Episode 436: If Economists Controlled The Borders
What would the perfect immigration system look like? We ask three economists and get three very different answers. (None of which include building a wall.)
Business
Pentagon's Interest In Leasing Trump Tower Space Presents Conflict
The Pentagon said Wednesday it is interested in leasing space in Trump Tower, the 68-story skyscraper in New York where President Trump lives when he's not in the White House. Ethics experts say that would create a conflict of interest. As president, Trump can tell the Secret Service and Defense Department to rent space in Trump Tower, but as the owner of the trust that manages the building, he can reap a profit.
Controversy Continues Over President Trump's Stake In His Properties
Donald Trump Jr., has taken over as president of the company that runs the Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C., but there's still controversy over the president's stake in his properties. NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Steven Schooner, a law professor at George Washington University who focuses on federal government contract law, about the update.
An All-You-Can-Eat Buffet: Bald Eagles Prey On Farmer's Chickens
Picture an organic farm, with thousands of free-range chickens roaming wide-open land. Now picture it from above, from the vantage of a soaring bald eagle. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Black, Latino Two-Parent Families Have Half The Wealth Of White Single Parents
New data illustrate how deeply entrenched the racial wealth gap is. The reasons traverse the historical and deliberate exclusion of people of color from economic institutions and government programs.
2 Cities To Pull More Than $3 Billion From Wells Fargo Over Dakota Access Pipeline
In a unanimous vote, Seattle's City Council opted to pull city funds from the banking giant. Hours later, the City Council in Davis, Calif., followed suit.
Despite Decades-Old Law, Funeral Prices Are Still Unclear
Federal regulators have found about 1 in 4 funeral homes don't disclose their general price lists as required by the 1984 rule.
Ethics Experts Find Holes In Trump's Firewall Against Conflicts
President Trump signed over 488 business entities, including his luxury hotel in Washington, to a trust. But a document says those assets are held "for the exclusive benefit of Donald J. Trump."
Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest And Michael McKean Join 'Spinal Tap' Lawsuit
The three comedy legends join Harry Shearer's lawsuit, first filed last fall, against the film's owner.
Even If You Expect Obamacare To Be Repealed, Don't Skip Paying Tax Penalty Now
People who think the change in administrations may save them from having to pay a fine for not having insurance in 2016 could be in for a rude surprise.