Economy

Senate's Tax Plan Faces A Number Of Hurdles Within Republican Party

11:07am November 28, 2017

David Greene talks to GOP Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, a member of the Senate finance and budget committees, about the tax overhaul that President Trump would like to have passed by Christmas.

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Starting this week, there are two people appointed to the job of acting director of the CFPB, and it's unclear who will get to stay. Mick Mulvaney, President Trump's current budget director and pick for the position, has gone on the record supporting the

What The Upheaval At A Federal Consumer Watchdog Could Mean For Students

9:27am November 28, 2017

by Anya Kamenetz

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been a clearinghouse for student borrower complaints. Its future is now in question.

Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney departs after a television interview at the White House in September.

Mulvaney Shows Up For Work At Consumer Watchdog Group, As Leadership Feud Deepens

6:35pm November 27, 2017

by Scott Neuman

Deputy Director Leandra English argues that she is the rightful head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. But the White House has made a rival appointment — OMB Director Mick Mulvaney.

How Tech Companies Are Catering To Generation Z Teens

4:38pm November 27, 2017

Kids born after 1995, also known as Generation Z, will make up 40 percent of consumers by 2020, and retailers are desperate for their attention. NPR's Kelly McEvers talks to Karl Haller, a partner with IBM's Global Consumer Industry team, about how much spending money is at stake and how other companies are competing with the tech giant.

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Bitcoin prices have spiked since October — and the cryptocurrency is now closing in on $10,000, leading the way for digital currencies that have seen huge gains in 2017.

Economy

Bitcoin Soars Toward Another Benchmark: $10,000

1:00pm November 27, 2017

by Bill Chappell

In early October, a single bitcoin cost less than $5,000 on currency exchange sites. A year ago, one could be had for around $730.

Tobacco Companies Return To Television With Anti-Smoking Campaign

12:52pm November 27, 2017

by Sean Bueter

American tobacco companies are returning to prime-time TV after decades of being banned from advertising on the air. They'll also be appearing in print.

Mateo Lorente (left) wears his new Supreme shirt as people flock to a Louis Vuitton store in Miami to purchase limited-edition Supreme and Louis Vuitton collaboration items, in June.

Is The Streetwear Market Headed For The Mainstream?

8:01am November 26, 2017

by Ema Sagner

They stand in line outside stores or use online bots to snag the latest hot sneaker or limited-edition clothing, then resell it at a profit. Resellers are a key driver of a multibillion-dollar market.

Economy

Family Finances On $100,000 A Year

7:57am November 26, 2017

Jacob Hugart talked with NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro as part of a series of conversations about what it's like for people making $100,000 a year. For many, it doesn't feel like enough to get by.

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A Conservative Tax Analyst On The GOP Tax Plan

8:00am November 25, 2017

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Scott Greenberg, senior analyst at the right-learning Tax Foundation, about the GOP tax plans. He says it may be hard to reach consensus because of internal disagreements.

Has The Black Friday Madness Been Tamed?

5:07pm November 24, 2017

by Sonari Glinton

NPR's Sonari Glinton has been out observing the state of retail sales in Los Angeles on Black Friday. He tells NPR's Elise Hu what he's discovered in the huge after Thanksgiving sales.