Business

Builder Emerson Claus and his foreman Rene Landeverde at the site of an apartment they are building in a suburb of Boston.

Economy

There's never been such a severe shortage of homes in the U.S. Here's why

10:24am March 29, 2022

by Chris Arnold

Home prices rose nearly 20% last year, in large part because the U.S. is several million homes short of demand. Builders say the pandemic is partly to blame, but the problem goes deeper than that.

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Vladimir Putin speaks with Russian oligarch Igor Sechin (center right) in 2009.

How Putin Conquered Russia's Oligarchy

6:30am March 29, 2022

by Greg Rosalsky

In 2000, Vladimir Putin began targeting oligarchs who did not bend to his authority. The loyalists who remained — and new ones who subsequently got rich — became like ATM machines for the president.

An Illinois woman is tired of having 'tacky' shoes delivered to her address

5:59am March 29, 2022

UPS says a clerical error made Simone Boutet's home a return address for a shoe vendor. She wants the mistake corrected. Boutet says the shoes arriving at her house are "really, really, really tacky."

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With high gas prices and a war in Ukraine, airlines face a bumpy ride ahead

5:10am March 29, 2022

by David Schaper

Springtime air travel is stronger than at any time since the pandemic began. But airlines still worry that soaring fuel prices and a war in Ukraine could cut into travel plans and revenues.

A view of some of the damage after shelling in pro-Russian, separatist-controlled Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region, on Monday. Several houses and garages were damaged, and some homes were completely burned down.

Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (March 28)

10:20pm March 28, 2022

by NPR Staff

A roundup of key developments and the latest in-depth coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

President Biden takes notes during a meeting to discuss clean energy efforts with CEOs of U.S. electric utility companies at the White House in February 2022.

Misinformation is derailing renewable energy projects across the United States

5:58pm March 28, 2022

by Julia Simon

The spread of misinformation about solar and wind energy is leading some states and counties to restrict or even reject projects. Researchers say it's a threat to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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NIL contracts are changing the landscape of all collegiate sports

4:52pm March 28, 2022

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Stewart Mandel, editor-in-chief for college football at The Athletic, about how Name, Image and Likeness contracts are changing the landscape of all collegiate sports.

Students in the construction program at Texas State Technical College in Waco.

Community college enrollment is down, but skilled-trades programs are booming

6:19am March 28, 2022

Enrollment in two-year colleges has dropped nationwide by about 750,000 students. But degree programs in construction trades are booming.

National

Western enablers help Russian oligarchs hide their wealth

5:08pm March 27, 2022

NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben speaks with Spencer Woodman of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Economy

What a Russian financial crisis could mean for the rest of the world

5:08pm March 27, 2022

NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben speaks with economist Adam Posen of the Peterson Institute for International Economics about the wide-ranging effects of Russia's faltering economy.