Patten has harsh words for Beijing's heavy-handed approach to the governance of the territory.

Weiqi Zhu, an equity derivatives trader in Hong Kong, is one of an increasing number of financial sector employees from mainland China who are dominating the city's banking sector.

World News

How Hong Kong's Banks Turned Chinese

9:40am June 30, 2017

by Rob Schmitz

As China celebrates the 20th anniversary of Great Britain's handover of Hong Kong to Chinese control, it can celebrate another type of takeover: the city's financial sector.

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National

Opioids As The New Big Tobacco

4:58am June 30, 2017

by Ailsa Chang

A wave of litigation by state attorneys general against the biggest opioid manufacturers and distributors feels reminiscent of lawsuits brought by states in the 1990s against the tobacco industry.

Potential annual damages are shown on the county-level in a scenario in which emissions of greenhouse gasses continue at current rates. Negative damages indicate economic benefits.

Mapping The Potential Economic Effects Of Climate Change

6:16pm June 29, 2017

by Christopher Joyce

Scientists and economists predict what parts of the U.S. may get hit hardest by climate change. A new study goes county by county to gauge the potential cost of global warming.