Week of April 1st, 2019

Maurice Harris wanted to open a coffee shop when he saw his neighborhood changing. The process wasn't easy.

Guess what time it is?

"This merging of artificial intelligence and basketball is a really powerful thing," said Dr. Rachel Marty Pyke, data scientist.

Get out your parachute pants, because MC Hammer begins his first major concert tour since 1991 on Saturday. Plus: Turning chaos into core strength with “Brexercise” and the economics of 3-pointers.

"Brexercise" is a hit.

The report, while an improvement on February, is no cause for elation.

Boeing is still cranking out new 737 Max jets, even though airlines aren't taking delivery.

President Trump wants to appoint the former pizza executive to the Federal Reserve.

Advocates say the environmental benefit are compelling.

Sears is once again opening new locations, but much smaller Home & Life stores.

Hiring rebounded in March as U.S. employers added a solid 196,000 jobs, up sharply from February's scant gain.

The March jobs numbers are in. Sears was saved from bankruptcy earlier this year, but its new stores will be more pared down. Plus, we go to the Puget Sound where Boeing makes most of its aircraft.

Lines of vehicles and waiting times have been growing at border crossings in El Paso, San Diego, and elsewhere.

Lines to cross the border have slowed to a costly crawl. Sears was saved from bankruptcy earlier this year, but its new stores will be more pared down. Plus, we take look at municipalities suing drug companies over opioids.

From the BBC World Service… Samsung profits take a nose dive. Plus, we break down figures which seem to show that the gender pay gap has widened at over half of Britain’s biggest firms.

As national elections approach, voters are being targeted with fake news on WhatsApp.

The platform of choice? WhatsApp, the messaging service owned by Facebook that allows users to send encrypted messages to other individuals, groups of people, and forward messages they’ve received.

E. & J. Gallo is buying roughly 30 inexpensive wine brands from Constellation Brands.

The Ethiopian government has published its preliminary report into the plane crash that killed all 157 people on board last month. It was the second crash involving a Boeing 737 Max in five months. The report found that the crew on the Ethiopian Airlines flight followed all the procedures provided by Boeing, but still weren’t able […]

Why have bullet trains have been an elusive American goal for more than 50 years? Plus, the latest on the Ethiopian Airlines crash, and the story of an undercover cop whose career was shaped by his county’s drug problems. 

Not everyone wanted to build a snowman.

They're making a living … undercover.

Today, a train ride from LA to San Francisco takes 12 hours. In 1937, it took 10.

It’s the deadliest drug epidemic our country has ever faced. We go to ground zero, where “nothing changes except for the drug.”

The number of people claiming unemployment in the U.S. is the lowest since December 1969. Broadcast news is doing a dismal job in covering climate change. Plus, what does the measure of GDP miss in its count?

With the March jobs figure coming out Friday, what will economists be looking for?

There are about 4.5 million young adults in their late teens and early 20s who are neither in school nor working.

Will tomorrow’s jobs numbers signal a slowing economy? Plus: The consequences of youth unemployment? And Australia passes a law that could mean jail and fines for execs of social media companies that fail to remove violent content.

From the BBC World Service… Ethiopian Airlines pilots followed proper safety protocols says the first official report on the disaster. So, what does all this mean for Boeing? Then, a turnaround in streaming revenue for artists and record labels?

What it's like to try to graduate high school without easy internet access.

Pew Research says almost a quarter of students from low-income families lack a dependable computer or internet connection.

Bucky Culbertson's career has followed the booms and busts of Wise County, up to his current job fighting the opioid epidemic.

The Alliance of American Football suspended operations three weeks early.

It's the first filing season under the tax overhaul of 2017. Software companies are still catching up.

Delta Air Lines and American Express just renewed their credit-card partnership through 2019. By 2023, Delta expects to more than double its AmEx-generated revenue, to $7 billion annually. Delta is not alone — other major carriers are also racking up cash from credit-card deals. Are airlines now more in the credit-card business than in the business […]

Who will the multibillion-dollar project benefit?

It looks like refinancing is making a comeback in the housing market. Dropping interest rates have brought a spike in applications to refinance mortgage loans. According to a report from financial analysts Black Knight, about 5 million homeowners in the US could benefit, saving hundreds of dollars a month. But is it a boon for […]

Who says crime doesn't pay?

President Trump’s proposed budget would introduce work requirements for housing subsidies and reduce funding for rental assistance.

Why does every NFL alternative seems to fail? But first, what you need to know about the recent spike in mortgage and refinancing applications. Plus, China’s professional shoppers who report mislabeled products for a share of the fine.

The two sides will meet soon in federal appeals court.

The U.S. is still adding jobs, though not as many as anticipated. Brunei faces boycotts as it implements new, draconian sentences for crimes. Plus, we take a look at Denmark’s 24-hour “open libraries.”

Exxon tells shareholders to buzz off. NATO turns 70 this week, but how much is there to celebrate? Plus, the software accountants use to do their clients’ taxes is proving to be less-than-perfect.

Seven decades from its foundation, NATO faces persistent criticism from President Trump.

Almost half of Denmark's libraries are open 24 hours a day.

From the BBC World Service… A trial linked to one of the world’s biggest financial scandals is officially underway in Malaysia today. Then, with a looming Brexit deadline, what’s likely to happen next?

One year ago today, a YouTube creator shot three people at the company headquarters before killing herself. A police investigation concluded that when YouTube demonetized her channel, it took away a “critical part of who she was.”

What happens to YouTubers when the platform changes the way videos are monetized?

Women and people of color still earn less than white men, even with the degree.

… And why that’s not so bad, even if it feels that way.

The White House is backtracking slightly on President Trump’s recent threats to close the U.S.-Mexico border on security concerns. Today, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said there’s no specific timeline and that it’s “not our first choice,” but she also said it may be the best decision. However, the economic consequences of closing the southern border […]

A Wired reporter tells about the man responsible for nearly 100 million automated calls.

Paper, plastic or cotton?

Pharmacy chain Walgreens reported a 3.8 percent drop in sales for the quarter. The company cited a weak cough, cold and flu season — and declining profits from generic and branded prescription drugs. Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

We look at the economic consequences, starting with putting the brakes on the auto industry. Plus, the fight against robocalls and why that tote bag might not be as environmentally friendly as you think.

Availability of french fries depends on the weather in Washington, Oregon and Idaho this spring.

A new survey finds younger women are pushing back against unequal pay by being more transparent about what they’re earning. Plus, we look at one paper mill that is open thanks to Amazon.

A new survey found that younger women are pushing back against unequal pay.

Environmental groups say people living near industrial chemical facilities could soon get better information on what’s being spewed into the air around them when accidents happen.

Google is pulling the plug on the platform after eight years.

The last person to hold the job says there are many ways the agency can get input on technology issues.

The role has existed since 2010, but it’s been empty for about a year, and some critics are worried.

Airlines aren't taking delivery of the grounded planes, but no orders have been formally canceled yet.

A New York Times reporter says the CEO's plan is "self-serving."

In an effort to slow the flow of Central America migrants into the U.S., President Trump said he’s cutting direct aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The U.S. sends money to those countries to help them combat drug trafficking, gang violence and to promote economic growth. Click the audio player above to hear the full […]

The Italian company — maker of global staple, Nutella — is buying several cookie and snack brands from Kellogg Co., which is trying to focus on other hit brands, like Cheez-It crackers. The deal will give Ferrero more visibility in snack aisles across the U.S. Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

The Internal Revenue Service is getting creative.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg laid out the case for regulating his own company, but regulating one tech giant will likely mean regulating others. First we do the numbers on Saudi Aramco, the world’s most profitable company. Plus: what you need to know about a big snack food merger.

Raised Voices sings its opposition.

Landowners would pay to “store” carbon.

A Virginia judge gives us a view of the opioid epidemic from the bench. Floods in the Midwest force farmers to push back planting season. Plus, how did Bluetooth technology get its name?

From the BBC World Service… Regional elections suggest a setback for Turkey’s president. Venezuela’s president unveiled a 30-day plan to ration electricity and says the worst is yet to come. Plus, how one Northern Ireland business is dealing with Brexit uncertainty.

A Wharton School expert says there's no sure recipe, but there are key ingredients.

You can think of innovation as a ladder of sorts. It might start with imitation and then progress to adaptation, like tweaking a foreign idea to develop it for a local market. But the steps needed to climb that ladder, in any given country, can be elusive and murky.