Business

Health & Safety

Hobby Lobby Plans To Defy Health Care Mandate

9:44am January 01, 2013

The federal health care law requires employee insurance plans to cover emergency contraceptives. That's something the owners of the craft store chain Hobby Lobby say they can't do. An attorney for the stores said the Christian owners consider the emergency contraceptives tantamount to abortion. Starting Tuesday, the company could be fined as much $1.3 million a day for defying the mandate.

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Europe Fails To Stimulate Growth In 2012

12:52pm December 31, 2012

by Jim Zarroli

Europe spent much of this year trying to hold its common currency pact together. Greece, Spain, Italy and other countries flirted with disaster as interest rates spiked, forcing the debtor nations to accept austerity programs. The turmoil was bad enough to push much of the eurozone into recession.

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Economy

The Fiscal Cliff: A Love Story

5:46am December 31, 2012

by Alex Blumberg

Wonks from across the political spectrum look at the upside of the cliff.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, leaves the Senate chamber to caucus in the Capitol on Sunday.

After Fruitless Weekend, Congress Still Seeks Fiscal Deal

5:46am December 31, 2012

by David Welna

Both the House and the Senate were in session Sunday evening, but a bipartisan push by Senate leaders fell short. Monday is the last day to avoid the tax hikes and spending cuts, though Congress may still reach a deal over the next few days.

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Despite huge protests at Michigan's state capitol building in Lansing, Republican lawmakers in the state made the union stronghold the 24th right-to-work state in the country.

A Tough Year For Unions, With Few Bright Spots Ahead

5:55pm December 30, 2012

by NPR Staff

This year, two states passed right-to-work laws, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker survived a recall attempt. Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect says the future for organized labor remains bleak.

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National

Major Port Strike Averted — For Now

5:06pm December 28, 2012

by Jim Zarroli

A threatened strike by the International Longshoremen's Association at 14 ports along the East and Gulf Coasts has been called off. Federal negotiators say the union has reached an agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance and will extend contract talks.

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Parking Meter Rates To Rise In Chicago

7:18am December 28, 2012

In 2013, Chicago will have the most expensive parking meters in North America. The rate to park in the heart of downtown will jump 75 cents an hour — up to $6.50 an hour.

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SEC Filing Reveals Apple CEO's Pay Package

7:14am December 28, 2012

Apple CEO Tim Cook got a relatively modest $4.2 million in salary for the latest fiscal year. That's after the company's board set him up with stock now worth $510 million for taking the reins in 2011.

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Publishers are finding that flexible pricing on e-books can help bring in new readers.

Books
Arts

E-Books Destroying Traditional Publishing? The Story's Not That Simple

9:40pm December 27, 2012

by Zoe Chace

Conventional wisdom says e-books are destroying the traditional publishing business model. But the story's not that simple. For one thing, flexible pricing allows publishers to hold what amount to one-day-only sales on any given title — which means more people will discover that book.

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Music-Streaming Services Hunt For Paying Customers

8:58am December 27, 2012

by Laura Sydell

Services like Pandora and Spotify have been trying to win over two types of customers: younger people who don't buy music at all and older people who still like physical albums. But it's been difficult to lure customers willing to pay for music they won't own or that they can find for free online.

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