Business

Afghan Mineral Treasures Stay Buried, Hostages To Uncertainty

Sean Carberry — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:13:00 +0000

For years, reports have suggested that Afghanistan is sitting on massive deposits of copper, gold, iron and rare earth minerals valued up to $3 trillion. This provides hope for a future economy that would not have to rely so heavily on foreign donations.

But with an uncertain political, regulatory and security environment, international investors are hesitant. And it could be many years before Afghanistan begins extracting its mineral wealth.

The Afghan Geological Survey office in Kabul is one of the few agencies in the country that measure up to international standards. Here, a U.S.

Flax Seed: The Next Superfood For Cows And Beef?

Eliza Barclay — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:53:00 +0000

Flax is the oily seed usually spotted in the nutritional supplement or cereal aisles.

How Best To Encourage Black 'Teenpreneurs'

editor — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:31:00 +0000

Transcript

CELESTE HEADLEE, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. Michel Martin is away. I'm Celeste Headlee. Coming up, it's National Bike to Work Day, but many millennials prefer two wheels to four. Why more 20-somethings are driving less. That's just ahead.

But first, African-American entrepreneurs from all over the country gathered in Columbus, Ohio this week to talk about spurring investment in black-owned businesses. The Black Enterprise Entrepreneur's Conference attracted big names, like basketball-star-turned-businessman Magic Johnson.

Millennials Choosing Buses And Bikes Over Buicks

editor — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:31:00 +0000

Transcript

CELESTE HEADLEE, HOST:

From teens with drive, we turn now to young people who have no interest in driving. This is National Bike to Work Day, and a substantial number of millennials choose bikes or public transportation or their feet to get around instead of cars. That's according to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, or PIRG, which concluded that the 20th century driving boom is over.

Paul Eisenstein has written about this trend. He's the editor of TheDetroitBureau.com, and he joins me now. Welcome.

PAUL EISENSTEIN: Hi, Celeste.

Giving It Away

NPR/TED Staff — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:59:00 +0000

"It feels good to be able to change something. It feels good to give." -- Ron Finley

You can give away almost anything — your time, money, food, your ideas. Giving helps define who we are and helps us connect with others. And thanks to the Internet and a rise in social consciousness, there's been a seismic shift not only in what we're giving, but how. In this hour, stories from TED speakers who are "giving it away" in new and surprising ways, and the things that happen in return.

Do We Have The Wrong Idea About Charity?

NPR/TED Staff — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:55:00 +0000

Part 3 of the TED Radio Hour episode Giving It Away.

About Dan Pallotta's TEDTalk

Activist and fundraiser Dan Pallotta calls out the double standard that drives our broken relationship to charities. Too many nonprofits, he says, are rewarded for how little they spend — not for what they get done. Instead of equating frugality with morality, he asks us to start rewarding charities for their big goals and big accomplishments, even if that comes with big expenses.

Book News: Amazon May Be Called Before Parliament Over Taxes

editor — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:57:00 +0000

The daily lowdown on books, publishing, and the occasional author behaving badly.

Amazon faces a grilling from members of Britain's Parliament over its extremely low U.K. corporate tax payments, Reuters reported Friday. As NPR noted on Thursday, Amazon has the subject of intense scrutiny after it was revealed that the Internet retailer's U.K.

Obama Names OMB Controller As Acting IRS Commissioner

John Ydstie — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:25:00 +0000

On Thursday, President Obama named Daniel Werfel, 42, acting IRS commissioner. The announcement comes a day after the resignation of Steven Miller, who got caught up in the controversy over the IRS targeting Tea Party groups.

Business News

editor — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:14:00 +0000

A 79 percent drop in earnings — That's what the computer maker reported to investors Thursday. The reason, analysts say, it's harder to sell PCs these days with the growing popularity of smartphones and tablets

Google Lays Out Its Future For Everyone

Steve Henn — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:14:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep. This week in San Francisco, Google held its annual developers conference. The Internet search giant debuted updates for just about everything from Google+ to Maps, and gave talks on gadgets like Google Glass. And, as NPR's Steve Henn reports, Google laid out its vision for its future, as well as our future.

STEVE HENN, BYLINE: Google's annual developers conference is probably the best chance to get a sense of where this giant company is headed.

The Last Word In Business

editor — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:14:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And let's go from small claims to false claims. Our last word in business is all about faking it and not making it to work.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "SEINFELD")

JASON ALEXANDER: (as George) Shouldn't you be at work by now?

WAYNE KNIGHT: (as Newman) Work? It's raining.

ALEXANDER: (as George) So?

KNIGHT: (as Newman) So I called in sick. I don't work in the rain.

ALEXANDER: (as George) You don't work in the rain? You're a mailman. Neither rain nor sleet nor - it's the first one.

INSKEEP: OK.

First U.S. Company To Enter Export Market For Natural Gas

Jackie Northam — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:14:00 +0000

With supplies high and prices at historic lows, there's debate whether companies should be allowed to export the gas overseas for a higher price. Many energy companies have applied for government approval to ship liquefied natural gas worldwide. So far, only one company has gotten a license to do that in the past 30 years..

Congress: Where Food Reforms Go To Die?

Daniel Charles — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:47:00 +0000

Two seemingly common-sense, bipartisan food reforms have gotten mugged on Capitol Hill in recent days. If you're a loyal reader of The Salt, you've heard of them.

First, there's the proposal — backed by an odd-couple alliance of egg producers and animal-welfare activists — to set minimum standards for the housing of egg-laying chickens.

No More Smuggling: Many Cured Italian Meats Coming To America

Sylvia Poggioli — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:17:00 +0000

American gourmets and lovers of Italian food products, your days as food smugglers are over.

No more stuffing your suitcases with delicacies bought in Italy, hoping the sniffer dogs at JFK or other American airports won't detect the banned-in-the-USA foodstuffs inside your luggage.

In the U.S., they're called cured meats, the French say charcuterie and in Italy, the word for cured-pork products is salumi.

Disabled Workers' Victory Exposes Risks To Most Vulnerable

Yuki Noguchi — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:29:00 +0000
Four years ago, 21 men with intellectual disabilities were emancipated from a bright blue, century-old schoolhouse in Atalissa, Iowa. They ranged in age from their 40s to their 60s, and for most of their adult lives they had worked for next to nothing and lived in dangerously unsanitary conditions.
Earlier this month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission won a massive judgment against the turkey-processing company at which the men worked.