Business

National

Travel disruptions put a damper on holiday celebrations

6:27am January 03, 2022

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to David Slotnick, senior aviation business reporter at the travel website The Points Guy, about COVID-related staffing that has led to thousands of flight cancellations.

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Health & Safety

Manufacturers rush to ramp up rapid COVID test production as demand soars

5:57pm January 02, 2022

NPR's Adrian Florido speaks with Estela Raychaudhuri, president of InBios International, about challenges faced by coronavirus rapid test kit manufacturers amid the current surge.

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Biden's top economics advisor weighs in on how omicron is affecting economic recovery

8:06am January 01, 2022

by David Gura

David Gura speaks to Cecilia Rouse, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, about the health of the U.S. economy amid inflation, supply chain interruptions and labor shortages.

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National

Energy got a lot more expensive in 2021

4:41pm December 31, 2021

Compared to this time last year, we're all paying a lot more to use many kinds energy — whether it's gasoline for our cars or heating fuel for our homes.

Trucks drive in front of Teva Pharmaceutical Logistic Center in the town of Shoam, Israel, on Oct. 16, 2013. On Thursday, a jury held Teva responsible for contributing to the opioid crisis.

Health & Safety

A jury holds Teva Pharmaceuticals liable in the opioid crisis

9:55am December 31, 2021

by The Associated Press

A separate trial will follow to determine what Teva will have to pay in the case, in which New York state and two Long Island counties took on a swath of drug companies.

Car keys are shown by glasses with alcohol in this stock photo illustration. Companies are developing technology that would allow cars to stop people from driving when drunk.

Health & Safety

What if cars could stop you from driving drunk? A peek at the latest tech

7:01am December 31, 2021

by Camila Domonoske

A new federal law will eventually require new vehicles to detect and prevent drunk driving, which would revolutionize vehicle safety. Here's a look at some of the technology being developed.

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Economy

Financial markets continue to climb despite COVID surge

5:05am December 31, 2021

by David Gura

The stock market has continued to set records even as the Omicron variant injects a new element of uncertainty and investors prepare for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in 2022.

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Members of a China-centered Asian trade bloc that takes effect Jan. 1 are hoping the initiative, encompassing about a third of world trade and business, will help drive their recoveries from the pandemic.

Asia looks to China-focused trade bloc for virus recovery

12:36am December 31, 2021

by The Associated Press

Members of the 15-member Regional and Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, include China, Japan and South Korea. The new trading bloc does not include the U.S. or India.

The Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Sunrise ship is seen in the port of Miami on Dec. 23, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

People should avoid cruise travel regardless of their vaccination status, the CDC says

6:28pm December 30, 2021

by Jonathan Franklin

The CDC revised its guidance Thursday, as 91 cruise ships are under investigation for COVID outbreaks onboard. Most cruise lines require adult passengers to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

National

Millions of workers left jobs this year, shifting the balance of power with employers

4:44pm December 30, 2021

by Andrea Hsu

2021 saw continuing disruption to the labor market and a shift in the balance of power between workers and their bosses. Employers desperate to hire have to pay more to get the workforce they need.

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