Business

Economy

CEO Describes What It's Like When Investors Bet Against You

12:29pm April 09, 2015

by David Kestenbaum

The online furniture company Wayfair is now one of the most shorted stocks. Our Planet Money team talks to its CEO about what it's like to be running a company when investors are betting on your fall.

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Money is pouring into the stock market, but most new investors only have a middle-school education, says Texas A&M University economist Gan Li.

Sidewalk Touts Trade Tips On Shanghai's Booming Bull Market

9:50am April 09, 2015

by Frank Langfitt

The Shanghai exchange is on a tear, but there could be trouble ahead for ill-informed investors. Analysts say the current upswing is driven by perceptions rather than fundamentals.

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The St. James vineyard at the Abbey of New Clairvaux. The 20 brothers of the abbey belong to an order with a tradition of winemaking that dates back nearly 900 years.

These Vintner Monks Turn Wilderness Into The Divine Gift Of Wine

7:34am April 09, 2015

by Lisa Morehouse

In a part of Northern California better known for cattle ranches than grapes, the monks of New Clairvaux abbey are cultivating the art of winemaking. The hard work feeds the spirit and the coffers.

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National

Calif. Farmers Face Harsh Realities In Drought-Stricken Central Valley

7:34am April 09, 2015

Renee Montagne talks to Samuel Sandoval, an assistant professor of water resource management at UC-Davis about the dwindling water table that's used to grow crops in California's Central valley.

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Rail Operators Aim To Do More Short-Distance Hauling

7:34am April 09, 2015

by Ben Bradford

The trucking industry has to deal with an aging workforce, driver shortages and burdensome regulations. Railroads have already taken a good portion of the long-haul business away from semi-trucks

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The Hartford Police Department is one of a number of police departments across the country that are offering up their parking lots as "safe zones" for Craigslist transactions.

National

Police Departments Open Up 'Safe Lots' For Craigslist Transactions

7:22pm April 08, 2015

by Patrick Skahill

Several crimes around the U.S. have been tied to the website's in-person transactions. So police departments are offering up their parking lots to provide a secure space for buying and selling stuff.

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A security guard at the General Motors factory outside St. Petersburg, Russia. Opel, the European arm of GM, announced last week it was withdrawing from the Russian market, where sales are falling.

World News

Foreign Carmakers Shift Into Reverse In Russia

7:21pm April 08, 2015

by Corey Flintoff

General Motors and Volkswagen are closing plants there and laying off workers. Economic problems have led to an estimated 35 percent drop in the once-booming Russian car market.

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The new Sirloin Third Pound burgers will be offered at McDonald's starting later this month, for a limited time.

National

The Latest Item On McDonald's Shifting Menu: A $5 Burger

6:39pm April 08, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

McDonald's is trying to hold down menu prices and keep options simple to speed up service while at the same time create pricier premium burgers and more sophisticated dining options.

Shell's Big Deal Could Shift Global Landscape Of Gas Business

6:23pm April 08, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

Royal Dutch Shell plans to spend nearly $70 billion to acquire natural gas giant BG Group. The deal, if approved, would create the world's largest independent producer of liquefied natural gas.

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States Review Laws Revoking Licenses For Student Loan Defaults

6:21pm April 08, 2015

by Eric Whitney

Montana could soon dial back laws that allowed defaulters to have their professional and driver's licenses revoked after failing to pay back debt.

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